ABS BAS ESP on following adjustment to tracking

[philchave]

Well I did me the right thing, and took my S280 in to have the tracking checked following replacement of the ball joints and both camber arms and lower arms on the front suspension.

As suspected it was quite a way out. Upon driving away from the garage the ABS BAS and ESP lights came on. I'd gone only a few hundred yards when this happened.

The garage plugged in the machine and took out the fault codes, and as soon as I drove away on they came again. Each time always within a mile or so from starting.

The steering wheel is also now at 10 oclock and 4 oclock, not 9 to 3.

Another trip to the garage and they are talking now about wheel alignment sensors (or was it steering angle sensor?), I cant remember.

Makes me wonder why I bothered. Suppose I had to for the sake of my tyres, but it's still galling all the same.
Thanks for any advice.
phil

 

[television]

Oh dear,, first are you sure that you have have all 3 up that is ABS/BAS/ESP

I can understand the ESP/BAS if they did not center the steering box

 

[Uncle Benz]

The fact that the steering wheel is not straight when the car is driving straight is the crux of the problem. The steering angle sensor is behind the steering wheel. The ecu sees that all four wheels are rotating at the same rate via the wheel speed sensors, and yet it sees the steering is turning a corner via the angle sensor. It determines that this is not a plausible situation so puts the warning lights on.
The steering wheel must be straightened by equal adjustment of each track rod end. ie, shorten one side a turn, lengthen the other by a turn until the wheel is straight.
You must NOT attempt to correct the situation by removing the steering wheel and putting it back on in a different position - just making it worse!

 

[television]

The garage have some diagnostic kit,and the exact center can be found on STAR, but as above if the wheel is turned to be straight ahead and locked and the track rods adjusted then all will be OK.

Also if the camber is not correct this can also put the steering out of line to get the warning lamps on

 

[grahamcol]

It amazes me the number of outfits that seem to get a relatively simple thing like tracking all wrong. Had the same with dare I say my wife's Metro (ashamed to admit I let her have one) which was "tracked up" at ATS many years ago, the steering wheel totally misaligned due to unequal adjustment of the track rods. What are people playing at ???

 

[kth286]

Uncle Benz in above post is spot on.

Just needs the track rods to be equalized same both sides.

ie. tighten a bit one side AND untighten an equivalent bit, the other side - until
steering wheel is back into position.

Doing the above will not negatively alter the basic tracking, which should now
be spot on.

 

[television]

It amazes me the number of outfits that seem to get a relatively simple thing like tracking all wrong. Had the same with dare I say my wife's Metro (ashamed to admit I let her have one) which was "tracked up" at ATS many years ago, the steering wheel totally misaligned due to unequal adjustment of the track rods. What are people playing at ???

If the camber is out , the steering will be off set, it is first things first

 

[grahamcol]

Surely places should check steering wheel position before declaring the job done ? Or maybe I just expect too much.

 

[Miffy]

I only take mine to a 4wheel alignment center. They always lock off the steering wheel before they touch anything.

 

[grahamcol]

I only take mine to a 4wheel alignment center. They always lock off the steering wheel before they touch anything.

Yes, that's what I did with my C280 when I first had it and they "locked" the steering in the straight ahead position too. Makes sense to me !

 

[Alex Crow]

Great advice above, this is a simple and common problem, and the garage that adjusted the tracking has failed to do a correct job - the steering wheel must be straight ahead when travelling straight.

Do not allow anyone to change any parts, just arrange to have the tracking done correctly.

 

[philchave]

Thank you so much for all your replies.
I've got an idea of what I'm going to say when I go back after the weekend.

The mechanic did use a steering lock as there were dents where it sits on the seat. Quite how sturdy it was I don't know, but the offside bolt was so tight I saw him swinging off his adjustables to shift it and I'm wondering now if this transferred back up through the steering.

I do know that he did a lot more turning on one side than the other.

He did use a four wheel laser system, so I assumed he knew what he was doing.

The whole thing seems very unfortunate as I've used this garage for 25 years, but all the old boys have now retired. Maybe so should I. It shouldn't be up to me to educate them how to do my tracking, should it?

 

[MB TECH WARRINGTON]

Thank you so much for all your replies.
I've got an idea of what I'm going to say when I go back after the weekend.

The mechanic did use a steering lock as there were dents where it sits on the seat. Quite how sturdy it was I don't know, but the offside bolt was so tight I saw him swinging off his adjustables to shift it and I'm wondering now if this transferred back up through the steering.

I do know that he did a lot more turning on one side than the other.

He did use a four wheel laser system, so I assumed he knew what he was doing.

The whole thing seems very unfortunate as I've used this garage for 25 years, but all the old boys have now retired. Maybe so should I. It shouldn't be up to me to educate them how to do my tracking, should it?

A tool is only as good as the operator.

We see your situation on a regular basis, and as above, its a simple job, a simple concept. But many still get it miles out.

 

[philchave]

Update on Tracking Saga

Thank you guys for all your replies.
I think we may have sussed it this morning.
I took the car back for reassessment of the tracking.

The mechanic set the steering wheel lock and shut the door, then went round to the lift buttons to raise the car, leaving me stood beside the door. Guess what? The steering went up and into its park position, releasing the wheel brace. Unfortunately he hadn't noticed.

I'd bet a pound to a penny this is what happened in the first instance. So the tracking was being adjusted, but leaving the steering wheel to freely spin anyway it wanted, leaving me with an out of kilter steering wheel and all the BAS, ESP and ABS lights on.

By bracing the steering after the door was shut and the key taken out, meant the brace did its job. Simple really when you catch on.
Think the mechanic learned a valuable lesson today!
Thanks again
phil

 

[alexanderfoti]

Thats an odd one! Funnily enough I read a procedure in WIS that called for disabling this otherwise the wheel would move when the door was closed!

 

[allforfun]

So has the wheels got to be dead centre when driving? As I've just had my tracking done and wheel is now a few degrees of to the right but there is small play from side to side in steering wheel when it's locked ? Is this right? Or should there be no play? My ESP workshop warning came in yesterday so I had tracking down and now the wheel Is a few degrees of to the right where as before it was of to the left perhaps this is still the cause?

 

[television]

What happens now is with all the playing, what ever is bent must be changed.

Now with the steering wheel, if the car is put on STAR the center can be found, the wheel should be clamped from this point on while the final alignment is done after the bent/damaged part has been replaced

 

[allforfun]

Once again there is no bent or damaged part both front wheels have been of and everything checked car has passed a MOT today as no warning lights o. Just writing saying car needs to go in to workshop.

 

[television]

If the car does not feel right then something wrong and the MOT might not pick this up

 

[allforfun]

Car does not feel right because ESP is not working ? Suspension is harder steering feels weird perhaps it's something else but there's nothing bent on the car we have checked and double checked and taken measurements I thinks it's all down to this ESP not working.