New steering rack and off centre steering wheel.

[Soultrader]

Please guys, I'm in need of help after 4 weeks of car hell already. I'd really appreciate it if someone could guide me.

In a nut shell. I installed a new steering rack on my w211 e320 cdi and now the steering wheel is off centre and esp light is showing.

I'll try and explain the process as a numbered list.

1) Installed a new steering rack.
2) I did this by removing the steering coupling off the car as I couldn't get the rack to slide into the splines with the coupling attached to the car.
3) Again, I installed the rack into the coupling with it off the car.
4) Things to note at this point, the rack has been turned side to side, so recentring the rack was done manually.
5) While the rack was off the steering wheel had been turning freely and was turned a number of times (so no regard for steering clock and angle sensor etc, can these be broken by doing this???)
6) The time came to reinstall the rack and it was centred by measuring tie rods, measured the boots to determine this. So maybe not the most accurate way.
7) The coupling only slips back onto the steering column one way, because the column has a single groove and the coupling has a tab which slides onto that groove.
8) With the steering wheel in centre and the rack in what i thought was the centre the tab and groove would not line up.
9) The steering column groove which attaches to the coupling only presents itself one way when setting the steering straight, so in order to get the tab of the coupling to line up with the groove of the column i had to turn it one way or the other.
10) In the end I turned the coupling in the direction that was least distance in order to get it to line up with the groove.
11) I thought that anything up to this point would be able to be adjusted out on an alignment rig.
12) The tie rod assembly complete with track rod ends were directly transferred over from the old rack without adjusting them.
13) At this point going lock to lock and returning to centre would leave my steering wheel off centre. Thought it could be adjusted out as the tyres weren't exactly straight.
14) I go to the alignment centre and notice the esp light start to come on. It would go off when the car was turned off and restarted only to return after a short drive.
15) I go to the alignment centre and they set the wheel straight and go about tracking. They cannot align the car with the wheel set straight as it will result in the thread of one of the rods coming to its end. He completely set one side first before working on the other.
16) He then asks his friend to go lock to lock and return to centre, this brings the wheel back to where it was off centre.
17) He tracks the car in this position and then suggests repositioning the steering wheel by unbolting it and changing its position, only having read around a little I'm not even sure if this is possible and is where I learnt about clock spring etc.
18) Please help =(

Can someone offer me some guidance moving forward.

Have I broke the clock spring by freely spinning the steering wheel when it was disconnected?
What if I installed the rack and it was a little off centre?
Is there any way I can unbolt the wheel and recentre it?
Should I focus on reinstalling the track rod ends maybe?

Thank you for any help. Honestly I'm out of luck and spent up. Installing a rack for a second time didn't even take the knock away, no one seems to think it's the ball joints... and just long story going into it's 4th week now.

 

[ajlsl600]

In use steering wheel only moves so many turns,lock to lock,clock spring designed to deal with this.
I not certain, but suspect if coupling off and much spinning of steering wheel good chance of over winding clock spring.
Often centring steering is just loosen and refit steering wheel. Did that no issue on a class with air bag disconnect but would not be at all surprised if modern benz have made this considerable more hassle,as about all else today.
Seems an office block of pimpled teenagers permanently employed just to make it hard/impossible for any diy.
Someone more familiar will be along

 

[Wearsafoxhat]

I think you will need to get it all re aligned, re calibrated..
I would take it to a good MB independent who has the correct equipment, eg Star , Zentry diagnostic


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Taffy7hfa]

^^^^ This.

 

[merc85]

Airbag Clock/squib ring broken due to Steering wheel being turned and not fixed straight ahead position,

Tie rod End removal, You count the turns when taking them off and put back on accordingly

The car will need a Tracking and Steering wheel alignment,

Once New clock spring fitted along with reassembly turn the steering wheel from lock to lock that should sort your esp out.

 

[mattkh]

I doubt that the clock spring is broken.
Turn steering all the way to one side. Now start turning it to the opposite side AND start counting the turns. When you reach the opposite end, stop counting.
Divide it by 2.
Now turn back the number of times from the division. Stop the steering.
Your clock spring is now in the middle position.

 

[Soultrader]

I doubt that the clock spring is broken.
Turn steering all the way to one side. Now start turning it to the opposite side AND start counting the turns. When you reach the opposite end, stop counting.
Divide it by 2.
Now turn back the number of times from the division. Stop the steering.
Your clock spring is now in the middle position.

This is opposite advice to above? He insists it's broken. Why don't you believe so?

 

[Soultrader]

Thanks for all your reply guys.

 

[Soultrader]

Airbag Clock/squib ring broken due to Steering wheel being turned and not fixed straight ahead position,

Tie rod End removal, You count the turns when taking them off and put back on accordingly

The car will need a Tracking and Steering wheel alignment,

Once New clock spring fitted along with reassembly turn the steering wheel from lock to lock that should sort your esp out.

How sure are you that the clock spring is broken? Is there any way of telling by looking at the part?

 

[ajlsl600]

Think when forced spring jumped from locator ,or breaks tang/fitting spring flopping around ./fully unwound a good sign
Tryin to remember from doing a good nu on landcruiser pick ups long ago.no real experience on the benz.tho I confident it wont be easier

 

[merc85]

@Soultrader

Because ive had a w203 one off and you have to make sure they are locked into position to avoid damage.

Im in the Motor trade btw, Its comman practice to lock the steering at least keep it central whilst performing things like this.

See my Youtube channel , excuse the amateur footage lol

 

[mattkh]

...........5) While the rack was off the steering wheel had been turning freely and was turned a number of times

That means the ignition key was in the lock all this time. Was that the case..?

 

[Soultrader]

That means the ignition key was in the lock all this time. Was that the case..?

I can't remember but at one point the steering lock did not reactivate due to dead battery. In either case, I had a free spinning wheel at one point which I'm pretty sure got clocked more then it should have. I'll let you know when i get it off now.

 

[Soultrader]

Should the fault show on the dash when the car is first started?

 

[mattkh]

2 q's.
What year is the car?
Do you have directional fog lamps on your car ?

 

[Soultrader]

2 q's.
What year is the car?
Do you have directional fog lamps on your car ?

2007, yes i do.

 

[mattkh]

Great.
If the directional fog lamps work OK, then your clock spring is working OK.

 

[Soultrader]

Great.
If the directional fog lamps work OK, then your clock spring is working OK.

I'll check that out thanks. Is there a way of physically checking the item itself when I've got it out?

 

[mattkh]

The air bag scares me. They can explode.
I would not go down that route.

 

[Soultrader]

The air bag scares me. They can explode.
I would not go down that route.

Even with the battery removed? It's the only way to remove the part.