11-06-2018, 10:25 AM | #1 |
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Car drifts slightly left on some roads
Hey all,
I did some searching, and I read about the electric steering of early versions pulling right, and I don't think that's the issue. Here are the stats: 1. 2018 with 8k miles. I bought with 5.5k miles. 2. On some roads, I feel like I have to semi-constantly apply pressure to the wheel to the right or correct frequently. It's subtle, and if I keep both hands on the wheel, I don't even really notice. 3. On other roads it doesn't seem to be an issue. I drive a lot of freeway miles, so I cover a lot of ground. 4. Tire wear seems even based on all tread depths. Before I go and spend $300 (Bay Area), I wanted to see if this is normal. I feel like it might just be wide tires following a less than perfect road, but I can't tell. Experience appreciated. Thanks. John
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11-06-2018, 11:51 AM | #2 | |
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OP's comment regarding wide tires might be worth looking into. I think if you're not well used these cars you could probably get a strong sense of tramlining, especially if tire pressures are a little low. If OP is unfamiliar with tramlining, just Google the word and you'll see what I mean. |
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11-08-2018, 12:42 AM | #3 |
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It's really subtle. I've had a car that pulled a lot, and this isn't the case. And then sometimes it's dead straight. I'll get it checked when I get my next oil change.
Any bad experiences with alignment from the group? Can they make it worse? I haven't had to do this in a long time. |
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11-08-2018, 09:47 AM | #4 | |
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Had a an experience in the past taking it to reputable shop that had a new machine and came highly recommended. Didn't fix the issue. Went to another. Finally nearly $400 later said screw it and took it to the dealer. The dealer did an alignment as well (another $200) but it still pulled slightly, ended up pushing a software update and replacing one small part under warranty and it was fixed. Because that fixed it, the warranty covered the alignment cost at the dealer. And my situation was like yours. Slight pull, not always and nowhere near as bad as cars that I have had which pulled in the past but definitely noticeable once and a while. Moral of the story is trust the dealer on this one since it's relatively new and under warranty. Unless saving like $40 is an absolute must for you, then go to an independent shop.
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11-13-2018, 07:27 PM | #5 | |
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Step 3, 4, etc... I'll let you know when/if I get there. One of the steps, unfortunately, is learning to live with it. Good luck. Keep us posted. I search these topics a lot. |
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11-13-2018, 11:47 PM | #6 |
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I agree that you should check the alignment, but many roads are crowned for water run off, and even a perfectly aligned car will fall off toward the downhill side of the crown, as others have stated.
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11-14-2018, 05:34 AM | #7 |
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There is a road on my daily commute that has a slight curve to the left and if I am pushing it then lift off it feels like the back is trying to overtake the front. I just put it down to the fact the car has 20" wheels with 30 sidewalls and the fact that every bmw I have driven with big wheels/low profile tires has a tendency to tram line if the road surface is anything but perfect.
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11-14-2018, 12:18 PM | #8 | |
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11-14-2018, 12:30 PM | #9 | |
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The only reason to doubt my diagnosis if you have the car for 3k miles (what 3 months?) and daily driving it, you should have get used to this kind of car. So maybe a dealer visit to check everything. Must be under warranty still...
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11-14-2018, 02:52 PM | #10 | |
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11-14-2018, 03:21 PM | #11 | |
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OP - it is perfectly normal - I noticed this on my drive home when I picked up the car. In fact, it might even be the EPS fighting the crown of the road and over compensating. Alas, as you have noted, it doesn't happen all the time, so I caution you to NOT have it looked at, because if they start dicking with your alignment that can be a slippery slope.
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11-19-2018, 06:03 AM | #12 | |
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that was on very worn slicks though! They were all over the place after that. on this slight curve I think its the camber of the road and the 20" as it never did it in my M5. But either way I haven't had it do it since! |
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11-19-2018, 01:17 PM | #13 | ||
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This reminds me of one of the funniest car comments I've ever read: it appeared as the first sentence in Part 2 of the MARCH 722 chassis manual, the part having to do with trackside chassis adjustments. It read as follows: "It is assumed that the driver is able to distinguish between understeer and oversteer." I've always assumed that Robin Herd wrote that, but I suppose it could've been Max. |
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11-19-2018, 01:23 PM | #14 | |||
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11-19-2018, 01:49 PM | #15 | ||||
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11-19-2018, 01:59 PM | #16 | |||||
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11-19-2018, 03:30 PM | #17 | |
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Given that the car may not arrive from the factory in spec, I think that an alignment done at a reputable shop is a good investment. (I'm aware that having done 2 alignments in 3 weeks questions the credibility of this statement, but I still think it was worth it.) That way you know that what your left with is more likely to be the inherent behavior of the car. shout out to Ryan and staff at RCT Performance in Westbury, NY for a great job |
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12-22-2018, 10:19 PM | #18 | |
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12-24-2018, 12:46 AM | #20 |
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So I got the alignment done at the BMW dealership, and it was off slightly in the rear. They evened things up, and it seems slightly better. Per a comment above, right turns seem to require slightly more effort than left turns, but I can live with it the way it is. Thanks for all the feedback.
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