Steering Wheel Alignment

[DangerMouseUK]

So was talking about it in the other thread with me feeling my wheel might be a bit off-centre.

Was looking at it again today and it looks off to the left by a few degrees if you're marking it off the dash which all bends inwards slightly, but when you sit back it looks straight enough.

Anyway took a picture with it roughly where it sits when it thinks its straight, was wondering if everyone elses is like mine or if mine really is out a bit and then off down the alignment centre I go - if everyone elses is the same I can just leave it as is.

You'll find the picture later in the thread ->

Thanks in advance!

 

[boardlord]

Look lower on the L/H/S to me in that picture.

 

[DangerMouseUK]

I got it into my head that its just because the entire dash is sort of angled from the MMI out at a weird diagonal.

Will see if anyone else chimes in and then I guess off to the alignment centre if it's actually off to the left a bit.

 

[boardlord]

I got it into my head that its just because the entire dash is sort of angled from the MMI out at a weird diagonal.

Will see if anyone else chimes in and then I guess off to the alignment centre if it's actually off to the left a bit.

I was going by the relationship between the paddles and the stalks, not so much the dashboard, but thats assuming the stalks are level relevant to each other?

 

[8YARWY]

Just go get it aligned........

 

[RSt3ve]

In my mind at first mine felt left hand down but driving on ultra flat roads at high speed in Europe confirmed it's bang on.
The dash is a major factor here and tricks the mind a bit. I'm surprised they angled it so much.

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[garethdj]

Just go get it aligned........

I tried, albeit Kwik fit and a local competitor, when I first bought it and neither would touch it. Kwik fit said it was dealer only as all of the driver assistance systems technically need recalibrating after an alignment.


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[DangerMouseUK]

In my mind at first mine felt left hand down but driving on ultra flat roads at high speed in Europe confirmed it's bang on.
The dash is a major factor here and tricks the mind a bit. I'm surprised they angled it so much.

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RSt3ve; is yours exactly like mine in the picture?

I was going by the relationship between the paddles and the stalks, not so much the dashboard, but thats assuming the stalks are level relevant to each other?

Ah gotcha well the left stalk sits 3-5mm higher than the right stalk give or take as I didn't really know how to measure it from one side to the other lol

I tried, albeit Kwik fit and a local competitor, when I first bought it and neither would touch it. Kwik fit said it was dealer only as all of the driver assistance systems technically need recalibrating after an alignment.


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My local well recommended place said something similar too, back to the dealers! Don't want to touch any of the ADAS recalibration or something.

 

[8YARWY]

I tried, albeit Kwik fit and a local competitor, when I first bought it and neither would touch it. Kwik fit said it was dealer only as all of the driver assistance systems technically need recalibrating after an alignment.


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Kwik fit can’t be bothered then lol

ADAS Calibration

Kwik Fit offers ADAS calibration at a number of centres across the UK. Visit us for help, advice and recalibration of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.

www.kwik-fit.com

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[8YARWY]

RSt3ve; is yours exactly like mine in the picture?


Ah gotcha well the left stalk sits 3-5mm higher than the right stalk give or take as I didn't really know how to measure it from one side to the other lol


My local well recommended place said something similar too, back to the dealers! Don't want to touch any of the ADAS recalibration or something.

Plenty of independents that can sort ADAS

If you don’t fancy Audi, just needs a little homework.

Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) calibration | Protyre

If you are looking for ADAS calibration for your vehicle, you have come to the right place. Protyre offer ADAS calibration and many other useful garage services. Find out more here.

www.protyre.co.uk

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[Adam.Fleetwood]

Mines off to the right, is abit annoying, not gonna bother aligning it though

 

[DangerMouseUK]

Plenty of independents that can sort ADAS

If you don’t fancy Audi, just needs a little homework.

Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) calibration | Protyre

If you are looking for ADAS calibration for your vehicle, you have come to the right place. Protyre offer ADAS calibration and many other useful garage services. Find out more here.

www.protyre.co.uk

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I've got another place that's recommended who said they'd handle the ADAS and they thought they had the config for the RS3 8Y on their system whatever that meant!
As you know from your experience Audi would probably give it back worse than it went in!!

Will wait and see if everyone else's is the same if it is will just leave it, if not then I'll make sure the second recommended place has the correct config? for the car and then take it down and see if they can work their magic. Would rather not do it if it just looks off because of how the dash & trim is all angled which RSt3ve seems to think the same as me on . . .

Cheers for that protyre link been there before but never thought about looking at them this time! Did some good tyre fitting for me once a while ago.

 

[8YARWY]

I've got another place that's recommended who said they'd handle the ADAS and they thought they had the config for the RS3 8Y on their system whatever that meant!
As you know from your experience Audi would probably give it back worse than it went in!!

Will wait and see if everyone else's is the same if it is will just leave it, if not then I'll make sure the second recommended place has the correct config? for the car and then take it down and see if they can work their magic. Would rather not do it if it just looks off because of how the dash & trim is all angled which RSt3ve seems to think the same as me on . . .

Cheers for that protyre link been there before but never thought about looking at them this time! Did some good tyre fitting for me once a while ago.

You need to either
1) Accept the wheel is ‘off’
2) Research / speak to alignment specialists and you’ll find one eventually you are comfortable with.

Don’t automatically fall into the trap of thinking / believing ADAS needs recalibration, I spoke to someone regarding this and he said only if it’s quite a bit out would the systems need a calibration of any kind.

My wheel was out from the rack replacement and I knew it straight away getting back in the car, hence the trips to Audi and I even went to a Porsche specialist in Bolton with it, paid £80 to check, who then said it was fine, but that if I still wasn’t happy that I should go back to Audi with it, which is what I did when I had the seat belts done, finally then they got it bang on how it used to be.





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[DangerMouseUK]

Yeah I was at 1) for a while mainly because I thought it wasn't "off" but it just looks that way due to the dash.

Are you saying in your opinion from that photo above it is off to the left compared to your wheel?

If so then yeah I'll go back to the alignment people tomorrow and have a chat and also speak to the master tech at the Audi retailer I use and see if he has any additional thoughts on it as it's due in for a software update soon so might just let them do it all in one go (if it does need doing) and save the hassle.

Cheers for the help, appreciated

 

[RSt3ve]

RSt3ve; is yours exactly like mine in the picture?


Ah gotcha well the left stalk sits 3-5mm higher than the right stalk give or take as I didn't really know how to measure it from one side to the other lol


My local well recommended place said something similar too, back to the dealers! Don't want to touch any of the ADAS recalibration or something.

It's so hard to tell to be honest, there's so much going on with lines and shapes.

All I know is that on driving alone my hands feel level on flat roads.

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[DangerMouseUK]

It's so hard to tell to be honest, there's so much going on with lines and shapes.

All I know is that on driving alone my hands feel level on flat roads.

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Yeah understood and agreed lol

I don’t think I’m as good a judge on whether my hands are level as you!

Will have another drive and look at it and see! Thanks for the help!


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[garethdj]

Kwik fit can’t be bothered then lol

ADAS Calibration

Kwik Fit offers ADAS calibration at a number of centres across the UK. Visit us for help, advice and recalibration of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.

www.kwik-fit.com

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Tbf is select centres only and the one I took it too isn’t on the list but they could have said that at least


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[DangerMouseUK]

Took the picture in daylight today whilst I was at the supermarket as the whole car park seemed flat. Have sent pic to the master tech at Audi to see what he thinks and if he says bring it in will do it.

 

[RSt3ve]

I've just run some gridlines over your picture and I think I know what may be throwing your eyes off.

Assuming the photo has been taken level, the physical wheel is bang level, but the airbag is down to the left by a mm or 2.

Even rotating the photo shows that the silver trim at the bottom is 10.9 degrees to the vertical when measured on the inside edge both sides.



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[DangerMouseUK]

Hey Mate,

Thanks for that!

I’m not sure how level the photo is as I just took it without using any sort of level it felt sort of straight enough though give or take.

Thanks for looking at it with a grid I didn’t think about that!

Yeah I didn’t realise the airbag part of the steering wheel wasn’t straight either! Will look at it tomorrow don’t know if there’s any play in it or not. Looking again at the photo I can see it now.

I guess in the end it’s just how the dash doesn’t sit straight, the column mounted stalks aren’t level in their default position, the carbon fibre trim sits at different heights either side of the wheel, everything around the wheel is placed in a way that makes the wheel look off centre or wonky - first time I’ve had a car with a dash designed like this to be honest!

I guess if you sit back and just look at the wheel it looks straight enough, sent the pictures to my master tech and as long as he says it’s ok then I guess I’ll just leave it as is then.

Thanks for the help appreciate it!


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[flybynite]

IMHO from that photo the wheel is left-hand-down, how it lines up on the stalks and the stiching on the wheel against the binacle behind. Fot me that is left hand down.

If it is like that on the road then for me it is wheel off and one notch to the right. With the airbag off there should be a 'chisel' mark across the column spline and wheel to denote centre from the factory.

I had the same on my 8v. The one thing that can complicate things is 'straight-ahead' can look light right-hand-down on the road because the car is hanging in the gutter (UK, driving on the left) and you are pulling it up. This can lead some to put it one notch to the left leading to what you have.

 

[DangerMouseUK]

Hi mate even with the dash behind being angled from the MMI out to the door and the stalks not sitting at the same height?

I think the whole dash area is a bit of an optical illusion on the 8Y to make the steering wheel always seem a bit off to the left!

Have sent pics to my Audi garage master tech and asked his advice he said he’s gonna have a closer look at another one they have there and come back to me on whether to bring it in or not!

Thanks for coming back to me appreciate the help!


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[flybynite]

I think the whole dash area is a bit of an optical illusion on the 8Y to make the steering wheel always seem a bit off to the left!

The horizontal lines on the rev-counter also are not level with the steering wheel, (even the spokes) so if the steering wheel is straight then the whole dash (including instruments) slopes to the right.

If the whole dash is sloping to the right then TBH I'm glad I'm not going 8Y as it would do my head in too.

Like I say, my 8v looked the same and it was one notch to the left, easily corrected. There was a reason mine was out but not sure why a new car would. To some extent if it looks right then it is right, I know what I would do if it were mine.

 

[DangerMouseUK]

Yeah I think at this point I'm just going to take it in for a sanity check regardless, have sent the photos to the Master Tech at my Audi retailer and he's pretty bang on with everything so if he says leave it then it's on record and it's fine if he says bring it in then off I go! He thinks if there's no sign of any sort of damage because the cars only a few months old there might be an avenue for some discount on any alignment they did in the workshop. I didn't push on it as he's a decent guy anyway.

He also said if he did have to do it he'd do it personally which put my mind at rest as he really looks after the cars he works on.