Involuntry sideways s3 (scary) please help!!

[Fat Tony]

Hey all, i was driving to work yesterday when i went round a corner at a normal/safe speed and the back end of my 2001 s3 let go..... I know it wasnt speed or anything as i remember when i first bought the car, being on the same corner trying to get a bit sideways and not being able to as there was too much grip and i didnt want to go any faster than when i was attempting it

It was scary as i wasnt expecting it and was lucky there werent any other cars about.

At first, i thought it might just be that section of road having oil or something on it but it is every corner, i turn in and the back feels like it goes all light then lets go, requiring oposite steering to not completely spin round

Can anyone suggest things to look for? The front right suspension feels a little softer than the rest but nothing majorly different??? (i might have just pushed harder!!!) It is the same whether in gear, with clutch in or accelerating Thanks for any advice, quite worried now as i dont want to crash the car i jus spent nearly a years wages buying......

Oh, it has 100k on the clock too, is there any known things that go at this age??? Thanks for any help, James

 

[s3ollie]

ice??

 

[Dave B]

Get you 4 wheel allign ment done :icon_thumright:

Just had mine doen t APS and that solves a similar issue (rear wheels where way out)

Ohh and that cold watr stuff, you know when it goes all haerd and that....ummmm.... yeah Ike or some thing?

 

[Fat Tony]

What was your car driving like? and what sort of price would i be looking at for that????
Cheers for the reply!!!

 

[Aky]

get someone to check all the springs and shocks

 

[voorhees]

I paid 80 quid for allignment tony and erm..even though it has quattro the laws of gravity and ice will make it go sideways

 

[Fat Tony]

No ice surely as the sun has been out for the last few days, i know its still cold but after driving the same road for 4 years day in and day out on days where ice lays elsewhere, there has never been ice on these corners (not saying its impossible of course!) I am in cornwall and wok outside as a builder and im yet to see ice in any puddles/water butts etc this year

 

[Dave B]

I used these APS

<H5 style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Beissbarth 4WA

APS are able to offer four wheel alignment checks and adjustments using the very latest VAG dealer 1813F alignment system. This enables us to accurately setup the camber, toe and tracking of a vehicle, achieving the best possible results from your car’s chassis set up.​

From £45 + VAT

http://www.autops.co.uk/html/workshop.html​

</H5>

 

[voorhees]

a spillage of diesel or someones leaked oil/coolant onto the road or how are your tyre pressures?
or your driving

 

[Fat Tony]

a spillage of diesel or someones leaked oil/coolant onto the road or how are your tyre pressures?
or your driving

Its on all corners, even on a narrow country road if u turn the wheel sharply it feels light on the back, ive had it a month and its always been nothing but grip all the way...

Might try an see if my local garage will do the allignment, or is this something that requires all the posh equiptment 2 b exact....

 

[HTC]

Sounds like something mechanical is broken at the back.

Check for tyre scrub, maybe the rear diff is at fault?

 

[S3quatt]

If this came on sudden it defo sounds like something's broken..

Connecting link on ARB or trailing arm?

 

[voorhees]

Might try an see if my local garage will do the allignment, or is this something that requires all the posh equiptment 2 b exact....

Specialist equipment is needed if it is that

 

[simch]

Worth jacking it up for an look at the obvious. Also check your wheelbolts are all done up, they may have gone lose or been loosened by some tea leaf.

Jack it up and check for play in the rear wheels, wiht handbrake on and then off. Could be a collapsed wheel bearing, or broken rear arm. Have you checked your tyre presusres, is it on both left an right handers ??

If in doubt get it checke dby a pro, you could kill yourself and others if its wrong!!

 

[rodenal]

check tyre pressures at the rear first, then i'd go with the above

 

[fingermouse]

worn tyres ????

 

[abdus]

bad tyres or black ice.

I spun one of my cars yesterday (was driving at 15mph in a small street at 6am)

overtook a parked car and car back end spun and hit a parked van on the other side.

When I got out of the car, I decided to slip too..LOL

it was all black ice evrywhere..You don't notice it until you actually walk on the road and see how slippery it is.

It lasted the whole day even with the sun out.

Just be more careful while driving

or maybe as some stated, mechanical fault somewhere

 

[Fat Tony]

a spillage of diesel or someones leaked oil/coolant onto the road or how are your tyre pressures?
or your driving

Checked tyre pressures the day it happened, i went back to the corner last night and got out, the road is sooo slippery, i could skid along it with a bit of a run up! the bit i parked in however was grippy as a track, i THINK the roads here have been gritted and heard when wet, makes for a dodgy surface.
Im still a bit worried though as it lost grip so much easier than my MK2 golf lowered on coilovers. I have driven the golf for 4 years like that and never experienced any sort of back end loss, i know it is fwd but it doesnt seem to be anything to do with the 4wd

I think im going to have a look under the car as soon as possible like suggested though still, im sure with esp and 4wd it should never let go so easily

Thanks so much for all he replies, much apreciated:icon_thumright:

 

[dantheman1986]

Get you 4 wheel allign ment done :icon_thumright:

Just had mine doen t APS and that solves a similar issue (rear wheels where way out)

Ohh and that cold watr stuff, you know when it goes all haerd and that....ummmm.... yeah Ike or some thing?

ive had my car in at bushes to have this done today and the said they couldnt ajust the rears on my car? it is a a3 1.8t quattro is this right? if so how are you guys getting yours ajusted?