Alignment done, ESP light comes on over 40mph

[Brennan]

Right guys so I've been driving for the past month with my alignment badly out, steering was very off centre. Been extremely busy with work so had no time to get it done.

Went to get the alignment fixed today and the garage could only fix the front wheels. The rear cam bolts are seized solid (does anyone know how to successfully remove these bolts?) Anyway they couldn't do the rear wheels because of this.

They told me that my back wheels were both just out of the allowed tolerances, and as a result of this the car could be crabbing slightly and my steering wheel would still be slightly off.

So when I left the tyre centre I noticed the steering wheel was off centre still, however in the opposite direction. This was ok because he told me it would be like that.

However as soon as I got back onto the main road and took the car over 40, I got a fault on info screen on my dials saying 'ESP Fault, See owners manual'.

The ESP light stays on until I switch the car off, then comes back on once I start driving the car. Now I know this means my ESP is OFF and not working.

Does anyone know the cause of the ESP fault and how I can release the seized cam bolts on the rear?

Thanks

 

[desertstorm]

How did the alignment get so far out in the first place ?.
The reason the ESP is flagging a fault is because there is a sensor on the steering wheel shaft that measures the angle that the steering wheel is being turned. The ESP uses this to measure the rate of change of steering input and also the amount of lock you have on. Along with the inputs from the wheel speed sensors and the acceleration sensors usually located under the back seat this enables the ESP to work out if the car is in control or skidding out of control.
As you are driving in a straight line and the ESP is seeing the steering wheel as not being straight ahead it is unsure of what is actually happening so throws the fault code and disables itself.
I am not 100% sure but I believe what you should do is set the steering wheel straight ahead and then adjust the track rod ends on either side to get the steering into alignment. This thread seems to say the same as well.
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...-ESP8-Basic-settings-amp-steering-calibration

On other cars it is possible to recalibrate the steering G85 sensor. where did you take it for alignment some Kwik fit place ?

 

[Brennan]

I can't even remember now how it got out of line so much in the first place, however the car is lowered significantly on a coilover suspension so pot holes are lethal on it. I assume this is what happened.

I took the car to a well known independent tyre fitting centre, who have a rather fancy fully computerised alignment setting system.

I need to loosen these seized bolts because being unable to adjust the rear alignment is upsetting the entire geometry of the car.

 

[jdp1962]

@BrennanTDi, I'd be inclined to go to a specialist Hunter-equipped alignment centre. Try here; you just put in your postcode.

 

[Fctaff]

Does yours have radar ?

 

[jdp1962]

Does yours have radar ?

Who are you asking, @Fctaff?

 

[Fctaff]

Brennan, a garage by me tracked one with radar and had the same issue.

 

[Brennan]

@BrennanTDi, I'd be inclined to go to a specialist Hunter-equipped alignment centre. Try here; you just put in your postcode.

Nearest centre with this setup is still quite a distance from me.

The setup at the centre I went to was quite fancy so I'm sure it was accurate

 

[Brennan]

Brennan, a garage by me tracked one with radar and had the same issue.

Does what have radar?

 

[rum4mo]

Does what have radar?

Option (1) garage had radar and saw nasty customer coming.

Option (2) car had radar fitted - adaptive cruise etc.

 

[Bainie]

Possible they have damaged a wheel sensor when doing the alignment as well , happened to my mini ...