Can bad alignment cause steering angle issues?

[ruiz]

Hey all, so I got an alignment done last week and it was done within spec according to the sheet but it drifted left and the wheel was also off center. I took it back and he said it was in spec yet he "fixed" it and the wheel was still off center so I'm due to bring it back next Tuesday. Yesterday my ESP and ABS lights came on and stayed on, I ran my vagcom and I got a code for a faulty steering angle sensor. So my question is, can a bad alignment cause my steering angle sensor to fail or at least appear faulty until the steering wheel is re-centered or alignment fixed? Any input or suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

[MacDaddy]

There alignment machine probably needs re calibrated, everything can be "within spec" and still pull or have poor tire wear, that means nothing. What does the alignment print out say for thrust angle? (That's the direction the car will want to naturally go)

[ruiz]

Yeah he does alignments with the car on a regular lift and uses a small table under each wheel with the alignment hardware on each wheel too. I've never seen that before but he has all sorts of Euro cars in his shop and races as well. Anyways, the thrust angle is 0.03* actual and before it was -0.07*.

I normally take my car somewhere else for alignments but since I've brought a few cars here for exhaust work I thought I would give him my alignment business as well even though it is $40 more...it's looking like I should have stuck to my original shop.

[Audi9]

I'd go somewhere else

[ruiz]

I'd go somewhere else

Should I give him a 3rd shot at it or is it reasonable to ask for my money back?

[Audi9]

Should I give him a 3rd shot at it or is it reasonable to ask for my money back?

He's tried twice and couldn't get it so it sounds like it's time to move on.

[Schtug]

Where did you have the alignment done? I too am in MD and would like to avoid the aforementioned shop. PM me if you don't feel good about putting their name out there in this thread.

[MacDaddy]

A positive thrust angle would make it go right and you said it pulls left, something isn't right, however I was just thinking if you have the rubber isolated outer tie rods they cause problems aligning our cars because we have thicker bushings and wider tires causing extra squish in the tie rod leading to inaccurate toe settings.

[ruiz]

It only pulled to the left after the original alignment and that's also the thrust angle from the first one too. I can't find the current one. But at this point only the steering wheel is off center, it is about 15* to the right. Could a bad steering angle sensor throw the wheel off or not keep it centered?

[MacDaddy]

Your SA sensor is probably throwing a code because the steering wheel is off, it needs to be re aligned with the steering wheel pointing straight

[landfill]

No one is setting thrust angle in a fast
paced shop. If you don't have adjustable
control arms your car is a toe an go. Which is the easiest alignment there is.
If he got it dead nuts in the middle of the bar graphs and the steering wheel is not centered he either didn't have it centered when he adjusted the toe or there alignment machine is an old piece of junk which I unfortunately deal with on a daily basis. What you have to do if you can is
set your front toe by feel. If your steering
wheel is to the left turn your right tie rod out and your left tie rod in. If your car/steering wheel goes to the right do the opposite. Spin it a couple turns and then drive your car. Repeat this procedure until your car doesn't pull. Or if you don't wrench take to a place that has an up to date hunter alignment rack.

[MacDaddy]

Every vehicle will have a thrust angle, I just wanted to know what it was. you cant really set it unless you have a solid rear axle with shackles and leaf springs. You could manipulate the alignment to a smaller thrust angle if the frame of a car is tweaked or part of the suspension is seized and the customer doesn't want to have it repaired, I had a Honda Civic like that, I think it was the rear camber or caster bolts for adjustment was seized so we did our best and made it so the car would at least go straight down the road.

I agree with everything else, plus a newer machine with the eyes on it (square reflectors on each wheel) are self calibrating every time an alignment is done so your chance of a steering wheel off centre is nearly impossible unless the tech is a super putz