Steering is driving me nuts!!

[SamirD]

This definitely sounds like a caster issue, and the squeaks and clunks in the front suspension are some clues as to what happened. Since the dealership can't take the time to do it right, you need to take the tire off and examine the following on the front suspension--sway bar mounts, end links, tie rods ends, tie rod boots, steering rack, steering rack boots, a-arm bushings and mounts, knuckle bushings and mounts, spring mounts and perch, shock mounts and shock absorber.

I'm betting the problem is somewhere in one of these and will show up as some sort of unusual wear on the item that you can see.

[smsmart]

This definitely sounds like a caster issue, and the squeaks and clunks in the front suspension are some clues as to what happened. Since the dealership can't take the time to do it right, you need to take the tire off and examine the following on the front suspension--sway bar mounts, end links, tie rods ends, tie rod boots, steering rack, steering rack boots, a-arm bushings and mounts, knuckle bushings and mounts, spring mounts and perch, shock mounts and shock absorber.

I'm betting the problem is somewhere in one of these and will show up as some sort of unusual wear on the item that you can see.

Haha, that's almost all of the suspension components in the front! :/

But what do you mean by caster issue? I've had the car's alignment checked out by three different independent shops--one was a shop that did old-school alignments without computers and said everything looked fine and made no adjustments...the other two used computers, and except for some slight adjustments, said everything looked fine too. I explained my situation to all of them, and it just seems like they don't understand what I'm getting at.

Honestly, if I knew what and how to look for the problem, I would just do it myself. But except for what's mentioned in the service manual and some things on the internet, I'm not entirely sure how to determine the problem. Are there things I can measure? And I don't even have a lift, which makes it all that more difficult at times. Not to mention that it sounds like some things are not visually apparent to be a problem, like the swaybar bushings which apparently can seem fine on the outside, but be worn out on the inside.

It's just such a frustrating problem... I know how good the car's steering can feel and how well it can handle--after all, I've owned the car since brand-new. But one fateful alignment at the $tealership and now I'm left with steering that feels so messed up. There are times when I can ignore it, and other times when I just want to pull my hair out, cut my losses and sell the car.

Anyway, the swaybar bushings finally came in, and you're right...they do have slits in them on the top of the curved part. So it does seem possible to slip them onto the bar without taking the whole bar off. I'll see if I have time this weekend to try putting them on.

[bootymac]

The symptoms you described sound a lot like bump steer, which is usually caused by toe settings or issues with your tie rods.

With the front lifted, check for horizontal movement in each front wheel by grabbing the wheels at 3 and 9 and rocking it. If there's any play then the tie rods are done.

Also, vertical movement would indicate ball joint issues

[smsmart]

After what seems like a couple of months sitting on a brand new pair of swaybar bushings, I finally had the time last weekend to lift the car up and do the replacement.

Let me just say first that replacing the swaybar bushings in the front is not impossible...you just need some patience . The most time-consuming part is trying to get the mounting bracket off of the driver's side bushing. There isn't a lot of room to move wrenches around in, so unscrewing the mounting screws takes some time as you have to make very small turns using your wrench. You also have to make sure that once you get the screw on the power-steering side going that you don't unscrew it too far using your ratchet wrench, or otherwise you won't be able to get it off of the screw That was my silly mistake and it prolonged the whole process as I had to get the ratchet to turn the other way and screw it back in a bit so I could get it off. Then I just manually unscrewed it.

Then the other issue is getting the driver's side bushing itself off of the bar and then putting the new bushing on. Actually, getting the bushing on and off isn't too much of a problem...it's getting the mounting bracket back on that's the issue. Since the new bushing is new rubber, it's not as scrunched up as the old bushing, so the bracket won't slide onto it as easily. This coupled with the fact that there isn't any room to slide the bracket on from the top of the bushing--you have to slide it on from the side, which is a bit difficult because the bushing has raised edges that you have to get it over. Of course, after you finally get the bracket onto the driver's side bushing, there's the matter of getting the screws back on...

Anyway, once you manage to get the driver's side bushing replaced, it's pretty easy to do the passenger's side. Plenty of room over there and you can just slide the bracket on from the top and plenty of room for wrenches to get the screws going. The only other issue I had was that my torque wrench didn't go up to the specified torque for the screws...so I maxed it out and then hand tightened from there.

That being said, after driving around with the new bushings installed, I'll be honest and say that it probably was a waste of time doing it. I don't see any improvement in the steering (as it pertains to the problem I described in this thread) or ride quality. In fact, I almost feel like the steering is even looser now than it was, but maybe that's just my imagination. I was also hoping to solve the "crunching" noise coming from the front-end of the car when going over speed bumps and dips, but after a couple of days I've noticed that the noise is still there. So no improvement there.

All in all a good learning experience, but probably totally unnecessary on my part. And hopefully not detrimental. I did try to visually inspect the suspension components best I could, and everything looked okay to me...although I don't know if that's saying much since I'm not an expert. I also measured the toe arm distances to make sure they were equal on both sides--which they were. I did not however, try to move the wheels as you guys suggested to check for any play, so I think I'll do that next time I lift to car up to check on how the swaybar bushings are looking after some driving.

[11zukizashi]

A pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel on his pants, a peg leg and a parrot on his shoulder. The bartender says, "Hey, you've got a steering wheel on your pants."
The pirate says, "Arrrr, I know. It's driving me nuts."

[smsmart]

I haven't been on here for a long time...had a death in the family and been busy trying to juggle full time work and grad school.

Anyway, hard to believe that I've had my Kizashi for four years this month...almost three of which I've had the steering issue described in this thread. I'm surprised I've stuck it out this long with the problem.

Like I've stated in my last post, I changed out the swaybar bushings in the front, but that didn't solve the steering issue nor the crunching/creaking sound in the front suspension when going through dips and speedbumps in the road. The alignment always checks out okay, and from what I can tell there's nothing loose in the suspension setup.

Everything seems to lead me to believe the issue is with the power steering unit itself, although I don't have any concrete proof of that. The only evidence is that occasionally the steering feels better and more controlled, although most of the time it's loose/sensitive when going over road irregularities. It's very tiring to steer the car most of the time because I always have to make sure to keep the wheel under control whenever going over even small undulations in the road. It's weird though because outside of being sensitive when going over bumps, the steering is actually pretty heavy compared to other cars I've driven recently. I can't remember if it was this heavy when I first bought the car new-- I do know it was firm and controlled with good feedback and a "carving" feeling, which is what I first loved about the car. So I'm wondering if the heaviness is another indicator that the power steering isn't working right.

I probably should have an independent mechanic check the car out, but I don't really have the time to run around during work hours to find a reputable mechanic to give me a trustworthy opinion of what's going on. I was trying to figure out if there's a way to diagnose the power steering unit myself, but from the service manual it looks like the only way is to either use the Suzuki Scan Tool or to use a multimeter on the power steering control module located in the interior of the car, but that would require me to disassemble a part of the dash/interior.

The steering is thus still really frustrating me, and it makes me wonder if I should just get a new car. But at times I think I like the car too much to be able to get rid of it. Which then leads me to wonder if I should continue investing the time and effort into figuring out if it is the power steering that's not working right, and if so, whether it would be worth it to have it replaced.

[WESHOOT2]

Toe or caster.......methinks toe.

[Ronzuki]

3 years of this and the toe/caster hasn't been diagnosed as the problem? Me thinks electric steering gremlins. Unfortunately for all of us here, only a capable ex-zuk dealer who still has their factory trained and equipped tech on staff, and, who is still on favorable working/communication terms w/ what's left of ASMC is going to be able to deal with that. Depending on where the OP'er is located, he may have to make a significant trip to one such ex-dealer to have the steering controls properly scanned and diagnosed to definitively conclude that it is, or is not, the electric steering system causing his issue. Then, move on from there. This, manufacturer specific systems and diag, is the down-side of all this wonderful computer controlled technology in modern autos. Not a problem until the 'manufacturer' tisn't around in abundance when you need them to be. This is, and has been, a long-standing issue in my line of work. Modern autos are, regrettably, rapidly attaining modern appliance status...throw-away. Only trouble is, the prices aren't reflecting that. Repairs force you to ditch and replace, either by cost, incompetence or more often both.

[Kazuki]

I know you have had lots of advice and have checked multiple parts of your car's suspension, but have you checked (or had someone else check) your strut mounts? 

Your post sounds a lot like what was going on with my Kizashi for the last few months. 

At first, I started noticing a popping/clunking sound coming from behind the dash when backing out of a parking spot and then also when going over sharp bumps. 

"there is actually a clunk coming from somewhere in front of the car when going over bigger bumps"

There was also creaking/squeaking when going over rough or broken pavement at slow speeds.

"distinct creaking coming from the front suspension when going over certain significant bumps"

Then there was the loose steering feel and the car felt less connected to the road.

"Basically the whole issue at this point is that the steering has this "looseness" about it that makes the car incredibly tiring to drive"


When driving on the highway my Kizashi felt like I was fighting a stiff cross wind. My car felt off center, would wander all over, and sometimes would pull to the right and sometimes pull to the left. It was very frustrating and somewhat scary as my Kizashi didn't feel nimble or predictable at all anymore. Finally the creaking noise became so bad, I was afraid that something was about to fall off or catastrophically fail. 

That's when I went to the mechanic to find out that my Kizashi had a loose strut mount bolt on the left side of the car. The tech tightened it and that was that. Quiet front end. No more fighting non-existent cross winds. No more loose steering feel. No more wandering. It feels great to be connected to the road again. 


I'm not sure if the strut mount is your car's issue, but it's worth a look. 

[KansasKid]

The steering in my Kizashi is noticeably heavier than any of the other cars that I've owned, and it's been like that since I got it. I've noticed if I try to hold front (not the sides) of the steering wheel in a turn with just my palms, I have to press into the steering wheel with extra force to hold it in place so it doesn't snap back to the neutral position while I'm still in the middle of the turn.

This is a stark contrast the Chevy Cruze I just bought which has steering so light, I'm pretty sure my 4 month old daughter could drive it if I worked the pedals for her...