Need some help diagnosing a problem with my car
 

2016 370z Nismo here-

A few weeks ago I hit a sizeable pothole pretty hard (at least 40-50mph), and I believe it was during a lane change so the front wheels were probably not completely straight when I hit the pothole.

Immediately afterwards I could feel a difference in the steering. I don't know how to describe it but the steering didn't feel as sharp and tight as it always did.

Also, I was pretty sure I had messed up the alignment or something, because the car wouldn't drive straight anymore when I hold the wheel at dead center position. If I hold the wheel firmly centered, the car would veer left. I would have to hold the wheel slightly right and then it will drive straight.

I took the car to the Nissan dealership, and they said there is no damage, and they will perform an alignment to see if it fixes it. After which I noticed the effect got flipped. Now the car veers right, and I took it right back saying that the issue didn't get resolved. they did a realignment again and said that it is exactly to Nissan's 2016 Nimso specs and said the alignment is perfectly fine, and i was left with that.

As of right now, the car doesn't go straight when I hold the wheel in the center position. If I hold the wheel slightly left, only then it drives straight. If i Hold wheel centered, it will immediately veers off sharp right.

What can the issue be? They say wheel and alignment is fine. They said there is no physical damage to the suspension components, and the alignment is good to spec. But my steering isn't centered properly. Any advice on how to fix this? Maybe its an issue with the steering rack? I really have no clue. It's bothering me, feels really weird to have to keep the wheel steered slightly left to drive straight.

Thank you. Any help is appreciated.

Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.

Ditch the dealership and go to a good alignment shop.

It is normal for a car to steer right due to the crown of the road. You need to post the alignment sheet for us to help. You could have a radial pull due to a bad tire.

Immediately after hitting the pothole this began happening. prior to that the car would drive perfectly straight. I could let go of the wheel on the highway and it would drive straight as if i was holding it centered. Right now, instead of going straight when i hold it even centered, the car goes right. Normally you would turn the steering wheel right and it will turn right. As it stands, I keep the steering wheel centered and it turns right. I'm sure that's not normal. It's not a slight tug. Something isn't aligned/centered or damaged.

Sounds like a typical dealer: incompetent. Did the dealer give you a print out of the alignment specs?

I would take it to a shop that specializes in alignments. I generally end up at Firestone or NAPA or a specialty speed shop.

:iagree:


//end thread.

Yes, they gave me a spec sheet. Do you think it is an issue with the alignment, or could it be something more serious like steering column damage. The car still steers when i turn right or left, so I don't think that is it. Everything is just off centered. Maybe I will take it to a specialist alignment shop.

alignment sheet will help immensely.

never trust a dealership unless you know the person doing the work.

other possibilities if alignment is on:
-bent wheel
-tire damage


i've hit big holes at speed and had no issues so it could be just something in the alignment got knocked out.

i live in PA with awful roads with a 2009 model that's never been on an alignment rack. i've been lucky.

I will follow up with the alignment sheet when I get a chance. I don't really know how to read it, but everything was pretty close to the specs on the sheet (actual vs. manufacturer specs) according to what they showed me. I don't think it was a bent wheel because there's no physical damage, and before i took it to the dealers the car pulled left, and afteri took it to the dealer and they did their alignment, it started pulling right.

now by pulling right is it hard right or just slightly right when you let go. like someone mentioned above most roads have a slight grade to the curb for water dispersion.

Either you broke something (tire, wheel, suspension, etc) or you are out of alignment or the steering wheel needs to be centered. A competent shop would be able to identify bad parts. A competent shop would be able to properly align your car. A competent shop would be able to center the steering wheel. Whatever the problem is, a competent shop would at least be able to identify the problem.

It doesn't "pull" per se, It just drives right. Imagine you're holding the wheel center. Give the car gas, and instead of going straight as the car should go since the wheel is centered, the car will start going to the right instead of a straight line, as if i'm turning the wheel right. In order to correct this and make the car go straight, I have to hold the wheel slightly off center to the left.

Picture the steering wheel as clock, and the 12'clock position is the dead center top of the wheel. I have to hold the steering wheel where the top center is around the 55 second mark of a hypothetical clock in order to make my car drive straight.

could just be the steering wheel needs centered. that or alignment would be ideal since you dont need to replace anything that broke.

How do i get the wheel centered? Does an alignment shop do that as well?

yea they should be.


as someone stated above a competent shop should be able to diagnosis and solve whatever your problem is.