Steering Wheel Off-Center
 

The car tracks straight but my steering wheel is slightly off-center. I've had my alignment done twice in under 6K miles and it doesn't seem to take for more than a few days. The dealer told me to contact Nissan customer service to start a case. Is anyone else having this issue?

Does the dealership agree that the steering wheel is off center? The reason I ask is because it's possible that the crown in the road is making you believe your steering is off.

mines the same way.. If i remember correctly its slightly to the left.

Yes, they acknowledged that it's off. It's definitely not the crown...I've checked it on many different roads, parking lots, etc.

So if you straighten it, your car goes to the right? That's what I have, and it came from the factory that way. It only had 6 miles on it so it's highly unlikely that something happened between the factory and the dealer lot.

Weird, my wife's Pathfinder's got the same issue...Is it a Nissan thing?

uhhh........ :confused: to the best of my knowledge all newer cars are designed that way. It's in case you fall asleep at the wheel. So you don't front end plow someone on the road. It goes hand in hand with the washboard shoulder's edge of the road.

N/M I re-read post sorry, you are saying the steering wheel is off not the track. I'll have to look at mine when I get home, I've never payed alot of attention to steering wheel position.

+1, and I think it is a Nissan thing... My sisters G35/37 was the same way.

Mine was perfectly centered but after the LTH install we could not get it back to center. We are going to attempt again this weekend and fix it.

Mine's off slightly to the right. I think it was straight when I bought the car but over time I think wheels just get off kilter a bit.

It's definitely not just a Nissan thing. I've seen this (and had it) in all sorts of vehicles. Some pretty bad with higher mileage.

mine's perfectly centered from the factory.

It's easy enough to fix if you're moderately handy and have some spatial relations skilz... (your alignment guy should be responsible for getting this right, but in lieu of that do the following:)

If the wheel is off to the left, visualize this:

1) Straighten the wheel (turn to the right)

2) Your wheels are now pointed slightly right. You need to pull them back to center

3) Loosen the locking nuts on the 2 tie rod ends

4) On the left side, turn the tie rod IN 1/2 turn (clockwise)

5) on the right side, turn the tie rod OUT the same amount ((counterclockwise).

6) drive to see if straight, tweak from there. Be sure to make the same changes on each side and you're alignment will not be affected. Be sure to tighten the locking nuts when done.

Wheel off to the right, do the opposite.

I've done this many times and had to do it on my Z as well. Being slightly off drove me crazy!

Yup. Mine was like that from the factory as well.

Yep mine too - slightly off to the left

yep

Mine is centered even after 2 alignments.

Mine's off too. It bothered me at first, but i remembered that i will die one day and worrying about this was a waste of my short life.

Haha to the poster above. Yeah mine is slightly off to the right.

Thank you for the information! I'm not quite that adventurous, but I'm sure many people on here will find it useful.

Also, I'm surprised that so many people have the issue and no one has mentioned it on here (unless I just didn't find it).

Well you know, that's just life I figure. Our right leg isn't quite as long as our left or vice versa. Our steering wheels are a little off center. You know, just life. Lol

why dont you guys just try the modshack recommendation? not worth thinking about, just fix it and think of better things.

:iagree:

If that bothers the person so much, I would do the modshack recommendations, he knows what he is talking about.

I have not paid attention to my steering wheel after 3,000 miles so I guess is centered.

However I know that my 350Z after lowering and an alignment done to the car the steering wheel was slightly off center. I was ok with that even that I'm very picky with my cars, especially new ones.

isnt this something that you can all get fixed by taking a trip to the dealer... I know I wouldn't accept my wheel being off center.. that should be covered under warranty.. so whatever mod shack suggested should be done by them, not you!

problem is dealer alignments are not always perfect... (or rarely prefect). depends on the tech.

K&N short shifter
G-Spec SS brake lines
Tanabe GF210 Springs
Stillen sway bars
Stillen CBE
Stillen HFC
Stillen Gen III's
JWT clutch
JWT flywheel
Hardwired GPS & Radar detector
Axis wheels
Motul RBF600 brake fluid
Technosquare oil cooler
Technosquare ECU tune
Ongoing oil changes


All done outside dealer. Did I make a boo boo? :rolleyes:

Tanabe GF210 Springs <= yes, right here. :icon17:

I know I know... why do you think I'm doing this?

http://www.vividracing.com/forums/ga...n=DESC&i=14141

Help a needy brother out!!!

Mine is also SLIGHTLY off to the left. But I only noticed it right after I switched my wheels...maybe that has something to do with it.....

Most Tech don't know much about the Z anyway.

The Techs at my local dealer had to wait for the Nissan Corp Techs to give them instructions to reset the TPMS on my 06 350Z, even that I took the TSB with me and gave it to them.

I waited almost two months to get the TPMS reseted by the dealer. :shakes head:

My steering wheel is about two - three feet off center...

Ahaha... yeah I guess it would.. should be. It's not a McLaren F1 after all.

What you drive? A School bus.... :roflpuke2:

Ahem... ALL of our steering wheels are off center by two or three feet. Probably closer to two. Unless you are in a McLaren in which it is dead center as that's where the drivers seat is as well.

That shouldnt have any bearing on your steering wheel being off center... Where I live I have had no problems what so ever getting warranty work with the basic NA bolt ons on my old G35 Coupe, and an s2000.

I know a buddy who some how shattered his flywheel and blew his tranny seal or something, it left a crack in the casing. On a 09 Touring Sport 7AT.

He had full bolt ons including a pulley, lambo doors, tune and they covered his tranny at 8k miles along with the flywheel with no resistance..

Id be going to the dealer before I did anything.

The point was... many things can be done without running back to the dealer. I mean just because it's under warranty doesn't mean they have to wash your car for you too.

There's nothing wrong with a little do-it-yourself. Unless you missplaced your man card.

It's the 1st time I notice something like that in any car I've owned, and it's just in my better half's Pathfinder; my Z doesn't suffer from it, thank God. Strange.

So old!! :shakes head:

Not to mention :supergay:

my 05 frontier's wheel was a little off, to the right or left, i cant remember, but it wasn't really noticeable at all

Haha that's bit my car for the record. But he loves it and everyone else that sees it seems to love it too. I'm not a fan not would
i take them if they were free.

As far as not having a man card to center my steering wheel , that's something I'll let them deal with . I'll
change my breaks and oil they can center my wheel!

And the craziest thing is I checked my wheel and it's off by about 1 mm ! Now it's driving me crazy..

Never noticed it, 12,500 miles. It's so slightly off but still. Kinda bogus !