Piston Slap: Zoom, Zoom … Wander?

by Sajeev Mehta

Published: April 18th, 2017

TTAC Commentator AbqJay writes:

A couple of months ago I bought a slightly used 2016 Mazda 6 Grand Touring with 18,000 miles. The car is my wife’s daily driver; I drive it about once a week, and for longer trips, such as a jaunt I took from our home in Albuquerque to southern California in December. It’s hard to believe, but this is my first wrong-wheel drive car. The Mazda 6 is roomy, has decent power, gets fabulous mileage, and has an interior filled with creamy leatherette seating and trim, and soothing blue LED lighting. Since no one wants to buy this car, we got a great deal on it. So far so good.

Then I drove it to Cali.

On the drive, I noticed the steering is heavy. As in really heavy. As in my wrists hurt after driving it for about 20 minutes on the interstate. It feels like I am wrestling with it, even though the steering appears to be dead center.

It doesn’t feel like it needs an alignment, and doesn’t drift when I take my hands off the wheel. Is this torque steer? I have felt it before in other front-wheel-drive cars where the manufacturer has been unconcerned about offering a decent driving experience, like the Mitsubishi Galant I once had as a rental, but I don’t remember it feeling quite like this. And in other front-drivers, like my mother-in-law’s 15-year-old Camry or the Ford Fusion we rented a couple of years ago, the steering was reasonably light and the torque steer minimal. I don’t think there are issues with the front suspension. The tires are the original Dunlops, and they don’t show any unusual wear. There’s some curb rash on the rims, but it appears to be cosmetic.

This is bumming me out because of all the issues with this car raised in the reviews I’ve read (rough ride, loud wind noise, smallish back seat), this wasn’t one of them. I thought this car was going to be a pleasure to drive. I bought this “certified pre-owned” from the dealer, so I don’t see any point taking it to them, since they are going to tell me there’s nothing wrong with it. (If there had been anything wrong with it, they would have caught it and fixed it, right?) Should I take it to be looked at by an independent shop?

Sajeev answers:

You don’t see the point in taking it to the dealer after paying for CPO warranty coverage? Son, you must be pullin’ our collective legs.

Go to the dealer, as this sounds like steering wander that’s a derivation of a known problem with a documented repair.

If that Mazda service bulletin doesn’t help, you’re up a creek without a paddle: what you describe isn’t torque steer (185 lb-ft isn’t enough to mess things up on the highway) and a matched set of tires (even bad ones) shouldn’t cause what you describe.

Any ideas, Best and Brightest?

[Image: Mazda]

Send your queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry…but be realistic, and use your make/model specific forums instead of TTAC for more timely advice.

#HeavySteering #Mazda #Mazda6 #Steering #SteeringAlignment #SteeringWander #Wander

Sajeev Mehta

More by Sajeev Mehta

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 45 comments

Salzigtal on May 01, 2017

Doesn't CPO inspection mean "We asked an actuary how much we should wager that we'll get to ignore this post sale?"

Like Reply
Desertsoldier22 on May 14, 2017

There are a number of reasons for this problem. 1. Excessive positive caster, makes the car really stable on the freeway but a b%%^h to turn. (Unlikely unless you have two bent front struts or control arms) 2. Damaged front tie rods, if the boots are torn and are out of grease they can sieze and make turning difficult. 3.-most likely- The new Mazda 6 has electronically assisted steering that is a multi-ratio, multi speed unit. They are designed to reduce the amount of power assist to improve steering feel at higher speeds and increase assist at lower speeds. You can have a problem with any number of components to cause the system to do this. Anything from a bad can bus twisted cable to the module (because it needs speed information, etc), the programming of the module itself, steering angle sensor or the rack is wearing out...but usually you would have no assist at all if that was the case. Use your warranty get the thing on a diagnostic computer and they will find out whats wrong with it in an hour.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Kwik_Shift_Pro4X Thankfully I don't have to deal with GDI issues in my Frontier. These cleaners should do well for me if I win.
Theflyersfan Serious answer time...Honda used to stand for excellence in auto engineering. Their first main claim to fame was the CVCC (we don't need a catalytic converter!) engine and it sent from there. Their suspensions, their VTEC engines, slick manual transmissions, even a stowing minivan seat, all theirs. But I think they've been coasting a bit lately. Yes, the Civic Type-R has a powerful small engine, but the Honda of old would have found a way to get more revs out of it and make it feel like an i-VTEC engine of old instead of any old turbo engine that can be found in a multitude of performance small cars. Their 1.5L turbo-4...well...have they ever figured out the oil dilution problems? Very un-Honda-like. Paint issues that still linger. Cheaper feeling interior trim. All things that fly in the face of what Honda once was. The only thing that they seem to have kept have been the sales staff that treat you with utter contempt for daring to walk into their inner sanctum and wanting a deal on something that isn't a bare-bones CR-V. So Honda, beat the rest of your Japanese and Korean rivals, and plug-in hybridize everything. If you want a relatively (in an engineering way) easy way to get ahead of the curve, raise the CAFE score, and have a major point to advertise, and be able to sell to those who can't plug in easily, sell them on something that will get, for example, 35% better mileage, plug in when you get a chance, and drives like a Honda. Bring back some of the engineering skills that Honda once stood for. And then start introducing a portfolio of EVs once people are more comfortable with the idea of plugging in. People seeing that they can easily use an EV for their daily errands with the gas engine never starting will eventually sell them on a future EV because that range anxiety will be lessened. The all EV leap is still a bridge too far, especially as recent sales numbers have shown. Baby steps. That's how you win people over.
Theflyersfan If this saves (or delays) an expensive carbon brushing off of the valves down the road, I'll take a case. I understand that can be a very expensive bit of scheduled maintenance.
Zipper69 A Mini should have 2 doors and 4 cylinders and tires the size of dinner plates.All else is puffery.
Theflyersfan Just in time for the weekend!!! Usual suspects A: All EVs are evil golf carts, spewing nothing but virtue signaling about saving the earth, all the while hacking the limbs off of small kids in Africa, money losing pits of despair that no buyer would ever need and anyone that buys one is a raging moron with no brains and the automakers who make them want to go bankrupt.(Source: all of the comments on every EV article here posted over the years)Usual suspects B: All EVs are powered by unicorns and lollypops with no pollution, drive like dreams, all drivers don't mind stopping for hours on end, eating trays of fast food at every rest stop waiting for charges, save the world by using no gas and batteries are friendly to everyone, bugs included. Everyone should torch their ICE cars now and buy a Tesla or Bolt post haste.(Source: all of the comments on every EV article here posted over the years)Or those in the middle: Maybe one of these days, when the charging infrastructure is better, or there are more options that don't cost as much, one will be considered as part of a rational decision based on driving needs, purchasing costs environmental impact, total cost of ownership, and ease of charging.(Source: many on this site who don't jump on TTAC the split second an EV article appears and lives to trash everyone who is a fan of EVs.)