Dirtbag

:D It matters not really, all help was, errr, helpful. Just thought I'd share the fix in case anyone has a similar issue.......

Forgot all about the help I had on this forum - but for those that contributed help and were interested in the problem, we eventually found the cause. Having moved back to Dorset, I took the vehicle to a garage I trust and have used in the past . This is a proper garage where they fix things and get oily in the process, not just unbolt one bit to bolt on a new bit. Anyway, the problem with the vehiclepulling to the left was..... .....a mullered nearside top strut mount and bearing. In fact - the slotted bearing was in several bits, and the rubber "cup-shaped" top was also broken up and perished. This was allowing the suspension strut to move around at random, so no wonder the tyre place couldn't align it!! All fixed for under

OK, Had the auxiliary heater glow plug replaced - no white smoke screen now :huh: Also had the front nearside wishbone replaced. But my tyre center is unable to set the steering/tracking etc. (using Lazer SuperTracker) within tolerance still :P And yes, even with the closest to tolerance setting - car still pulls left. So I've shot it. Took my elephant rifle out and put a slug through it. But it won't die, and still pulls to the left. Like a monkey on my back...... So where do I go from here? Replace the offside wishbone? Start looking into the steering rack and associated bits? I'm (tongue in cheek) thinking the best solution is to put a 65 section tyre on the nearside :huh: DB

Hi, Our Sharan had this problem - the windscreen wipers would be OK and then after a while stop working. Then 'X' number of seconds/minutes later they'd work and then stop again..... verdict: new windscreen wiper mechanism required. Do the splines get warm when used? The cutting out was caused by the windscreen wiper motor overheating and this caused it to cut out. It was over heating as the splines on which the wiper arms mount had seized.... DB

I think luck also played a part. I wasn't going to bother - I hardly expected to get anywhere with the main dealer. But that's just soooooo british not to complain eh! Anyway - the search for a car that steers straight goes on... DB

Afternoon <_< Right, I've had a full refund from my local VW dealer. That's right -

Blimey - that's cheap! OK - have order an auxiliary glowplug, and will get onto ordering a nearside wishbone. Need to call the garage to get it booked in. But today I'm off into the dealers to discuss the

Hi, Is the Britax ISOFIX OK to use with just the lap belt? I thought all child seats required a three point harness? Anyway - the plot thickens on the pulling issue. I've just been to a place to have the wheels checked with a Lazer device that hangs off each wheel (not sure of the precise name for it). Bottom line is it appears I may have been well and truely ripped off by my local VW dealer - one front wheel was reading +5, the other -5. So neither front wheel was correctly aligned to the rears. The guys made adjustments, but one side is still reading +3, and they can't adjust anymore without it compromising some other aspect of the alignment. This all points to there possibly being something bent. Certainly the steering wheel is now straight, and it still pulls to the left - but nowhere near as aggressively. So if that +3 could be corrected - it may even drive straight! Until the next cast iron bollard jumps out from the hedge that is..... :( So now I need to go back to the dealer and discuss. I want my toe & camber print out. And an explanation of why it was SOOOOOO far out after their whizzy

:) So many real-world solutions on here! The interior colour is a kind of two-tone blue/grey colour, leather and suede. I'll look into the various seat-belt options, see what I can dig up as a best solution for us :) TTFN DB

No - my thread hasn't been hijacked, and I appreciate ALL opinions and advice. Reason being - on here it's free and may just point me towards a cure, and that at the end of the day is what the end result (i.e. my post) is all about - a cure. So thank you all who have taken time to post your views :) I will of course update the thread when I get to the bottom of the problem. I will speak to my local, trusted independant garage, try to guide their investigation and see what unfolds. Oh - one other question before I drop off for a while: is it possible to get the center seat in the middle converted to a 3 point belt? It's a factory sitted option from new. I have 2 kids and a 3rd due in April, and would prefer my eldest to be in the middle rather than in the boot (will have 3 kids under 3 years old and all need child seats!) DB

OK. Blimey - so much to digest! Quick history: The car was pulling to the left, so I checked pressures and road-tested. Same story. So I had the tracking checked at the local independant tyre outlet, and they made some adjustment. It was OK for a while, could easily have been the road camber. Then after incedent "wife with cast iron bollard" - it's worse than ever, but it was still not right even prior to this. I booked the vehicle into main dealer to have a 4 wheel track and camber check, as I'm unable to find an independant who can look at it. On collection, the streeing wheel is still off-center and it still drifts to the left. I had this work done just as a starting point, i.e. as an elimination of it being a track/camber issue. I only trust the work was done by the main dealer correctly. So, if the track & camber is correct (at manufacturer settings), there has to be something else...... I agree with a lot of what is being said here. If I'm being honest, I'd say I think the whole tracking/steering/alignment thing nneds to be looked at as a whole (which I thought the VW track & camber check did). I'm not discounting there being something bent, but I just need a good garage to identify that as being what is wrong! It's got so bad (along with all the other problems) that the wife wants to get shut and get a Previa............ It's all a question of who I trust to get the vehicle sorted. I do not trust the main dealer; they've been polite and courteous, but sadly unable to cure they're own breed of it's ailment, and even mis-diagnose other faults. The steering issue is spoiling a nice vehicle! Dirtbag

Hi, More sensible replies and potential solutions, more than I've had from the dealer! It would appear that the wife did in fact hit a cast iron bell shapped object (used to restrict road width). I tortured a confession out of her, (the thumb screws didn't do it but threats of no more money for makeup and clothes seemed to have the desired effect). So I suspect there's some damage on the nearside somewhere :rolleyes: I am at a loss for words........ So I think what I'll do now is: get my local independant (and trusted) garage to check out the wishbone etc, and maybe replace whatever's bent or damaged. Whilst there I'll get them to replace the glowplug in the auxilary heater. Then maybe I'll head over to Micheldever Tyres for them to check the alignment of the wheels/steering wheel etc. and just get it tracking straight and true. One final question: if say the wishbone is bent (or bushes damaged) and it's replaced - can an outfit like Micheldever Tyres realign the steering wheel? Thought it required the airbag to be disabled by the VAG COM? Also - where can I get a wishbone for

Hi and thanks for the replies, I've discounted tyre pressures (digital guage to check) and it pulls left whether in Tesco's or Asda's carparks. Also does it in my work car park. Also - the steering wheel is cocked - not central. If I align the wheel so it's straight, it pulls gently to the right. Taking hands off the wheel and the car starts to drift left and the steering wheel turns off center again. Even if I can get the car to drive in a straight line, I'll still have to get the steering wheel re-aligned! Tyres are Continentals, 215/60 16's. I haven't discounted them not helping matters (nearside tyre is scrubbed on outside edge, offside is fine). The only thing I can think of is it's been so badly adjusted on a tracking machine in the past (i.e. they didn't put the steering wheel straight prior to checking it). Or the vehicle is bent. But nothing on the HPi check...... I wouldn't mind paying for someone to find the cause, but I'm fed up of chucking money at a problem no-one has a clue about!! Regards Dirtbag

Hi, So glad I found this forum - did a Google on the "VW auxiliary heater" and found this site. So will try to get somewhere to plug in the laptop to see if I have any error codes relating to the auxiliary heater - lashings of white smoke and unburnt diesel all over the heater exhaust! Feared the worst, hoping it's just the glow plug! Anyway... Our Sharan is puling to the left. All the usual stuff has been done - tyres sizes and pressures correct (both sides!). Have just coughed up