Has anyone ran into this. While driving down the freeway with no-one in front of me there was a very loud pop at what sounded like the windshield. There was no crack or nick. BUT as soon as I hit a rough spot in the road I now have a noise coming from the front of the dash. Could it be possible the dash was not set correctly and the pop was it settling into place and now it's loose. Huumm. I have also found my steering wheel not to be centered, this was noticed the day after I bought the car. It sets about 10 degrees to the right. Looks like i'll be in a rental car soon.
hmm.. not sure about the noise. rocks hit me when i go down the road. *shrug*.... as for the steering wheel... i believe the dash is not level.. or.. your wheel just might be off by 10 degrees. *shrug*
Steering wheel cocked to one side or the other is an alignment issue. If you're under 12k miles, your alignment is still under warranty.
Well, the other day I was driving down the highway and I heard a BANG and felt the car shudder and thought the engine had blown something, but looked about 100 yards ahead and saw that a truck had blown a tire. I've been closer, a LOT closer, to an exploding truck tire. One blew when I had JUST passed that tire as I was going by a truck, and my Kia was severely shaken. Good thing it wasn't a steering tire. So, maybe something outside the car was involved...
My steering wheel was mis aligned when I got my car. Took it back to the dealer and there was a new mechanic who didnt have a clue. 24 hours later, I got the car back and it was even worse. Drove direct to another branch of the same dealer, where my old mechanic had gone and he re aligned it in 30 minutes. There is a procedure to do realign that that ensures the wheels are straight and then uses the THHT2 to ensure the steering wheel is also straight. Something which has to be done due to steer by wire I think.
The proceedure is not to see if the steering is straight, but to check on the power steering torque center null. Also, for VSC, the steering wheel position sensor has to be adjusted so it sees center as center. Otherwise, it may think you are making a turn when you are not, and thus think you are understeering.
I had to have mine aligned; toe and steering wheel alignment were both off (not surprising, sinc both are changed with tie rod adjustments). Notice the steering wheel is not perpendicular to the line of travel; it is cocked slightly toward the center of the car, is the dashboard. "Straight" wheel is relative to your path ahead, not the dash. This is why a test drive after alilgnment is essential. The dealer had to do mine twice for this reason; he didn't test drive it after he supposedly aligned it the first time.
