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WHAT DID I TELL YOU FOLKS ON HERE 3 YEARS AGO?!

Back when I had a 2005 Chevrolet V6 Malibu with electric variable- assist steering.

AP Writeup 2/17/2010:

" . . . But the decision to investigate the Corolla offered further evidence that the automaker is exposed to heightened scrutiny of its cars and trucks.

Some Corolla drivers said they had difficulty keeping the vehicle straight, especially at higher speeds. They reported having to fight the wheel to keep the car from wandering between lanes.

Jerry Josefy, a 71-year-old retired farmer and mechanic from Grandfield, Okla., said he noticed problems with the steering on his

2009 Corolla when he drove it home after buying it last year.

He took it back to the dealer for repairs, but the steering trouble persisted. Josefy still drives the car, but said it requires constant attention to make sure it stays straight.

"It wants to wander all the time," he said. "You could have a wreck with it if you don't keep your eyes on the road."

Smaller, less-expensive vehicles such as the 2009 and 2010 Corolla use electric-assist power steering. They are usually equipped with power steering systems that are aided by a small electric motor, a system known as electric-assist steering.

The motor essentially helps align the steering wheel with the movement of the tires. The system is cheaper to install than steering systems that rely on hydraulics.

Problems can arise if the motor is out of sync with the steering wheel, which could potentially cause the vehicle to wander without any turning of the wheel, he said.

"Car companies work on it a lot," said Jim De Clerck, a professor in the Michigan Technological University's mechanical engineering department and a former General Motors engineer. "It is a pretty well- known customer-satisfaction issue."

Toyota said the steering problem could be related to the braking system or tires. Improperly aligned tires, for example, can be a source of steering complications, De Clerck said. . . ."

Cheaper than conventional hydraulic PS? It's ALWAYS ABOUT the MOW- NAY!! >:(

BAN

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING

NOW!!

(except on Golf Carts...)

-ChrisCoaster

Reply to
ChrisCoaster
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ChrisCoaster wrote in news:71605ea5-1b9a-4a11-a77d- snipped-for-privacy@z11g2000yqz.googlegroups.com:

Just like the MR2 had for years. With no problems. But back then it wasn't witch-hunt season.

No it doesn't.

That function is provided by the mechanical steering linkage. The electric motor's function is to make it easier for the driver to rotate the steering wheel by helping to push the rack back and forth.

Might be, but that's not why they use it. EPS is used primarily because it eliminates the environmental impact of having to use hydraulic fluid.

The MR2 used EPS because its engine was at the rear, which made a hydraulic PS system expensive and complex.

This is a very silly comment. The writer is imagining that the motor is guiding the rack and road wheels all on its own.

Since the motor only helps push the rack to one side or the other--"assisting" the driver's input--any "wander" would be felt in the steering wheel, which has a hard mechanical connection to the road wheels, just like on any other car.

This article is just another stick on the fire under the alleged witch.

Reply to
Tegger

right, and I have the same complaint about the perfectly conventional, hydraulic-assist steering on my Impala. I suspect that's becausei 'ts drifted out of alignment again, since i already had it aligned once at about 17K miles and now it has about 33K on it. Apparently need for frequent alignment is a common complaint with these cars. It ain't just Toyota.

nate

Reply to
N8N

Damn those cheap bastards!

Of course, you're not a cheap bastard, so you drive a Rolls. But then -- why do you care about Toyotas?

And while you're at it, ban anything new that might shave some cost off of the stuff we buy!

Thank you, Ned Lud, for helping us see clearly.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

Reply to
ChrisCoaster

I don't know how to break this to you, dude, but pretty much all the world is a free market economy these days -- that means that 'they' build it, and you either buy it or you don't. It also means that if you have a

401-K, there's a good chance that _you_ are 'them'.

If you're so het up about EPS, don't buy a car with EPS -- and if you have that 401-K, pull your money from any mutual fund that buys car makers that make it. If you can't find a new car without EPS -- buy an old car without EPS and fix it up.

I'd rather live in a world where I'm free to run a business without an overbearing government flogging my every step, even if it means that I actually have to rub a few brain cells together when I go to make a purchase.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

_____________________

Did I mention the government anywhere in my reply?

It's consumers - not the politicians who are bought & paid for - consumers, who by actively engaging large corporations via electronic or handwritten means, along with their final vote: their wallets. The government can't even agree on how to run itself! And I'm no republican - far from it - sorry 2 bust your bubble.

-CC

Reply to
ChrisCoaster

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