Loose Steering: Troubleshooting & Fixes

Hello everyone,

I've already tried using the search function, but I haven't found a solution to my specific problem.

Vehicle: Volkswagen Golf IV; Year of manufacture: 03/2003; Mileage: 18,000 km.

Symptom:
The steering has noticeable and audible play, which seems to be getting worse.
However, there is no visible or noticeable play in the tie rod ends.
However, you can feel the play if you touch the left tie rod end (only on the left side) and simultaneously move the steering wheel back and forth quickly.
The clicking sound seems to be coming from the steering gear.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be? Even though I still have the manufacturer's warranty, I would like to minimize the time spent at the workshop.

Best regards,
Jürgen.

hello Do you have a rack and pinion steering gearbox (long) or a ball bearing recirculating system (compact with steering shaft linkage)?

The Golf 4 exclusively uses rack and pinion steering.

On the steering gear housing (when viewed from below and behind, only visible on a lift), there is a special screw located on the driver's side that can be used to adjust the play.
However, this is specialized workshop work, and you shouldn't try to tinker with it yourself, especially since you still have a warranty.

Furthermore, it should be checked whether the front stabilizer mounts are still intact and that the stabilizers are not making contact with anything. This is a common issue on Golf 4 models.

Hi Julian,

Die Einstellschraube am Lenkgetriebe habe ich gesehen, man kommt aber meiner Ansicht nach nicht ohne grössere Abbauarbeiten ran. Folge: langer Werkstattaufenthalt! Correct?

The only thing I can't understand is why this is felt on the left tie rod alone and not on both.

Greetings and thank you very much.
Jürgen.

Hi,
How about an inner tie rod end?

I had already thought about that.
According to the do-it-yourself instructions, the steering gear must be removed in order to replace the tie rod.

Are there any other methods besides steering wheel shaking to help narrow down the cause of the problem?

Greetings.
Jürgen.

Are there any other methods besides steering wheel vibrations to help narrow down the cause of the problem?


Hi,

'Yes, they exist. At the TÜV (German technical inspection authority), there's always a pneumatic shaker available. If you ask the inspector nicely, you might even be allowed to perform an intensive check using it.'
Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

'Tip:'
Whenever I suspect instability in the front axle, I usually take it to an ADAC inspection, which is free of charge. After the inspection, there's always a short period where they can test the front axle on a shaker machine.

Regards,

Andy.

Hi Julian,

Die Einstellschraube am Lenkgetriebe habe ich gesehen, man kommt aber meiner Ansicht nach nicht ohne grössere Abbauarbeiten ran. Folge: langer Werkstattaufenthalt! Correct?


Well, if you consider jacking up the car and removing the underbody panel as a lot of work... it's actually quite quick to do.
The inner tie rod ends never break; they are either defective from the beginning or last for the entire lifespan of a car.

The outer layers degrade relatively quickly if the rubber coating is damaged, .

@Julian
Both of the internal ones failed for me at around 30,000 km.

@Juergen
I just saw your manufacturing year. That should still be covered by the warranty; it worked for me too.

Hello Jürgen,

Quote:

According to the do-it-yourself instructions, the steering gear must be removed in order to replace the tie rod.

In my case, the ball joints also showed signs of wear at 94,000 km (Passat 35i).
"When you turn the steering wheel completely, you can feel the joint through the boot on the steering gear housing. I replaced it without removing the steering gear (according to the repair manual, this is also necessary for the Passat 35i)."

Best regards,
Albrecht.

Hello everyone,

I visited the friendly VAG workshop today because of this issue.

The KD champion stated that the cause of the play and rattling was 'rear lower control arm bushings that were too soft.'

On Thursday, they will be replaced under warranty; I will report back then.

Greetings.
Jürgen.

After 25,000 kilometers, the two ball joints on my steering linkage were worn out.
The steering had more play in it than the one in my great-grandfather's old car (tm) after 14 years and 195,000 kilometers...

CU Gremlin.

In my case, after 25,000 km, the two ball joints of the steering linkage were worn out.


Do you know where something like that comes from? (No joke): It's from steering with one hand! The steering system is designed for the driver to use two hands, which means only a rotational force is applied to the steering shaft. When steering with one hand, there's also a bending moment added, and it seems your steering system may be slightly undersized to handle that...

Julian wrote:

Do you know where something like that comes from? (No joke): It's from steering with one hand! The steering system is designed for the driver to use two hands, which means only a rotational force is applied to the steering shaft. When steering with one hand, there's also a bending moment added, and it seems your steering system may be slightly undersized to handle that...

No, no, how are you supposed to transmit a bending moment across the cross joints?

Well, not about those, but about the bearings that then wear out faster... please don't ignore my smileys!

Do you know where something like that comes from? (No joke): It's from steering with one hand! The steering system is designed for the driver to use both hands, which means only a rotational force is applied to the steering shaft. When steering with one hand, there's also a bending moment added, and it seems your steering system may have been slightly undersized to handle that...

What are you studying again?

CU Gremlin.