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Automotive/Steering Wheel Shimmy

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Expert: - 8/11/2008


Question
Hello Ernie -
I'm not sure if you'll be able to answer this one, but I thought I'd put it out there. I'm looking for some general information on what could be wrong with my car so that I have an idea of what to expect when going into the repair shop.

I have a 2000 Saturn L-Series and my steering has recently become loose and jerky. They steering shimmies from side to side when driving, less when braking, turning, or going fast. My tires also squeal when turning corners. I have looked up some information on this and it appears it could be my alignment, wheel bearings, or steering column. I'm REALLY hoping it's not my steering column, because I'm pretty much figuring that's very expensive to replace and I might as well just get a new car.

If you have any insight into what is the most logical/probable explanation for the problem, and/or what price range I'm looking at for repairs, I'd appreciate it. I'd just like to get a sense of whether I'm walking into the maw of the beast here.

Thanks in advance!
Jackie

Answer
Loose wheel bearings are one possibility, and I would not discount the possibility that the lugs nuts for one or both of the front wheels might not have been properly tightened at some earlier point, and have now worked loose.  Either of these could be causes of a shimmy problem, especially if the problem is one that had a rather sudden onset after relatively normal operation.

Other causes could include worn tie-rod ends and possibly ball joints (if the Saturn uses these).  However, these items generally wear progressively, and so would more likely be manifest by symptoms that get worse over time (and maybe more likely to be ignored until they are really bad!)

In any case, the symptoms are suggestive of a steering and suspension system that definitely must be investigated from the standpoint of SAFETY.  Thus I would certainly counsel you to get this into the hands of a mechanic you can trust without delay.

Finding someone reliable is a bit of an art, but getting references from any auto-related people (parts jobbers, for example) you might know, or from fleet operators who out-source their mechanical work, to perhaps a high-school or trade school automotive instructor will probably yield some good names.  As well, going in having done your homework (as you clearly have) should keep any work orders on track, and hence should do the same for your Saturn.

If the car is otherwise in good shape and has been trouble-free through periodic preventative maintenance, whatever reasonable suspension work is needed should give you many more miles for reasonable cost.

Good luck ... EGK

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Ernest (Ernie) Kenward

Expertise

The challenges I most enjoy are thoughtful technical questions of a trouble-shooting nature in both electrical, power electronic and mechanical systems, mainly automotive but also machine control and small-machine PLC applications. Please note, however, that I am NOT a walking shop manual! I DO, however, make it a point to have those manuals and other service literature for those vehicles I DO own, and highly recommend that anyone serious about maintenance or modification of their vehicles do the same; MOST of your answers WILL be found there. For that matter, I do NOT go out of my way to acquire shop manuals for any vehicle I do NOT own! That being the case, any general query to me along the lines of "What is the meaning of this code read from the ECU of my 2015 XYZ?" or "Where is the fuse for the windshield washer pump found?" (try your car's electrical distribution panel for a start!) will not go far. What I do offer is a pretty good collection of literature, insights and hands-on experience with 1950s to 1980's Ford products (plus a developing database of information and practice with the Mercedes diesel cars), along with an engineering perspective and the ability to design and implement custom control, electrical and mechanical subsystems for vehicles. For that reason, I am happy to make my thoughts and efforts available to those who are of like mind and/or are seriously making a point of learning about their vehicles. Use the Opportunity to Learn!

Experience

A key skill in my work and hobby pursuits both is STRATEGIC TROUBLESHOOTING. I am a senior instructor in Electrical Engineering Technology at a leading Canadian polytechnic, my areas being Electrical Power and Industrial Control, electrical and electronics design and manufacturing, and AutoCAD and related CAD/CAE software - plus equipment problem-solving and new equipment design and prototyping. Hobby-wise, I have 30-plus years of experience in auto restoration, mostly in electrical and mechanical systems. Ongoing projects include a 1959 Edsel Corsair, my 1978 Ford E250 class-B motorhome conversion, and the care and upkeep of my Mercedes 300CD. My vehicles become engineering test beds for electrical and mechanical upgrades as ideas present themselves. This includes the design and production of circuit boards to restore or enhance features for which no OEM replacement parts are obtainable, or where better specifications or reliability can be had via newer concepts. Regarding the E250 RV conversion, I designed and continue to revise a custom power distribution system, managed by a Programmable Controller (PLC); this has made most revisions as easy as uploading new firmware as I develop it. The "mini" PLC is a powerful device for custom automotive control systems. One good example (there are many) would be the Moeller "Easy Relay"; these offer a wealth of control, monitoring and variable-and-status display options for such projects. A good example project which has worked well is that one for my RV noted above, which has been on the job - revised in firmware only - for a decade now. It is a load management and charging control system to avoid the sulfation-induced early failure that often befalls deep-cycle batteries used in RV power applications. The battery installed in 2003 lasted long enough to more tnan pay for the PLC that contributed to its longer life ... and the PLC will be there for the next battery as well!

Organizations
IEEE - senior member ... past WCC Student Activities; SME - senior member ... past chair, greater Vancouver chapter chair 318; Edsel Owners' Club - have served in various capacities on chapter executive during seventies; have been Power and Driveline resource on the Edsel Owners' Club "E-team" for more than a decade.

Education/Credentials
Graduate of UBC

Awards and Honors
Certificates of appreciation from IEEE and SME for work in student and chapter activities

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