Wandering

[michelangelo]

Has anyone else had a problem with their Avensis 'wandering' (especially noticable on motorways, and when cornering)? When I first got the car I noticed that it felt much more solid on the road than my previous '01 and '98 Avensis', but lately it feels very 'light' at the front (not down to the light power-steering though).

I suspected that it might be down to poor wheel alignment or someting, but have been told that the tracking is fine (wheels are correctly balanced, and tyre pressure spot-on).

Is it possible that there is excessive play in the steering, or something like this?

Is anyone aware of any similar faults, as my car is going in for its first service next week?

[Norbreck21a]

If it's the latest shape Avensis and a 1.8, then it probably is the electric steering.

I have a 1.8 T3X and commented on the same thing some months ago. A number of people have noticed the same. I guess it's something you just get used to, but I'd be happier if it wasn't there at all.

Cheers

Andrew

[Avensis wagon]

I can answer that one. The Toyota-recommended tyre pressures are too low (some have suggested to give a US-acceptable soft ride).

I read about this wandering in a review and found it to be so on my test drives – until I test drove a mechanic’s car. The mechanic knew better and kept his tyres at much higher pressures. Then I test drove previously ‘faulty’ cars with higher pressures and found them instantly cured. I wouldn’t have bought the car in the first place if it wouldn’t drive nicely (directional stability). On low pressures I found the Avensis gets pushed around by every bump and on corners can even unpredictably change direction a little as if it had a mind of its own.

The dealership I bought from had also had Nokian Tyres round to do tests for their winter tyres (sorry, writing from Finland). The tyre company recommended pressures up to 2.7 bar!

On my summer tyres I use 2.4 to 2.5 (being a ditherer, 2.45 with a digital gauge). It’s not that high – 2.4 is recommended for high speeds anyway. 2.5 certainly won’t cause ‘ununiform’ tyre wear. Try it and see – you should have a different car!

(Apart from that I also favoured the hydraulic rather than electronic PAS to give that impression of a car that sits nicely on the road by itself in a non-fiddly, non-tiring way.)

[michelangelo]

Thanks for the replies.

Only concern about higher tyre pressure is that surely this will reduce contact with the road, and give less grip.

[runboy]

Not a problem for me, but would a 2.0l with auto be heavier up front than a 1.8 manual? Maybe the extra weight holds my Avensis down?

[65special]

My new Avensis 2.0L petrol is fitted with the 17 inch Low Profile tyres, and I have them at about 2.4 bar pressure. The car is fitted, as standard, with hydraulic power steering.

In my experience, running them at anything between 2.3 (approx 34 psi) and 2.5 bar (approx. 37 psi) does'nt seem to make a great difference in the car's on the road balance and steering at speed. Any increase beyond those figures will only make harder what is already quite a firm ride.

What I did find, when I changed my previous Vectra to this Avensis, was that the steering was a lot lighter and much more responsive and accurate in the Toyota and so am not surprised that the handling appears quite lively at speed.

On the Vectra, it was very stable on motorways, but very heavy at low speeds. I much prefer both the handling and the steering ability of the Avensis.

My son had an Audi and that had even lighter steering (you could do a 3 point turn with one hand on the steering wheel), but on the motorway you had to continually adjust for every sidewind.

Now that I have got use to the different handling characteristic of the Avensis, I am happy with it.

[Avensis wagon]

Thanks for the replies.

Only concern about higher tyre pressure is that surely this will reduce contact with the road, and give less grip.

←

(the fast way to sum up which Avensi have electronic or hydraulic PAS is that the 1.6 and 1.8 are electronic, to save engine power, the rest hydraulic)

I've experienced no loss of grip, and I don't anticipate that I'll be causing uneven wear to the centre of the tyre. Like I said, one tyre manufacturer over here has given much higher recommendations for its tyres on the Avensis -- they came in, test drove, checked the tyre footprint etc.

Over here, where the Avensis is a highly prized car and most sold in its class (admittedly the population is rather small), tyre pressures have been a popular topic on internet forums and those in the know are recommending around 2.5 bar. I tend to err on the side of caution and found 2.4 to 2.45 to be enough to make the difference without hardening the ride too much. A digital guage is recommended. That reminds me that the inaccuracy of forecourt guages coupled with different speeds and loads surely indicates that there is some tolerance to spare in how you inflate your tyres?

Like I said, and in addition to the public, a local tyre manufacturer knows it and so do the mechanics at my main dealer's. And as you have found yourself, the Avensis is a wanderer on low pressures. If putting in 2.4 bar still worries you (and there's surely no harm in trying for a day) you could always ask a tyre dealer's opinion or get them to check how your tyres' profile is affected by this moderate increase in pressure. And if you do try it for a day, you'll know whether it is the tyre pressures or some other fault that needs looking into. Give it a go and let us know how you get on.

[Gary Jones]

I recently had the rack replaced on my 52 plate 1.8 vvti SR as it was tight and squeeking and when I got it back the car was all over the place, it felt so light as if every undulation in the road was in control instead of me. I had the car back to the dealer and they checked the rack but it was fine. They checked the wheel alignment and it was spot on. They checked the camber angle and it was spot on. They couldn't find any problem but I knew there was one. This went on for 3 months and it was was only when I got a mechanic on his own that he told me to put the pressures higher than recommended for the 205/55/16 Dunlops and also said there is no difference in contact with the road, its the side walls that were flexing too much. He said that the new racks have a new bush design and I probably hadn't noticed it before because the rack was faulty.

I did this (35psi front 34psi rear) and the problem has disappeared. The handling is spot on now so I think the increased pressure mentioned is a good idea and would certainly recommend it.

Hope this helps

Gary

[michelangelo]

Cheers Gary

It's dunlops that I am running on, and only really noticed the problem when moving from steel wheels with Bridgestone Turanzas to alloys with Dunlops.

After previous postings I put pressure up to 35 all around, and the wandering stopped (and there was no apparent loss of contact with the road). Since then I took the car in for its first service, and when I collected it was told that my tyres had been over-inflated, and the dealer had taken them back down to 32 all round (wandering has returned). Dealer also told me that Toyota sticks with its recommended pressures, and would not recommend 34/ 35.

[Avensis wagon]

Did he give a reason (I mean a real one)? I'd have thought that in addition to an unpleasant and taxing drive, a car that wanders all over the place (with this particular tyre according to yourself) and is also somewhat unpredictable could be considered in some respects unsafe. And all this is cured with a fraction more air and no loss of grip or adverse tyre wear. Of course Toyota isn't going to say "whoops, changed my mind" and they have to publicly go by the book right down the line if the people fronting the operation want to stay employed. But it seems behind the scenes in two different countries their mechanics know better.

The choice is of course yours -- trust yourself, the mechanics, two people here and, you'll have to take my word for it, forum-goers in Finland plus a top tyre manufacturer, or pay a lot of money for a deeply unsatisfying drive that I find especially unsafe on slippery roads. Odds on you'll also find higher pressure recommendations for the same size tyre on a diffrent car make. I'm with Gary -- I'll never go back.

[michelangelo]

Just visited the Dunlop website, and their specific recommendation for the Avensis fitted with 205/55 16 tyres is 2.3 bar front and 2.4 bar rear FOR NORMAL LOAD.

This compares with Toyota's recommended of 2.2 bar all round.

Think I'll go with Dunlop, and take tyres up to 2.3/ 2.4 (I reckon Dunlop know their tyres better than Toyota!!!).

[Mkuk0]

Just to add my 2 bobs worth, after having my car a few weeks, I upped the tyre pressures a bit and found the ride a lot better. I do a lot of motorway driving and this 'mod' makes a hell of a difference to my well being after a long day!

[JAHill]

Thought I'd add my 2p worth...

Mine came straight from Toyota with (psi) 32,33,34 and 35 as I went around the car! "And tonights numbers are..." ;o)

So I'm just about to pump 'em up to 35 psi and give that a go. Not that I've had any bad wandering, just a tiny tiny bit of creep to the left but according to the manual (2003> Avensis: 32psi for petrol 15" & 16" and 35psi for petrol 17" and diesels), mine should be 35psi anyway (unless I'm going over 160km/h which is not !Removed! likely with the little man in the back - ahem, or at any other time, officer! )

Just as an aside, has anyone had any wandering in a diesel with 35psi (2.4bar) in all four?

Cheers,

Jim

[Mkuk0]

Interesting point Jim, mine creeps a little to the left as well, did it from day one, never been kerbed or anything, got tracking checked at first service, nothing found. Any ideas anyone?