Steering System Diagnosis

El vehicle steering system allows the driver to easily control their trajectory. Technically it is a set of mechanisms whose purpose is to steer the steering wheels (as a general rule, the front ones) so that the driver can guide the vehicle to the place he wishes to drive.

Steering system parts

The steering system is made up by a series of elements that work in coordination to transmit movement from the steering wheel to the wheels.

  • Defensive Midfielder. Circular element by which the driver controls the trajectory of the wheels
  • Address bar. Mechanical element responsible for joining the steering wheel to the steering box. Over time, the steering bar has gone from being a "simple" metal bar to being made up of a series of smaller pieces that pick up the movement of the steering wheel.
  • steering box. This element receives the movement from the bar and transmits it to the wheels through the gears that make it up. The steering box can be recirculating ball or rack (the most common)
  • Terminal blocks. They are the joints (of the ball joint type) that transmit the movement from the steering box to the steering wheels. In addition, they are also responsible for absorbing the irregularities of the terrain on which we circulate

The set of elements that make up the address can fail jointly or separately. In the event of a breakdown, the stability of the vehicle is compromised since it will not meet the characteristics that are assumed (safety, smoothness, precision and irreversibility). For this reason, when we detect a problem in the steering, its operation and the state of the mechanical elements that make up the system must be verified.

Steering failure symptoms

The concept of "steering" of a car basically consists of the fact that the various mechanical components of it help the driver's actions to be executed precisely.

When this system begins to fail, the stability of the vehicle is in serious danger, losing the security that must reign in its walk to protect the integrity of its occupants.

Some symptoms that can warn us that the steering system may have problems are the following:

  • When we perform a maneuver the steering wheels do not execute it with due precision (without being influenced by the state of the terrain or being the one that causes sudden movements in the direction)
  • System management is not comfortable or light. If we have to make sudden or forced movements, it can be a sign that the system is failing.
  • If when turning the steering wheel the wheels do not complete the movement requested or on the contrary they do it in an exaggerated way
  • Si we hear noises or we notice parasitic movements when we activate it
steering wheel vibrations
Related article:
Why does my steering wheel vibrate? Top seven reasons

If we notice these or other symptoms we must go to a workshop to carry out a system diagnostics. This diagnosis must be carried out in a workshop authorized for this purpose. In addition, its components must be analyzed periodically (preferably in the revisions recommended by the manufacturer).

Finally, we must be attentive to wear of the different mechanical components that make up the car's steering system. The steering is one of the most used elements in the car and therefore suffers from wear and tear that must be controlled. Failure to control its wear can cause major breakdowns and compromise security of the driver, passengers and other people who circulate on the roads.

That is why the first thing to check is precisely the security of the system, so its components must be analyzed periodically, taking the car to perform a comprehensive review to the nearest workshop

The second factor to take into account is to verify that when we carry out a manoeuvre, the wheels execute that movement with the desired precision, without being influenced by the state of the terrain (and obviously, that this is not the cause of sudden movements in the steering wheel)

The handling must be comfortable, light, no forced movements or requiring a steering wheel rotation much greater than the movement made by the wheels (air pressure also has its influence on this)

As a last piece of advice, we should verify that the wear of the components that make the steering stable must be even, since they act together, so we must verify, to cite an example, that the tires have even wear, and not on one side. This usually involves a alignment problem. If the wear is in the center or on both sides at the same time, the problem is usually the tire pressure.


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      Patrick Spinoza M. said

    Hi, I hope you can help me. My automatic car presents vibration in the steering wheel when I am stopped, when I carry out an inspection, remove one of the wheels, when handling the wheel in the air, it makes a small turn of the CV while in parking, is it normal for the wheel to turn? , it will be that that is the problem that vibrates.

      gino vegetti said

    My BMW E-34 525 I 1994, I feel a knocking in the front end and the steering vibrates strongly, I have changed everything except the steering box, it is a strong blow that gives the impression of something loose. I had to change a steering box retaining bolt that was broken but the problem continues.

      Oralia Mejia said

    I took my 2013 corolla car to Toyota Tampico for brakes and when I went to pick it up they told me that there was a noise, I left it again to be diagnosed, they told me it was a rack and steering rod, my car did not pull at all, it had very good stability, I bought all that and what was my surprise that when I picked it up according to already with driving tests by them according to , my car was in terrible condition with a smack in the wheel when turning the steering wheel and misaligned it was pulled and charged alignment , I immediately returned it to the agency to the Toyota Tampico workshop and well they say to leave it and now they come up with another estimate that now are the arrows , they wash their hands , my doubt is maybe the parts that were changed earlier were good and what was useless was the arrows? What are the noises of each of the pieces or how can I know if it is the correct piece that was changed or what do you advise me where I should proceed?