2018 Q7 'wanders'
#101
I believe the video is valid. Unless you were driving on an un-paved road or a concrete surface that has lines etched in them. The amount of driver steering input that is see, is not normal. This a finely tuned machine and all 10 of my Audi’s have never ever done this. From driving the cross Bronx in NYC to the 80 mph roads of Montana. If balance, alignment and suspension components check out, then it is the tires. All of these checks should have been covered by the dealership/Audi. Your service consultant should have grabbed a tech and all 3 of you go for a ride to show wandering. That’s what my dealership did and always does ( maybe why my service writer places top 3 in the country every year for service consultants and the tech places same). You are more than welcome to PM me for tips on how to handle your situation.
thanks for your input, very valuable to me. (see my post about road staightness).
i am back and forth on tires vs steering issues. it's eye-opening to me that there ARE pirelli 21's out there (these are all non-RF's as pirelli doesn't make a RF in that size) that do Not wander. which suggests steering issues.
otoh, we also have at least one person who has pirelli's with exactly the same issue.
as for driving it w the service tech (in my case the mngr), i have driven both a new q7 w Pirelli's (21) and mine, back to back, but the road and speed (limited to 50 or so) needed weren't available. and while i could tell a difference even at 50, he couldn't. thus the video's at 74mph.
the other guy w the issue has shared his contact info and he is very near me in Miami, and adjacent dealer amazingly, and they will compare notes, as i bring it in again on monday.
i am hoping for everyone's sake that it proves not to be the tires, as 21" options are limited, and i see some struggling with choices.
i'll report back.
#104
i just want to thank everyone for their input. this is a big help to me. i will keep reporting back until i have some solid input from audi.
(anyone else out there with 21" Pirelli's, no wandering, and maybe Prestige/rear wheel steering?)
(anyone else out there with 21" Pirelli's, no wandering, and maybe Prestige/rear wheel steering?)
#106
AudiWorld Senior Member
trying to be thoughtful here, but i want to clear up the assertion that the videos's need 'to show the road'. they do not.
first of all, the nav shows that the road is more or less straight (a lazy sweeper). but more importantly: think about it...and i speak from 20 yrs of racing experience and 50+ cars owned...even in a lazy curve, one should have no 'wandering' or tracking-issue at all. repeated steering intervention should not be required. one sets a direction and the car holds it until a directional change is needed. not a number of times per second. in fact, not at all.
so the straightness of the road is almost irrelevant. (road surface irregularities are another issue entirely).
i know you mean well, but imo, you are wrong.
first of all, the nav shows that the road is more or less straight (a lazy sweeper). but more importantly: think about it...and i speak from 20 yrs of racing experience and 50+ cars owned...even in a lazy curve, one should have no 'wandering' or tracking-issue at all. repeated steering intervention should not be required. one sets a direction and the car holds it until a directional change is needed. not a number of times per second. in fact, not at all.
so the straightness of the road is almost irrelevant. (road surface irregularities are another issue entirely).
i know you mean well, but imo, you are wrong.
#108
Report: returned from audi
i drove another q7 (2nd one) with Continental all-seasons. i must admit that it had the same intrinic steering and tracking feel and issues that mine does with the pirelli's'; however, the issue was slightly less, and i favor the Continentals in this regard (only, don't know about their other characteristics).
i'm now convinced that this phenomenon is endemic to the design, and i will just learn to live with it, or sell it.
my audi dealer has been fantastic in terms of help; kudos to audi north miami
thanks to all on this forum for the help and ideas
i drove another q7 (2nd one) with Continental all-seasons. i must admit that it had the same intrinic steering and tracking feel and issues that mine does with the pirelli's'; however, the issue was slightly less, and i favor the Continentals in this regard (only, don't know about their other characteristics).
i'm now convinced that this phenomenon is endemic to the design, and i will just learn to live with it, or sell it.
my audi dealer has been fantastic in terms of help; kudos to audi north miami
thanks to all on this forum for the help and ideas
#109
AudiWorld Super User
Since this thread started, I've been conscious of "wandering" in my Q. I'd like to report that I find no wandering in my Q that is outside of the norm in most cars due to the unevenness of the roads around here. I know if it was wandering and I was correcting more than normal, that it would drive me nuts.
#110
AudiWorld Member
I watched your videos and it doesn't convincingly show what the problem really is.
If I want to see if the car has issues, I pick a flat (no side slope) road and drive hands-off the steering it should go straight. If it doesn't (pulls to one side) then there is something wrong. Otherwise I don't understand what the issue is. You handling the steering wheel doesn't show what the car is actually doing. I admit the steering on Q7 is very light (maybe too light for this size of vehicle) but wandering I haven't noticed.
If I want to see if the car has issues, I pick a flat (no side slope) road and drive hands-off the steering it should go straight. If it doesn't (pulls to one side) then there is something wrong. Otherwise I don't understand what the issue is. You handling the steering wheel doesn't show what the car is actually doing. I admit the steering on Q7 is very light (maybe too light for this size of vehicle) but wandering I haven't noticed.