[ejohn]

Wondering about my 2008's intermittent motorway-speed tendency to slightly go-a-wandering... the car was built in February '14 and has a VIN slap bang centre of the VOSA 'advise' recall numbers for their R/2014/051 Peugeot 2008 steering problem recall...
But Dealer say No!...... nonetheless they willingly took it in to have it checked over.....but could find no fault...and really could only suggest its my problem possibly due to electric steering sensitivity and ridges in the road surface...
Having driven 35,000 plus miles a year in a variety of motors for most of my working life and not being able to recall having ever found such wander problems since the '70's I'm yet to be convinced...
Mrs ej has a newish Citroen DS3 which I believe has a similar electric steering system, but the original equipment Michelin Energy Savers (195/55 r16's) fitted to it have always given brilliantly positive steering...
so I reccon. this tiresome wandering is peculiar to the 2008 (?) and that possibly the original equipment Goodyear mud and snow tyres fitted to my 115 Allure (standard 195/60 r16's) are the main contribution. Is it worth fitting a pair of Michelins to the front perhaps......

 

[ejohn]

At last...Sorted..
Took Humpty (my 2008 with then 1103miles on the clock) into the local dealership on 29 May, and waited two hours to get the report that no fault could be found, and was advised that my problem was due to road surface and/or the electric steering which makes the new Peugeot cars handle differently! -
Hmmm.. onset of serious driver aging problem suggestion unwritten into there then......

So in desperation then replaced the two front tyres which thankfully has somewhat improved the wander problem, but still left the steering pulling - especially at overtaking speeds......

Went away on a sunshine holiday and was pleased to be driving a VW Golf hire car which went where it was aimed.
On 1st July the Humpty (at 1743miles) went back to main dealers, and after two more hours of time wasted I was given a salesmans similar 2008 to drive (but on the 17" wheels not on the 16" wheels as mine) and found that car's steering/handling to be much lighter on his car than on Humpty, however also considered even the salesman's car did not handle so well as most cars I have recently driven - very dissapointing......

So perhaps a design 'characteristic' of 2008's on the Goodyear Vector 4season tyres then ?
On return home, spoke to my neighbour who runs his own local independant garage business.
Booked Humpty in there for a checkover this morning, and within a half an hour the problem was found and sorted - Humpty is now at last a joy to drive and the steering is excellent...

.
The problem was was cured simply by resetting the tracking.. they quickly found Humpty was set as 6mm toe in.. Their garage laser tracking manual says it should have been 0.49mm to 2.6mm toe in - so they reset it to 0.50mm - and wow - what a difference....
Now I will take Humpty back to the main dealership and ask why?

 

[ejohn]

Now, with the steering alignment having at last been sorted, I was keen to see what difference swapping those Vector 4season tyre's had made. Humpty has happily been so very different and so much better to drive since the fix, but when that toe-in correction was done, the replacement 'new' tyres - Dunlop bluResponse - were at that time fitted at the front. They certainly give a very smooth easy and positive steer.
So today I swapped back the OE 4season tyres to the front, and so put the Dunlops at the rear.
The difference quickly becomes obvious. When fitted at the front, the OE Goodyear 4season tyres feel coarse by comparison, plus they transmit more road noise and also demand more effort to hold the steering true. However - thankfully - still acceptable and with much better handling than before when the toe-in was out !
Little doubt, when any grip-control situations should arise, there would be some advantage to having OE Goodyear tyres working at the front, but for the on-coming summer long motorway trip north to Scotland, for comfort the Dunlops will be swapped around again and replaced onto the front.
Hope it won't snow in Scotland this August