The Best Service Center in Santa Barbara for Your Audi’s Vibrating Steering Wheel
07 Dec, 20
When you’re driving at a high speed and notice a sudden shaking of your Audi’s steering wheel, it could point to a serious steering problem in your car. If you notice your Audi’s steering wheel vibrating, it is important to understand the root of the malfunction.
A vibrating steering wheel might not seem like a huge problem, but it can actually become a big area of concern if not addressed properly. Since your steering can affect your car alignment, your tires, and even your brakes, the best way to address any steering wheel vibration is by taking your Audi to a German auto repair specialist.
For anyone living in the Santa Barbara, California area, a great auto repair option is to have your Audi seen by Santa Barbara Autowerks, where we will gladly inspect your vehicle.
The Inner Workings of your Audi’s Steering Wheel
The steering wheels of most cars, including Audis, are on a rack and pinion steering system. This means that the rotational motion of your steering wheel is converted to a straight line. Having linear movement rather than circular movement while driving is what allows your vehicle to propel in a straight forward motion while driving, especially at high speeds.
With a steering pinion, otherwise known as a circular gear, the grips of your steering will grab onto a bar system called your car’s rack, allowing for the important connection of wheel to tires. When this connection is disrupted, it causes an imbalance in your car’s alignment and a shaking or vibrating sensation that you can feel as you grip your Audi’s steering wheel.
Reasons Why your Steering Wheel Could be Vibrating
Understanding the reasons why your Audi’s wheel could be vibrating is key when attempting to address the problem. While a vibrating steering wheel is not necessarily hazardous at slower speeds while driving within small distances, it can pose a problem when taking longer drives at higher speeds.
Your Audi’s Balance is Off
Your wheels have weights in them to help balance them out. If one of these weights comes off, this can cause a problem that travels all the way to the steering wheel. If your Audi’s balance is off, there might be some shaking or vibrating in the steering wheel as your car attempts to make up for the missing weight.
The Lugnuts are Loose
Loose lugnuts are a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately. If your lugnuts are loose, your steering wheel will shake until it can become disconnected. This can cause you to lose your ability to steer your Audi which can lead to a crash.
Your Audi Needs an Alignment
If you notice your Audi’s steering wheel vibrating, this could mean you are in need of an alignment. When your car’s rack becomes unaligned, it can cause a steering wheel vibration at higher speeds.
Your Tire Pressure is Low
If the tire pressure is low in one or all of your tires, the vibration you feel in your steering wheel could actually be tire and tie rod vibration. Filling the air in your tires is one way to identify the problem.
The Rotors are Uneven
If your steering wheel vibrates mostly while you are putting pressure on the breaks, it might be because your rotors are uneven. Uneven or broken rotors mean that your car will no longer seem like it is driving on a flat or even surface.
The Caliper is Stuck
Your Audi’s caliper is meant to push your brakes down into the rotor of your car. If your caliper is stuck and not operating properly, you will experience a vibration of the steering wheel and smell burning from your brakes.
The Importance of Addressing Steering Vibration Symptoms
At Santa Barbara Motorwerks, we know that addressing your steering wheel vibration and fixing the problem in a timely manner is of utmost importance. In order to address the problem, we put emphasis on understanding the symptoms related to a steering wheel shake. These include:
- vibrating at high speeds
- not stopping immediately when putting pressure on breaks
- smelling burning from your brake pads
- a squeaking noise
Santa Barbara Autowerks is the Reliable Audi Repair Shop
Santa Barbara, California’s most trusted German master technicians are the professionals at Santa Barbara Motorwerks. We are committed to your safety and to excellent Audi service for many years. Our friendly team and vast collective knowledge will guarantee a positive experience when you bring your Audi to us for steering wheel vibration diagnostic and repairs. Call us today for a service appointment.
* Audi Steering Wheel image credit goes to: Vesela Boycheva.