[pmsteinm]

Back in November when getting the free oil change they checked the alignment and the right rear camber was out so I said go ahead and fix it. The steer ahead changed from -0.03 to +0.02. A few days later I started noticing that I needed the wheel slightly to the left to go straight on most roads. By slightly I mean probably 1 degree if that. But then on other roads I don't. I used to go through this obsession with my CTS-V after an alignment too, but the wheel top and Cadillac crests were not flat so there wasn't an obvious horizontal line on the wheel (unlike the BMW roundel). 1 time the steering wheel was way off so they aligned again but the rest of the times I eventually didn't notice.

I took the M5 in to complain and of course on the roads near the dealer it seemed pretty straight. They said it is probably within tolerance after a ride along. They could try but to adjust but it is so slight it might not make it any better. I decided I didn't want to wait 90 minutes for them to try so I said leave it alone.

But now I can't stop obsessing. In the prior 7 months of owning the car I never recall noticing the wheel position being off (or perfect for that matter). How straight are your steering wheels when driving? I know the crown of the road also can affect things. Some places it seems fine (usually left lane but not always). I drive mostly the same roads every day.

[F30Andy]

I have had this myself.

It all boils down to the engineer working on the car that does the KDS and how experianced he is.

Some get it bang on, some get it within tolerance.

It really annoys me when this happens, so I insist on the KDS print out to see before and after.
Where they know I will insist on this, and where they know which techs are able to get it bang on, they will usually only give it to one of the techs that will get it bang on.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Had the same thing you both mentioned happened to me in April when doing seasonal tire changeover.

I had an extremely slight drift to the right, perhaps just a degree or two, but enough to drive me insane. Long story short, the car had to go back another four times over the course of four days, in addition to the initial changeover appointment at the dealership. It was only on the fourth try that the alignment was finally right.

I did get the $1017 bill (for dismount, remount, alignment, and off season tire storage) refunded as result. They also offered me a $399 full detail, which I never used because I don’t trust them — I don’t even let them wash the car for regularly scheduled service appointments.

[pmsteinm]

Originally Posted by ResIpsaLoquitur

Had the same thing you both mentioned happened to me in April when doing seasonal tire changeover.

When you finally got it right what was the "Steer ahead" on your printout from the alignment?

On the CTS-V the steering wheel angle was really up to the guy turning the wheel on the rack before adjusting the tie rods. So you could have a perfect "steer ahead" but the steering wheel might not be straight when driving straight ahead.

I did some math and looked up the steering ratio in the technical guide. My wheel should be about 1/2 a degree off to go straight. Eyeballing a 1/2 degree line in Visio looks pretty close to what I see in the car. I really don't want to drive 30 minutes to the dealer, wait 1+ hrs, then drive back. I'm trying to convince myself I'm OCD and stop focusing on it. But next time the do the "free check" I'll say fix it and I don't want to pay since this is your correcting the thing you messed up.

I will say the M5 steering seems much more precise (and no dead zone) compared to the V and my wife's X5.

[subterFUSE]

Only the factory can get alignment correct. Dealers are incapable of doing it. Yet another reason why I lease.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Originally Posted by pmsteinm

When you finally got it right what was the "Steer ahead" on your printout from the alignment?

On the CTS-V the steering wheel angle was really up to the guy turning the wheel on the rack before adjusting the tie rods. So you could have a perfect "steer ahead" but the steering wheel might not be straight when driving straight ahead.

I did some math and looked up the steering ratio in the technical guide. My wheel should be about 1/2 a degree off to go straight. Eyeballing a 1/2 degree line in Visio looks pretty close to what I see in the car. I really don't want to drive 30 minutes to the dealer, wait 1+ hrs, then drive back. I'm trying to convince myself I'm OCD and stop focusing on it. But next time the do the "free check" I'll say fix it and I don't want to pay since this is your correcting the thing you messed up.

I will say the M5 steering seems much more precise (and no dead zone) compared to the V and my wife's X5.

Unfortunately, I’m not the data maven about my cars like you are, and I will check my records for you, but IIRC it was at 0.0.

If it drives you nuts, like it did me, the drive is probably worth it.

[zman21]

Yep. Same exact thing happened to me as I'm also OCD about steering wheel alignment. As others have said, it really comes down to the technician. I have a superb one at my dealer and he's the only one I trust to do any work on my car. My wheel alignment is as perfect as it will get as he took extra time to make it that way. Unfortunately, he is a unicorn when it comes to going above and beyond for the customer.

[F30Andy]

Its also worth mentioning that tyre pressure should be correct PRIOR to them doing the KDS.
Even 1psi off WILL cause issues.

Again this is something that only the right tech will check (and rectify if needed.)
I usually ensure tyre pressures are correct before giving it to them for KDS.