Clubjazz - Honda Jazz & HR-V Forums
Honda Jazz Forums => Honda Jazz Mk1 2002-2008 => Honda Jazz Mk1 FAQ => Topic started by: guest150 on January 25, 2009, 08:38:38 PM
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I own a 2007 Honda Jazz 1.4SE which is my second Jazz. The first one I used on regular long motorway journeys and had no steering issues. However this current one does have issues with the power steering. It's a hard one to describe but when you are driving on a straight, the steering feels notchy or sticky and needs almost constant correction. The feedback from the wheel is that it gets stiff then you make a tiny correction and then suddenly it's quite light.
It really is spoiling what is a great little car but the driving experience is horrible compared to my last 2002 Jazz. I reported this to my dealer last year and they said they 'reset' the steering but that it was normal. To be fair to them it did seem to help for a while but during a long drive recently the above sensation has came back and is as bad as it was the last time. Funnily enough it was on a long motorway drive last year that the problem first occurred.
I am due to take it in for it's second service soon and will report this issue again but can anyone suggest what this might be caused by? I have been searching the net for answers and there seems to be some complaints about the electrically assisted power steering on the Jazz. A mechanic has mentioned on a forum that he has changed several steering racks due to complaints about a vagueness in the straight ahead position. Any information would be appreciated and would hopefully help the dealer diagnose the issue.
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Later cars (2005+) have a regeared steering setup, although IMHO, the early cars were more notchy.
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I had exactly this problem with my 2007 1.2S Jazz, but normally only on long journeys when the problem would appear after approx 60 or 70 miles.
Dealer (Avonvale) replaced the steering rack assembly under warranty a couple of weeks ago. Not been on any long journeys yet so cannot yet comment if the problem has been cured
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Cheers for the replies....I will be asking my dealer to replace the steering rack on my car. Pleased to hear that I'm not alone in noticing this and it gives me some back up when I raise the issue with them.
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I had exactly this problem with my 2007 1.2S Jazz, but normally only on long journeys when the problem would appear after approx 60 or 70 miles.
Dealer (Avonvale) replaced the steering rack assembly under warranty a couple of weeks ago. Not been on any long journeys yet so cannot yet comment if the problem has been cured
I have now done a long journey of 100 miles each way and am glad to report that the steering is now perfect.
DDS - did you get your dealer to change the steering rack?
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Hi,
The cars going in this month for it's service and for the steering fault. It is getting worse and would be unbearable to drive on any long straight journeys. I really hope the dealer takes this seriously this time as it was handled in a very dismissive manner the last time.
I will report on how I get on.
Thanks for taking the time to update.
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I,ve just joined the forum to see what I could find about this same fault.
It is exactly as others describe. My Jass is 2007, 23000miles the steering suspension and tracking have all been checked twice so now I am off to the dealer. I am so pleased to know that others have described the fault.
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Hi folks
I'm new to the forum and new to the Honda Jazz.
It's not new but only done 18000 miles and is just 4 years old. I find myself liking everything except the steering which is the pits. i have complained on a couple of times but have been fobbed off with technical jargon. What A relief to see I'm not going senile
but am experiencing the same reluctance/resistance to move off a straight line making the normal incremental adjustments hard work.
It has not yet been resolved so any help is appreciated
Alpha
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My local dealership lent me a 18 month old Jazz courtesy hack; the power steering was fine but bizarrely it had no self-centering on the steering wheel. It was safe to drive but a truely wierd experience. Going round a corner you'd have to feed the wheel back straight yourself. The technicians could not find what was causing the fault!
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Hi,
The cars going in this month for it's service and for the steering fault. It is getting worse and would be unbearable to drive on any long straight journeys. I really hope the dealer takes this seriously this time as it was handled in a very dismissive manner the last time.
I will report on how I get on.
Thanks for taking the time to update.
Well a year later than planned I finally put the Jazz in for it's second service. The car was approaching the end of it's warranty cover and I wanted to get it in, get it serviced and have the power steering issues addressed. It has only done 22k miles so couldn't justify the cost last year of this 'big' service when the car had only done about 15k miles.
So, I printed out this full thread and the dealer has agreed to replace the steering rack. I am now waiting for the dealer to contact me when the parts come in.
I'll update the post to let you all know if this fully resolves the issue the way it did for JazzandJag.
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The car was in for it's steering rack change yesterday and on first impressions the twitchy/sticky awful steering problems have been eradicated. The steering is now smooth and light, really what you would expect when driving a small car like this.
We will see how it settles down but if any of you have an inkling that your car suffers from this problem then print this thread out and show your dealer.
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Bump.
Please vote in the poll at the start of this topic if your Jazz has suffered from this problem. Thanks.
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Bump.
Please vote in the poll at the start of this topic if your Jazz has suffered from this problem. Thanks.
Even although it was myself who started this thread I could not vote on this poll as I couldn't say my car suffered from 'stiff' steering. That statement does not really describe the fault. If I had to use any single word to summarise, it would be notchy, sticky or vague.
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/\ I think we're talking about the same problem.
I did mean to mention not to vote based on the 'lack' of self-centering to steering which is a different thing altogether.
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Hello all - first post - hi to everyone.
weve got a 1.2s 2008 jazz. had it from a honda dealer. only 21000miles. 6 weeks now,
weve been on two motorway long journeys - exact same problem. like the steering is being tugged from side to side.
so ill be printing this thread and approaching my dealer. I think ill phone him first as he is pretty approachable. (hopefully)
speak soon.
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has anyone been given a reason as to why this is happening in the first place??? if this problem is happening after 2 or 3 years whats saying it wont happen again in another 2 or 3 years....
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Just wondering whether or not the country of manufacture makes any difference?
Honda UK started selling chinese made Jazz cars from 2007. Previous cars were sourced from Japan.
I've not noticed any steering issues at motorways on my low mileage chinese built 57 plater at the moment.
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Has anyone's Jazz failed an MoT or received an advisory because of this problem?
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Took to dealer today who took it out for a test drive. i don't know if they took it on the motorway and done 70mph which is where the problem exists as we both stated,.
They said they done loads of checks, up on ramps, wheel pressure etc. Couldn't find anything wrong with it?!?!.
Having described the faults again and stressed about the safety of the car, they said Honda know about it and its a design fault?!?!? They said theirs nothing else they can do. and gave my gf a honda number to ring if i want to take it further....
Any advice as to where i stand??
thanks
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I would contact Honda head office direct and make a lot of noise.
You only have to read this forum to find lots of complaints about dodgy steering on some Jazzes, and if it is a well known issue they should fess up and do the right thing, (neither of our two Jazzes has had this fault though).
Because the Jazz has 'electric' steering the problem may not be the rack at all, but just the servo control system that needs adjusting.
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I have the same problem with the Jazz, ie. tugging , notchy, stiffness and wandering on a straight road is a common experience with Jazz drivers as mine is the same. I took the dealer on a test drive but he couldn't see the problem.
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My 57 plate Jazz has just been in for the power window switch recall. As it is still under warranty (2.5 years old and 19k on the clock), I asked if they could check the steering as it was 'stiff' at motorway speeds.
The problem manifested itself as a slight reluctance to change direction if the car had been driven straight for a while or to come out of a long bend.
The dealer then contacted me to say that they were replacing the steering rack!
As there seem to have been a few racks replaced among you, I wonder if this is a regular Jazz problem?
Also, does anyone suffer from the occasional buzzing noise? It sounds like a mobile on vibrate that's slipped down the back of the passenger seat. I cannot locate it or its cause.
Cheers all,
David
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Also, does anyone suffer from the occasional buzzing noise? It sounds like a mobile on vibrate that's slipped down the back of the passenger seat. I cannot locate it or its cause.
Cheers all, David
A wild guess David but as we sit above the fuel tank could the fuel pump be considered as the source of your buzz?
Does anybody know where it is?
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The fuel pump is located in the tank but I've never heard it whilst driving.
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Hi
I own a Honda Jazz 1.4 SE model, 2005 reg. I bought it few months ago in a private sale and has done only 24 K miles so far. I have got exactly the same problem as described by various people in this thread.
In short my problems can be summarised as:
- Steering appears more or less normal when car is not running and engine on
- At normal driving speeds, the steering appears to be sticky or glued when trying to steer it. It does not self centre, needs manual correction, else car can deviate to either side.
- The problem appears to exist only for a short range on either side of central position of the steering, may be for 45 - 60 degree angle, after that the steering is indeed light.
I notified this issue when I took the car for a routine servicing to the local honda dealer recently. They said it is a problem with the steering rack. It would not get any worse. But to repair it they would need to replace the entire steering assembly and, yes, it would cost about £1400 (almost a third of the current value of the car)
I contacted Honda UK (via email) few weeks ago detailing these issues (also included the URL of this thread)
I got a call from my local honda dealer yesterday that they would do the repair for me if I can pay for the service charge and honda uk will supply the part free of cost. (My car is outside the 3 year honda warranty). The service charge may be £250 - 300. Anyway I agreed to do it and I hope the repair would be done next week. Shall post the result of the repair later.
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Hi everyone
I joined the forum to reply to this thread as I have had the exact same problems with my 2006 Honda Jazz. The steering is sticky, needs constant correction, etc. I bought it two weeks ago from an independent dealer and the steering has been re-alligned twice since then. The problem remained, so I had my local garage check it out. They have found stiffness in the steering rack and have recommended it be replaced. The part alone is going to cost £1050 plus labour costs. My local garage are communicating with the dealer to see if the three month warranty covers the cost of this repair.
I'm gutted. This is the newest car I've ever owned. Until recently, I was driving a 1997 Astra, which looked old and battered but never gave me any problems. It took me nearly a year to save up for the Jazz. I wanted a nice new car, but I find myself wishing I'd kept the old banger!
I can't afford to pay anywhere near £1000, so if this is a problem that's going to repeat itself once the warranty expires, then I'll have no choice but to sell the car. I really want to love my Jazz, but right now I'm just wishing I had gone for a Polo or another Astra.
I'd like some opinions, please. Do you think that replacing the steering assembly will solve the problem? Or is this a common fault that I should expect to reappear?
Many thanks in advance.
Coco.
Coco xx
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I started the thread and have since had the steering rack replaced under warranty. The 'sticky/notchy' steering has been eradicated but the car's steering I would still rate as poor. It is still very woolly with little feel. I drive a relatives Mazda 2 occasionally and that has very direct and responsive steering that is a joy in comaprison to the Jazz.
So it's a not an easy decision to make but if Honda or the independant dealer contribute to the repair in any way I would perhaps consider it.
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Thank you for the quick and helpful response.
If the warranty covers the cost, then I will give it some time and see how the steering feels once it has been fixed.
Do you know if Honda are aware of this common fault? And if so, have they done anything about it?
Thanks again.
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They may well be aware of it and as far as I know the new Jazz has a slightly different steeting set up.
If you can get the steering fault repaired you might end up being happy with your Jazz. It is an excellent car with loads of space and makes a lot of sense as a family runabout. We have had two and it is a real pity about the steering and some other build quality issues as it's such a well designed little car.
Best of Luck!
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I know what you mean - I really want to love my Jazz, but the steering is so bad, I can't see past it. I love the look of the car and the space inside, and the little extras like all-round electric windows, which a lot of cars of the same size (e.g. polo) don't have.
The dealer says he'll have to drive the car himself to judge the problem. I can't get to the dealer (an hour's drive away) until the weekend, so in the meantime I'm going to take it to a power steering specialist and see what he says.
Thanks again for your responses.
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You should print off this full thread to show your dealer. At least he will know that this is an established fault and it might make it a bit more difficult to fob you off. It worked for me as Honda agreed to change the rack when this was thread was presented to them.
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I know what you mean - I really want to love my Jazz, but the steering is so bad, I can't see past it. I love the look of the car and the space inside, and the little extras like all-round electric windows, which a lot of cars of the same size (e.g. polo) don't have.
The dealer says he'll have to drive the car himself to judge the problem. I can't get to the dealer (an hour's drive away) until the weekend, so in the meantime I'm going to take it to a power steering specialist and see what he says.
Thanks again for your responses.
If you are hoping to get this sorted under warrenty then do not let any other garage deal with it. If honda see that someone else has been at it the warrnety may well be void.
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Hi there and thanks for the reply.
I bought the car from an independent dealer, not a Honda dealer, so the warranty is not a Honda warranty. I guessed that the same thing might be true of the independent dealer's warranty, though, so I checked with the dealer before I had other mechanics look at the car. With the permission of the dealer, my local mechanic re-alligned the steering and checked the rack and steering motor. He advised replacement of both. With the knowledge of the dealer, I have since had a power steering specialist check the car, and he agrees that I should not be driving it as it is. I haven't had a chance to call the dealer with this news, but I will do so tomorrow morning. The power steering specialist has also advised replacement of the steering assembly. I am hoping the warranty will cover the costs involved and that the dealer will authorise a mechanic local to me to carry out the work, as I do not want to drive for over an hour on the motorway in a car that a power steering specialist has described as unsafe.
Thanks again for your reply. I have also found a post on another forum where a Jazz owner describes the same problem and having the steering assembly replaced by her Honda dealer who said it was something they had done several times. I will print that post as well as these to show my dealer if necessary.
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any chance of a link to the other forum thread?
ta
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I have a 2010 model honda jazz ( 3 months old ), It is displaying the same erratic steering characteristics described my many of your other members on their earlier series models. Namely stiff steering and unpredictable power steering whilst trying to drive in a straight line, particularly at motorway speeds. As one would expect, the supplying dealer, and Honda Customer Services, were totally dismissive, and deny that any problem exists. Can any one suggest the best way forward in this case ?
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Just a quick update to my previous post.
I had the steering rack of my Jazz replaced by the dealer. I had to pay for the service charge (about £270). The steering does self centre now. The 'sticky' feeling of the steering is improved, but it still doesn't feel as good as in some other cars I have driven. Anyway driving is better now as I don't have to constantly correct the steering position. Hope things won't get worse after some time
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I have a 2010 model honda jazz ( 3 months old ), It is displaying the same erratic steering characteristics described my many of your other members on their earlier series models. Namely stiff steering and unpredictable power steering whilst trying to drive in a straight line, particularly at motorway speeds. As one would expect, the supplying dealer, and Honda Customer Services, were totally dismissive, and deny that any problem exists. Can any one suggest the best way forward in this case ?
Geoff
Perhaps you could (as others have done) print this thread and show it to the dealer, or else perhaps contact one of the dealers who has already replaced a steering rack for a forum member. Mine was done by Avonvale Solihull 0121 744 7744.
However this is the first I have heard of a GE showing this problem and it may be that you have to wait until a few more GE cases come to light before a problem is acknowledged. A bit worrying as we changed one of our GDs for a GE in March this year (no problems so far) and are due to change the other one in about 2 weeks time.
Regards
Nigel
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Both our (Japanese made) Jazz GD's have never had a steering problem, but neither of them will 'self-centre' from full lock without a little help from the steering wheel for the first bit.
If you look how small the turning circle is for the Jazz this is really not surprising, and as an engineer I think it is unrealistic for people to expect the steering to self-centre without initial help when the wheels are turned through such a large angle relative to the straight ahead position.
I can't comment on any other 'problems' because I have never experienced them!
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Indeed. My EX Jazz has a tighter turning circle than my 2002 Micra had. No steering problems (yet) here.
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I've got a 2003 Australian delivery Jazz Vti (1.5 litre) with the same steering trouble described in the opening post in the column. My mechanic can't find anything wrong. I've driven a 2006 Jazz & the steering was lighter, but more importantly had more feel and was not as stiff and wooden. Does anyone know if you can fit the 2006 spec rack & electric motor assembly into the earlier spec Jazz? The rest of the car is so good, I'd spend the $$ if I knew it would work.
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Having just got a new( to me) 2006 Jazz 1.4SE auto, I was having palpitations reading all these stories about the steering. So I felt I had to take it out on our nearby Motorway to try it.
Since I've had it( only 5 days) I've only be driving on normal roads. Well I have just got back and can honestly say I had no steering probs at all. I covered about 20 miles and got up to 80 mph. It kept straight and I even let go of the steering wheel momentarily to test it. OK its a calm evening with no wind, but so far no probs at all..Fingers crossed because Ive got a 170 mile motorway trip to Devon coming up soon. ;D
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Hi All.. After years of happy VW driving.. and also my wife's wonderful TOYOTA Corolla VVti (2002 plate) for the last 5 years we decided to go for our first Honda ever. In March 2010 we bought a brand new 2010 Honda Jazz 1.4 and it's a great little car.... EXCEPT for the steering !! The Toyota was so precise and easy to drive at low or high motorway speeds - exactly like it was on rails. The Jazz however is very unsettling !! It does exactly what others are describing around the centre point when motorway driving. It wanders away from a straight line so that you have to constantly correct it. The correction feels stiff, then gives and it over-corrects.. you then have to re-correct it in the other direction, which is again stiff... then it gives again and over-corrects. It feels like a constant battle on the motorway and the weirdest steering feel I've ever experienced. I told the Honda dealer in Milton Keynes within a week of taking ownership and they said it may need bed in as it was brand new... and that of course they would fix it if it continued. They are a great dealership and I fully expect that they will do just that. Now... we've had it for 6 months and done 6k+ miles and it is still stiff so I'm taking it back to be rectified shortly. Will post up how it goes from there. When I was a kid I used to build bikes from old bits. Exactly the same feel and problem was hit several times on my cycles... If I over tightened the steering bearing even slightly the bike would feel EXACTLY like my new Jazz and require constant correction as I rode it. A slight loosening sorted it out on my bikes and I fully expected that 6k+ motoring would sort out the Jazz too. Maybe Honda are too good.. and it needs 100k+ use to wear it in :)
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Hello,everyone first time in here ~
i got same issue with the power steering problem i bought a second car from private seller. the car is 07 model jazz. the guy bought this vechile on may of 2008. i think my car still in warranty. the steering is quite sticky and quite hard to control it. really stiff. is that i can go any dealer to get this problem solved or i have to go the one i bought this car?
really apprecated for someone answer me. i will print this thread and show to the dealer hopefully they can help me fix the problem~~
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I had success at the second attempt with the dealer by printing off this thread. My car is a 07 and the steering has been fine since the steering rack has been replaced. Good Luck!
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Cheers dds, thanks for the reply. just wanna know is that every dealer service centre i can go or have to go the one i bought this car?
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If you bought the car from a private seller then I guess you could try the original supplying dealer but I would try the one that is closest to you.
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I have taken the car to the few honda dealers today, the first one i dont think they took seriously looking of my car just told me they checked my car and everything is fine there are nothing they can do about it. the second one which take the car for roadtest and he found it is stiffness with steering. but he think my car was in accicent before but have to check it out and therefore i need rebooking in with it the waitting period will be 2 weeks. then, i try the thrid one they did roadtest and checking my car they said my car was in big damage before which honda warranty will not cover it. the best thing for me is to replace the steering rack something like $800 plus the labour cost i think. i dont know what should i do now. i can still drive it just the wired steering annoying all the time or i can replace the steering rack hopefully can fixed the problem..
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I was experiencing the same thing a few weeks agop - but now i have read post, i know what needs to be sorted - have booked car into local garge for end of this week - even with this prob though I do love my Jazz
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I wonder why this topic has gone cold. Did a replacement rack cure everyones problem? Not ours. Perhaps dodgy steering has resulted in the affected cars being taken off the road, (one way or another). Maybe we all swallowed the Honda line : "It's a characteristic of the car" WTF!
Our Honda dealer senior tech. virtually asked us to write to Honda because after changing the steering rack the problem was still there and he wasn't authorised to do any more. As a result the car is back with them and their super senior tech. is looking at it.
Surely a company that runs a Formula 1 team could have sorted this by now.
Having read this and other threads, it seems to me that the problem is speed related. Perhaps the sensor that makes the assistance respond with more vigour at low speeds is failing, or a poor electrical connection is limiting the response of the motor, or it's more sensitive one way than the other.
Whatever; I can't believe that intermittent steering is a characteristic of the car, and if it is a known problem why wasn't it checked out before the car was offered for sale as Honda approved?
Anyway, we'll see what is said tomorrow, I'll let you know.
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My Jazz has this problem intermittently, I've always suspected it's the EPS module. I would think if it was down to the steering rack the problem would get progressively worse and not be intermittent.
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Hi IM NEW ON THIS SITE AND HAVE JUST BOUGHT A HONDA JAZZ 1.4 on a 06 plate lots of people said its the best car going all rounder ,yet on traveling home from the dealer where i bought the car i noticed the steering was stiff and jerky especially on the motor way , someone said it is a common fault , and needs to be replaced while its under warranty ( CAN ANY ONE HELP WITH INFORMATION ON THIS PLEASE )
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Are you used to driving a car with power steering? Jerky it should not be, but will stiffen up somewhat when travelling at speed. The Jazz power steering is not as light as for instance a Toyota Corolla or a Jeep Cherokee
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goldencherub,
I notice that as well when I bought my Jazz 56 last week.
they said it is normal as when you are in low speed it will be lighter and in high speed (motorways) it will be heavier. I got no problems with it ;D
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Why not go back to the dealer, if Honda, ask to drive a similar model then comapre.
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I've put up with the stiff steering for 3 years and it drives me nuts on the motorway. I always now use my other car on longer journeys. I looked into it, went underneath and loosened the rack guide to little effect. It's a design "fault", a combination of the way Honda does its electric power steering and the specific geometry of the Jazz's steering.
I don't know how Honda do it but I can feel the same thing, albeit much less, in an '08 civic I drove the other day. I have hire cars sometimes for work and the VW polo's and Vauxhall Corsa's electric power steering is tons better. There is just a springiness in the jazz, with friction which is in the rack I think, not the electric bit. Try it with the engine off, somewhere safe of course, and ignition off as the eps wakes up if speed is detected even with engine off. (keep the key in so the steering lock won't engage).
I even thought of taking the rack out and having a go at it but it's a big job and I understand a sealed unit - thought there's no such thing as a sealed unit in my book - but easier to buy another car!
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The steering on our 'new' 1.4 was quite notchy and without any 'feel', whereas our 1.2 has always had pleasant steering. I have changed the 15" alloys for 14" steels (like the 1.2) and it has transformed the feel of the car - rides better and steers really well!
14" honda steel wheels with 175/65x14 Avon tyres.
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Hello people,
This is a common feeling for those who migrate from conventional power steering systems(specially for people used to drive sedans ) .
1. The goal was to increase overall efficiency. which means no power consumed when not in use.
2. EPS use special algorithms to provide the required assist by considering speed and turn rate . so when you are around 70mph, assist get reduced to hinder the turn rate.
3. when you are below 30mph the system gives you generous support to make your big turns.
4. However if you tried out too many swift turns even in slow speed , the assist get reduced dramatically. This is a result from overheated motor and its driver system(system automatically limits current to the motor until its normal ).
5. The culprit is the angle sensor in the steering column which is highly subjected to inevitable wearing (its a POT ). This unit is shared by both EPS and ABS .
*** please check the torque sensor also but not likely to damage or malfunction
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hi folks
just sold my 03 jazz at 92000miles coz of autobox juddering and bought an 06 1.3cvt 30000 miles 1owner fsh.Fantastic one might think ? but on driving up the motorway the vehicle seems to be driving on rails and to make the slightest adjustment to direction needs a firm tug on the wheel ?
On slower speeds steering does not return (no big deal to me but the gaffer (wife) hates it).
Spoke with local honda dealer this am who says bring it in it may need a new rack. WTF.30k one owner FSH Unbelievable.Tells me as its got full honda history we may get help with cost from HONDA.
Watch this space!
>:( >:( >:( >:(
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just came across this very good description of jazz steering.
The steering is electric which traditionally offers little or no feedback. Fine, we can live with that. It is also slow - so more turning is required in order to get a result. Also fine. But it's the weighting that has gone wrong. Normally you steer not by moving the wheel, but by applying a small force. In the old days, the wheel would be wriggling a bit, and the force would cause an average movement and a subsequent change in direction. More force - a faster change. But in the Jazz, the steering is stiff, as if there is some bizarre friction. Apply a small force, and the wheel won't move. Apply a bit more, still nothing. A bit more and it moves - too much. So repeat the whole process in the reverse direction. It's so bad that if you are steady and make a correction, the wheel will turn and will then stay where it is - the self centering action is not enough to overcome this friction and pull it back to centre, so you have to do the unnatural thing and turn it back to centre.
The net result is a wiggling path, never quite putting the car where you want it to be..
NOW COME ON HONDA DO WE REALLY HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS RUBBISH ?
A CHARACTER OF THE CAR, WHAT BOLLOCKS. >:(
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I have owned 2 1.4 ex I shift and find the steering light and positive over the years I have owned many cars most bought new, I myself can not fault the steering.
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Is it the tyres? The 15" alloys and certain makes of tyres at 185/55 15 can cause a strange steering behaviour. I 'downgraded' to 14" steels with 175/65 14 tyres and it has transformed the steering and ride into a much lighter and smoother experience. Also, the 14" tyres are MUCH cheaper!
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In my case, it made no difference having 14" winter tyres over the 15" alloys.
I've now sold the car, the steering being the primary factor in my decision.
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we had two jazz in the family at one time before I went back to a Civic because I do quite a high mileage and it's more comfortable (and more OOOMPH) - the only thing I notice now about the Jazz steering now with my wifes car is that there are too many turns lock-to-lock, the turning circle on the jazz still amazes me though, and I often wish the Civic had the same when I'm parking. The Civic seems to have only one turn of the steering wheel for lock-to-lock but the Jazz seems to have about three - i will check it out properly though. Never had the stiff steering on either jazz though.
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Interestingly a relative has an older Jazz, and her steering is OK - well a wee bit stiff but not unacceptably - at least it self centers. More turns lock-to-lock on hers - I wonder if they changed it for the 2005MY facelift.
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Just picked up a 2007 Jazz, from my local honda dealer. I am supprised at how stiff the steering is and how much effort is required at high and low speeds. As my last car was off the road my dealer lent me a 2013 Jazz for a week before my purchase. The steering on this was light and much more like the power steering I've had on other makes. Think I might be contacting the dealer as i bought as honda approved.
Thought I was imagining this until I read this post, thanks for the heads up.
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I have also noticed relatively stiff steering on my new 2006 Jazz which replaced a 2005. The 05 had the common 'notchy' steering issue where it would get stuck and not correct itself back to the centre position. The 06 does not have this issue but feels a lot stiffer in general. Is the Jazz's power steering fully electric? Do they need power steering fluid?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
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I have also noticed relatively stiff steering on my new 2006 Jazz which replaced a 2005. The 05 had the common 'notchy' steering issue where it would get stuck and not correct itself back to the centre position. The 06 does not have this issue but feels a lot stiffer in general. Is the Jazz's power steering fully electric? Do they need power steering fluid?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
I have had three Jazz's and not had stiff or heavy steering on any of them.
The power steering is electric like a lot of cars these days and does not require fluid.
Vic.
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I have had three Jazz's and not had stiff or heavy steering on any of them.
The power steering is electric like a lot of cars these days and does not require fluid.
Vic.
Thanks for your reply Vic, maybe i'm just being too anal as i'm comparing it to our other car, a 2007 Prius which has very light steering.
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The electric system is not the best one out there but on our 2007 Jazz it worked reasonably well. The only thing was that it had absolutely no feel around the center position. The Jazz has the electric motor attached to the steering rack itself and for some reason systems which have the servo attached to the steering column give more feel and have better self centering features. The only downside of those systems is that with fast steering (parking for example) the electric servo is more audible because it is located inside the cabin.
Verstuurd vanaf mijn GT-N7100 met Tapatalk
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I have a stiff steering issue too. In addition, the steering wheel does not return to zero without pulling the wheel.
A've made a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC49_pwPjlI&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC49_pwPjlI&feature=youtu.be)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0OmJQJe2GY&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0OmJQJe2GY&feature=youtu.be)
What could help? Regeneration of steering?
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Glad I've just seen this. My 2008 27000 mile es has a steering feel I found hard to describe, but it is a mix of comments made here. I can live with it, I thought it was just a Japanese design thing. I had a Saab 9000 aero before for 11 years, so was very used to that feel. You may have see from previous posting that I had the clutch changed frre of charge under extended warranty, I'm pleased to say I'm still judder free. ;D
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Hi, we recently bought a 2008 Honda Jazz 1.4 Sport with only 23000 miles on the clock. After driving it down the motorway for the first time the steering started to stick and needed constant adjustment to keep it straight. This seems to happen after a few miles of warming up, it doesn't do it when its cold. One of the Honda dealers told us that it could be the EPS unit but now we are not sure after reading your comments about steering racks. Has anyone had this problem fixed by changing the EPS unit or is it definitely a problem with the steering rack? I don't think we can live with it as it is quite tiring on long journeys.
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I've had my 2007 Jazz for over three years and never noticed this problem before until last week after about 100 miles on the M4 when I felt a slight resistance when making small steering adjustments.Then I found I had to constantly move the steering wheel to keep on track. I was scared that something had come loose and that l could lose my steering completely but I made it home OK. l was relieved to see that many owners are or have experienced the same issue. I am having it checked on Monday but do not intend spending a fortune to correct it as long as it's basically safe since l do not do much long distance driving
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I got this replaced under warranty. I also enquired to se how much it was to fix out of warranty and it was well over £1200 !!!
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Has anyone had a similar problem and succeeded in fix it?
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Got 2008 Jazz 1.4 SE
I have a stiff steering issue too. In addition, the steering wheel does not return to zero without pulling the wheel.
Very disappointed. :(
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Same here. I suspect that the problem is due to either a worn sensor (because it seems to be notchy on centre which is where most wear will occur assuming a carbon potentiometer is used) or possibly power loss to motor drive either due to failing inter-connects/ECU or even carbonized contacts to motor. I haven't the wherewithall/confidence to check any of these things though I might try cleaning the motor contacts if I can get to them.
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Thanks ..Dav
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Hi, I am experiencing the same thing can anyone confirm is this really a characteristic of the car or do I need to take it to a garage. It feels so strange and slightly unsafe. Steering is heavier than any other power steering vehicle I have owned. Any recommendations on what it is that needs replacing or do I need the whole rack done? I have driven an SE and the steering was really light and a pleasure to drive so is this only common with the Sport and 15" wheels? Any advice would be greatly received?
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Start with checking tyre pressure pressures. Also check the make / condition /age of the front tyres.
My 1st Jazz when I bought it had some no-name (185/55 15) tyres on it and they had quite stiff sidewalls. The first thing I noticed when I got shot of them was the steering felt better, particularly initial turn-in.
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reviving an older thread rather than starting a new one..
Interesting video about changes from MK1 to MK2 Jazz in 2009, but mainly interesting for comments on steering geometry and EPS.
About 1 minute in the presenter states that the steering geometry on MK2 was revised and the current drawn by EPS raised from 40 amps (480 watts) in MK1 to 60 maps (720 watts) in MK2 - just goes to show how important a good battery has become on modern cars with electric power steering. May explain why MK1 steering could sometimes be a bit problematic.
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Old thread, but thought I would add my experiences and thoughts.
My 2006 Jazz has the symptoms described here, notchy steering that 'gives' as you apply pressure. It's almost like the electric motor is asleep and requires a fraction of a second to wake up and start adding assistance. My Jazz also has weak self-centering, it does self centre but needs a little 'help' sometimes if you want to straighten up the wheel a little quicker than it wants to.
There seems to be a correlation with heat and the issue. At the start of a drive I hardly notice the effect at all, as the drive goes on it feels more pronounced. I'm noticing it more now in the Summer, than I do in the Winter. The effect seems to come on earlier.
I've owned the car for two years now and it doesn't seem to have worsened over that time. There's also a factor of how sensitive you are to steering feel. For example my wife drives the car and she is completely unaware of any issues with the steering. I suspect she's just not 'tuned in' to the steering feel of cars. As such I suspect this issue is very wide spread, and that most owners, ( especially the types that don't go on car forums), drive around completely unaware that there is an issue at all.
As for a fix, the only solution I've seem proposed is to fit a different steering rack. With the age of the car this simply doesn't make economical sense at all, and going by reports might not even fix the issue. It seems nobody has identified the exact cause of the issue. Earlier in this thread someone suggests that if the steering motor gets too hot it cuts power to prevent damage. Possibly there's something in this as for me it does seem to correlate with heat. If you could disable this it might resolve the issue, but it's probably all self contained in the sealed column?
In summary the car is still very much driveable, I suspect this issue is very wide spread, and I doubt we'll ever find a solution.
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The steering has improved with each new model so Honda found the answer. I believe the MK2 had a more powerful motor.
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In summary the car is still very much driveable, I suspect this issue is very wide spread, and I doubt we'll ever find a solution.
Our 2008 is still driving fine, steering wise. The steering is dead and lifeless, and centreing is feeble, but that's the characteristics of the car.
The rubbery, sticky feeling that came on as the engine bay warmed up is still completely absent. Whatever cured this when I replaced the steering wheel I'm not exactly sure, but the problem never returned.
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My 05 Jazz also has the same symptons, while i can live with the stiff steering, on highway is really annoying the feeling of a stuck wheel, moving slighty right/left does nothing, but if i move a inch more, the wheel unlocks..so constant corrections are required. Feels very unsafe.
Very disapointed with this issue, almost 20 years later the model was launched, aside replacing the steering rack, no simple solution exists.
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Could anyone tell me what exactly is meant with 'steering rack' replacement?
Are we talking about the assembly number 28 on this picture?
(https://honda-europe.epc-data.com/img/europe/17SAA601/IMGE/B__3310.gif)
I understand from this thread that replacing a single part of the assembly, like the motor, is not sufficient, since it is not clear which part exactly is at fault?
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I assume it is the largest piece on that diagram the one the motor attaches to ( shaped like a tobacco smoking pipe ) - the motor will be OK but it is the bit the motor drives and which transfers the rotary motion of motor to linear movement needed to move the wheels to steer car ( normally through a 'rack and pinion' - which is why it is called a steering rack ). sparky paul replaced steering wheel and this made his steering better, have to remember MK1 Jazz was an experiment in EPS, which Honda was at the forefront of, so in effect it was an experiment and a bit under-powered (even at 40 amps later raised to 60 amps in mk2 ) and geometry may have not been optimal, but really it does not cause many problems for a first attempt at lowering fuel consumption by ditching the power guzzling hydraulic system that drew engine power all the time to something that only drew electrical power when the steering wheel was operated.
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/steering2.htm
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-HONDA-JAZZ-1-4-P-PETROL-POWER-STEERING-RACK-53600SAAE0/283762949791?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3D0d7d610901aa4c96b48cc267bc695bbb%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D352968329454%26itm%3D283762949791%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithBBEV1Filter%26brand%3DHonda&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
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28 is the assembly. They are exorbitantly priced new (if you can get one) and used may be as bad or worse than your own!
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MK1 steering was never perfect but reliable and OK once you got used to it, it was never good at self centering from full lock - but given the Jazz has a turning circle you normally only get on a London Taxi it was always a big ask. I agree that MK2 and onwards steering is better, but really I never found it to be a problem on our MK1's - especially given that Jazz is probably expected to spend over 95% of its time on urban roads...
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I think you would have to replace the whole thing, part 28 in the diagram, to have any sort of guarantee of a fix - you can't really tell if the fault is in the actual rack or the motor assembly.
Now, this is a bit of a long post, but bear with me.
A lot of people say that the Jazz steering is poor, but you can live with it, and that it's just a characteristic of the car. I don't believe that these owners are experiencing the issue we are talking about here. We need to differentiate between the 'normal' dead steering feel of the mark 1 Jazz, with its poor centreing and lifeless, woolly feel, and a different problem which is a sticky, rubbery feel that makes it difficult to steer the car in a straight line. The former is simply a characteristic of the Jazz EPS system, while the latter, in my opinion, is most definitely a fault.
Our 2008 car definitely suffered from the latter, once the car had been driven for a while. When it was stone cold, the steering felt 'normal', but after a few miles, it started to develop the sticky rubbery feel where if you held a particular steering angle for 10 seconds or so, a significant input of force was required to turn the wheel - when it would suddenly 'give'.
I regarded that as a fault, and this opinion was further reinforced when I managed to 'cure' this by accident. I'm not sure what I disturbed, but the car was completely cured of this odd problem, and has remained so ever since.
https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=10179
If you think that what you experiencing is just the 'characteristic' of the car's steering, i.e. the lifeless feel with poor centreing, this can be improved by toeing in the front wheels a little, towards the toe-in end of the acceptable range of 0 ± 3.0mm. After playing with the tracking on the front of the Jazz, I found that anything towards the toe-out end of the' tracking range made the steering feel, and particularly the centreing, much worse - but toeing in a bit, away from the target of zero, improved it no end.
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I noticed, yesterday, that if I turn to almost full lock, then, while continuing to travel forward, release the wheel, the lock tightens instead of trying to return to straight. My steering is just woolly under normal circumstances. It is something I just got used to, and I certainly wouldn't spend any money trying to improve it.
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I noticed, yesterday, that if I turn to almost full lock, then, while continuing to travel forward, release the wheel, the lock tightens instead of trying to return to straight.
I think that's quite normal on the Jazz, as a result of the low castor angle.
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I think you would have to replace the whole thing, part 28 in the diagram, to have any sort of guarantee of a fix - you can't really tell if the fault is in the actual rack or the motor assembly.
Now, this is a bit of a long post, but bear with me.
A lot of people say that the Jazz steering is poor, but you can live with it, and that it's just a characteristic of the car. I don't believe that these owners are experiencing the issue we are talking about here. We need to differentiate between the 'normal' dead steering feel of the mark 1 Jazz, with its poor centreing and lifeless, woolly feel, and a different problem which is a sticky, rubbery feel that makes it difficult to steer the car in a straight line. The former is simply a characteristic of the Jazz EPS system, while the latter, in my opinion, is most definitely a fault.
Our 2008 car definitely suffered from the latter, once the car had been driven for a while. When it was stone cold, the steering felt 'normal', but after a few miles, it started to develop the sticky rubbery feel where if you held a particular steering angle for 10 seconds or so, a significant input of force was required to turn the wheel - when it would suddenly 'give'.
I regarded that as a fault, and this opinion was further reinforced when I managed to 'cure' this by accident. I'm not sure what I disturbed, but the car was completely cured of this odd problem, and has remained so ever since.
https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=10179
If you think that what you experiencing is just the 'characteristic' of the car's steering, i.e. the lifeless feel with poor centreing, this can be improved by toeing in the front wheels a little, towards the toe-in end of the acceptable range of 0 ± 3.0mm. After playing with the tracking on the front of the Jazz, I found that anything towards the toe-out end of the' tracking range made the steering feel, and particularly the centreing, much worse - but toeing in a bit, away from the target of zero, improved it no end.
Hi.
Followed your post (https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=10179), do you think is worth to change the steering wheel or maybe just remove/place it back the old one?
Did you put any type of lubrificant when replacing the steering wheel?
My steering wheel has the same issue you describe..sticky notchy feeling, it appears to get "stuck"..very noticable when driving in straight line at higher speeds.
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Did you put any type of lubrificant when replacing the steering wheel?
No lubrication, just a straight swap.
You've seen the other thread, but as I said there, the only thing I can imagine that might have disturbed something was removing the wheel - a few sharp thumps behind with a soft faced hammer were needed. It's borderline ridiculous, but I can't think of anything else that could have had any effect on the column, just the upwards shock of freeing the wheel from the splines.
If it were to happen again, the first thing I would try is a few thumps behind the rim of the wheel, just to see if it was a complete fluke or not. I can't really see how actually removing the wheel would make any difference. De-activate the airbag system first though, by disconnecting the battery and waiting for 3 minutes before any thumping... we don't want any nasty accidents.
It would be curious to hear if anyone else could repeat it.
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Don't know what happened to the Thank You button on this thread, but thank you sparky Paul.
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Thanks for the reply @sparky Paul !
My thought is the same, changing with a new steering wheel doesnt make sense to fix this issue, only the process of removing the steering wheel can make any difference.
Next couple of weeks i will try to remove the steering wheel (thanks for the tip of the battery/airbag!)..dont have great hope on fixing it, but doesnt look too complicated to test.
Once i have feedback, i will post here.
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Don't bother removing it. Just give a few thumps on the rear as if you were removing it. After first making the airbag safe.
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Don't bother removing it. Just give a few thumps on the rear as if you were removing it. After first making the airbag safe.
That's what I would do, it's got to be worth a try. I would still be all agog if anyone else gets the same result...
What did happen to the "Thanks" button? We seem to have sprouted a "Remove" button on our own posts instead!
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It just seems to be this post. Maybe to do with the age of the thread.
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It just seems to be this post. Maybe to do with the age of the thread.
I've got it, it's been moved into the FAQ section. 8)
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Hello everyone. I am from Moscow and own a 2011 Honda Jazz. I have the same problem. My car cannot go straight. She drives slightly diagonally. And you have to steer constantly. I have visited many wheel angle fitting services. All angles are normal.
It happens like this: they will make the car go smoothly ... but after a short time, suddenly the car again starts to lead to the side.
The last time the car suddenly began to go away again, after I changed the battery ...
I understand that this is some kind of problem in the steering rack. Our dealers do not recognize this as a problem, this is a feature of management.
I'm glad I found this forum. In Russia, very little was sold Jazz of the second generation, so few people write about this problem with the steering wheel.
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Hello everyone. I am from Moscow and own a 2011 Honda Jazz. I have the same problem. My car cannot go straight. She drives slightly diagonally. And you have to steer constantly. I have visited many wheel angle fitting services. All angles are normal.
The Mk2 Jazz doesn't usually have steering problems like that. Even when the wheel alignment was way out on mine (after sliding sideways into a kerb in snowy conditions in December 2009) I never had any problems with steering.