PULL to the Left Problem

I took the Prius in for an oil change and a few questions; one question was I did not like the constant pull to the "left". At freeway/highway speeds one is traveling at 90 feet a second and one second could be a disturbing event. Anyway when I recovered the car there was the usual pile of papers and therein was a TSB applicable to all 02 – 07 Toyota’s regarding the “vehicle pulling to one sideâ€. The TBS has a disclaimed that suggests the customer must complain for warrantee service. (Paraphrased)



Also attached was a data readout showing the front and rear end alignment & the corrective actions taken to alleviate/correct the problem. We, the woman & I, then drove up to Roseburg OR., 400 miles round trip and I was totally amazed at the new way the Prius handled the mountainous curves and the dastardly pull to the left was no more!



The TSB carried an identifier of “Steering, ST005-01 Revised†It consisted of 11 pages, of which I only received page 1. Apparently this steering problem has been around since the 2002 models. I find that interesting!

I just took my 2007 Touring #6 in for its 1st service yesterday. I had several issues: 1) it pulled to the left; 2) cruise control doesn't resume; 3) right front bumper cover & fender don't align properly; car "tugs" when engine is shutting down or starting.

Here are the alignment figures:

Front Left: Actual / Before / Specified Range / Front Right: Actual / Before / Specified Range
camber -1.0 / -1.0 / -1.3 to 0.2 / -0.9 / -0.9
caster 3.0 / 3.0 / 2.4 to 3.9 / 3.3 / 3.3
toe 0.01 / .19 / -0.10 to 0.10 / 0.01 / -0.05

They said the cruise & tugging were normal. They actually realigned the bumper cover & fender so that the seam where they join is flush now AND they fixed a door ding in the rt front fender that some rude slug left me when the car was 10 days old. The car handles SO MUCH BETTER now - no more fighting the wheel while it wants to wander to the left.

I also took my '07 in for the first scheduled service and asked that they check the alignment because it was pulling to the left. They took it into the back lot and he agreed it was, so they realigned it. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! It glides and coasts forever now. No wonder I couldn't come near the mpg numbers I was seeing posted. And I haven't yet put the psi up to 42/40 again yet. And the bad reading (1) doesn't look that far off. I am attaching a scan of the results, which I asked for, and welcome any comments. Now the bad news: The oil reads 1/2 inch over the full dot BUT am I supposed to check it cold? or hot? It sat in the shade for about 2 hours in 90 degree heat. And the service writer wrote 3.9 on the repair order too after I discussed with her that I had heard that many Prius owners had their oil overfilled by other Toyota dealers, and I did not want that to happen. Can someone explain to me exactly what happens (where it goes) when there is too much oil put in? I know it decreases mpg but I want to know what I'm talking about if I call them back. Even just post a link for me to read? Thanks.

:so is the pulling to the left issue related to the going alover the place when passing or just driving on the fraaway as im beginning to think the prius is just a in town car ,my 05 pac 9 never did this !!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fish @ Mar 30 2007, 05:24 PM) [snapback]415226[/snapback]</div>

Here is the complete TSB:

[attachmentid=11076]

My car also was pulling to the left. The dealer was no help, but I was able to shim the rear wheel to correct toe in and I adjusted the camber myself after the dealer made the problem worse. The adjustment to the front camber made the most difference in eliminating the pull to the left on my car.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Neicy @ Aug 4 2007, 04:42 PM) [snapback]490675[/snapback]</div>

The extra oil just raises the level inside the oil pan. The problem is:

1. If the level is too high, there is a possibility of the crankshaft contacting the surface of the oil. This may cause foaming of the oil in addition to extra drag on the crankshaft. Foaming is bad.

2. Apparently, oil residue has a tendency to collect in the intake manifold and around the throttle plate in the Prius. This can cause issues, in particular, if the throttle plate sticks (due to the residue) it can cause a no-start condition. If the oil level is overfilled, the problem with the oil residue is more likely to occur.

Thanks. Been waiting for an answer like this to help me understand it. I hate to bring the issue up with my dealer unless I have my facts straight. This info plus the TSB helps a lot.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(palary @ Aug 10 2007, 06:30 AM) [snapback]493491[/snapback]</div>

If all else fails change your tires?

I was very annoyed with how my car handled on the freeway but once I swapped out the tires and added a BT plate I have not noticed the tracking issue except in high winds. I commute 130miles daily and love my car on the freeway and side streets. It sure beats commuting in the Vette

Always have the car alignment checked.