Alignment???

My car needed one. Some others also were out of alignment as delivered. Most dealers (none?) do not check alignment as part of Pre-Delivery Service.

http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=3...mp;hl=alignment

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(braggorkney @ Aug 27 2007, 08:45 PM) [snapback]502947[/snapback]</div>

If it isn't pulling and you don't have any other symptons the dealer isn't going to just put it on the rack. I suspect you don't have anything to worry about. Not every car is delivered out of alignment.

 

Checking the alignment:

1. independent testing - using Firestone or equivalent, buy a lifetime service. Pay a one-time fee, $125, and have the alignment checked at will until the car is sold. Be careful for these alignment service folks will 'find' stuff on a new car, even under warranty, that 'needs to be replaced.' Practice saying, "Thanks but I need to wait until <excuse>." If concerned, take proposed work to Toyota dealer to see if it is a warranty item and get a second opinion.
2. when tires are rotated - often included as part of the fee, you can also get the tread-depth checked, a secondary alignment test. If done within 5,000 miles, the risk is small for a good return. However, getting perfect alignment is not trivial.
3. when tires are replaced - the worst option since bad alignment and poor inflation may have caused the wear that forced a premature tire replacement.

Bob Wilson

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(braggorkney @ Aug 27 2007, 08:45 PM) [snapback]502947[/snapback]</div>

The dealer is suppose to check the alignment as a pre-delivery service, if they do or not, whose to say. If you don't feel any pulling to one side, it should be alright.
I just had 4 new tires put on after 5K on the stock tires. I was told that an alignment is not necessary at that point by three different places (I was shopping around for the best price), unless of course, if I felt that there was pulling, which I didn't.
Enjoy your new car!

 

Your dealer should have done this, it is one of the things that should be included in the pre-delivery fee. You do pay the dealer a pre-delivery fee there don't you.
It may pay to have it checked anyway.

 

dah.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AOV @ Aug 28 2007, 04:26 AM) [snapback]503154[/snapback]</div>

No, they are supposed to check if the steering wheel is straight, but they don't actually put the car on an alignment rack as part of the Pre-Delivery Service.


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If you don't notice any weird handling characteristics, and your tires are wearing evenly, then its probably in alignment. The problem is that if it isn't, you may get increased tire wear especially if the toe-in is out of spec, which was the case with my car.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bwilson4web @ Aug 28 2007, 03:46 AM) [snapback]503145[/snapback]</div>

Courtesy of galaxee.

To properly align a Prius requires a scan tool to to reset the zero point calibration. The traction control uses this calibration to determine how far the steering wheel is turned. If the zero point calibration is off, the car can be going straight forward but the traction control may think that it is turning. If that were the case you would not be able to accelerate. It is important that the zero point calibration be correct.

Somehow I doubt that Firestone or equivalents technicians will know how to do the job right.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Aug 28 2007, 02:49 PM) [snapback]503445[/snapback]</div>

Based on my experience, I doubt that some dealers will know how to do it right either. Mine didn't. They actually made the front camber worse. Hopefully some dealers are better than mine was w/r/t alignment.

I wondered about the zero point alignment being messed up on my car, but have no symptoms or problem with the traction control. My car was harder to steer to the right than to the left, but that problem has gone away after fixing the rear toe and front camber issues.

 

Dealers are not required to check the alignment as part of the delivery process, but if some guy driving if out of the Container or out of the container ship or whatever they do bumps something with the wheels, he sure isn't going to tell anyone. Plus, the strap them down for shiping in container, on railroad cars and auto transports. One time the brakes failed on a brand new vehicle I had purchased and the dealer said the brake line was cut by being stapped down on a railroad car.

I asked my selling dealer about an alignment, and they said they didn't have an alignment shop, and if they needed to align a Prius, they would take it to the Les Schwab down the street.

If your car is pulling, Toyota will align it for free, but there are alignment problems that can wear out your tires without noticable handling problems. You may be able to find a dealer that will align it on Toyota's dime just because you say it is pulling.

Probably a better option is to find a reputable tire shop. Some will check alignments for free and only charge you if it is out of alignment in order to gain your future business. Believe it or not, I have taken a car to Les Schwab in the Nothwest and asked them to check the alignment. They gave me a printout of the readings that were in spec, said they were OK and didn't charge a dime. I think Wheel Works in South and Central West will do this too.

 

I've had no alignment issues since new in Jan. 06. 41,000 on original Goodyears, with lots of tire left. Runs straight, no pulling. BTW, I've never had my wife's Outback aligned either, '96 with 118,000 miles on second set of Micheleins, no unusual wear either. Just lucky I guess.

 

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