I've been having trouble with my steering rack over the past few months. So I purchased what I thought was an Audi TT faster shorter lock to lock rack. This was fitted a few months ago with new bora track rods and ends. The rack felt no different to the standard bora rack so I was not 100% certain that I had been sent the correct used rack. Anyway all was fine till the rack failed throwing out Power steering fluid everywhere.

So I purchased another used rack this time from a 2002 Audi S3, the garage removed the rack and replaced it with this rack, but left the Audi TT track rods and ends on. Immediately upon driving around any corner taken at normal speeds the ESP would kick in - breaking the required wheel as it presumed the car was losing traction/grip. So to drive the car anywhere normally you had to turn ESP off. Then I noticed with ESP off I was getting a horrid high pitch squeal from the left or right front wheel depending on left or right cornering.

So yesterday the Track rods and ends were changed for the correct Bora versions. The high pitch squeal has now gone, but the ESP system still keeps kicking in at normal corner speeds. So i'm back to driving with it off.

The car has had the tracking checked and is correct, but the steering wheel is out of alignment, it is left hand down by 10 degrees at the moment. The tracking is checked by the garage via old apparatus and not new style laser equipment, but done correctly should and does still give the same desired results.

I read a vast amount of threads last night on the forum. I scanned it with vag-com and no faults at all were flagged up, although I did notice that by going into CHASSIS menu on vag-com and trying to connect to Steering assist or Anti Slip results in an error - cannot connect to controller. I noticed that alot of the posts refer to steering angle sensor, but my steering wheel has never been off the car. I understand that with having the steering wheel out of alignment may create a fault within the ESP system, but in the past I have had quiet a bit of suspension work done on the car and the steering wheel has been out of alignment on numerous occasions - yet the tracking correct. So I am really not sure what the problem is.

Any ideas ?

Hi turkish,

I really don't have any real expeience of the ESP system on the Golf as my car doesn't have it, plus I am crap with anything electrical. However, I just thought I would throw some ideas I had out at you to see if they were any use :

Could the problem be because your steering wheel is not centered properly, therefore the ESP system is getting a misleading signal from the steering angle sensor in relation to the corner speed of the car.

From my basic understanding of the system I think there are several sensors that the ESP system takes signals from eg the ABS sensors on each wheel. So if they are all saying one thing and the steering angle is completely wrong as to what the ESP system is expecting then it will get confused.

These comments may be stating the bloody obvious, but I have often learned never to assume anything when it comes to garages :

Has the new rack been centred properly before it was connected to the steering column?.

Have the track rod ends been put on the correct sides, since they are handed?.

The garage may have got confused since they were first of all dealing with TT ends(which I am sure you know, have to be swapped side for side if being used on a Mk4 or Bora) then had to go back to Bora ends.

I hope I have helped in some way. Goodluck, hope you get it fixed

Well the steering wheel is now as straight as it can be, near spot on after laser tracking, but ESP system is still throwing a hissy fit, it is defiantly something to do with steering angle as the ESP system works perfectly when using it's Traction control side of it.

I have been speaking to Ross-tech and I am going to do this http://wiki.ross-tech.com/index.php/VW_Golf_%281J%29_Brake_Electronics_%28MK60%29#Basic_Setting

Fingers crossed it works, if not back to the drawing board.

If your steering angle sensor has a problem and tolerances were out you will have a fault code You cant connect to the chasiss modules as your cant does not have those modules lol its not that advanced think they are for cars with electronic suspenson..

Back to you problem it appears to be mechnical not electronic..  Have a read of my thread on doing the TT steering Rack upgrade etc.... 

http://uk-mkivs.net/forums/p/199244/1294142.aspx#1294142

Did your garage align the rack correctly i.e. before installing the rack the garage supposed to take off the gaitor on the drivers side off the rack and measure 31mm or 30.5 mm to be correct from the two red points as stated in my post its the only way the rack will be straight.  You also need to have the steering wheel dead centered when all is measured and you are ready to fit the rack..

Did they push the ABS sensors back in far enough as they are supposed to be 1mm away from the ABS ring and further distance can trip the light...

Exactly what have you fitted just the rack or all the hubs wishbones track rods droplinks etc like I have done....  By the way you can check the part number on the rack to tell if it from a TT it will begin with 8E********** as opposed to 1J0..

Great info there mate, was actually reading your post last night. It was a rack form an Audi S3 2001 and not a TT. They firstly installed the rack with S3 track rods and ends, this caused no ends of problems, so 2 days later it was back on the ramp with the Bora rods and ends being fitted. All other suspension components is pure Bora sport OE stuff. I just wanted a faster more responsive rack to the OE bora one.

Had it re-tracked yesterday morning and it felt fine for most of the day, but today it just feels ... well not 100%. it will track straight but there is just something in the feel of the while and direction changes that I cant put my finger on it.

Have not had time to do the Ross tech test but am tending to agree with it being a mechanical setup. It is going back on the ramp this week hopefully to be all stripped down and everything re-checked.

 At a guess my guess is that they did not remove the boot on the drivers side and measure the gap to dead centre the rack this is pivitol and that coupled with a straight steering wheel when you put it on should be pretty much bang on.  So you just had the rack and put on the Bora Tierods and track rods... Fair doos that is ok for a quicker turn lock to lock and by the way the S3 has the same rack so thats not the problem.... 

Did the laser alignment place give you a printout report if so post it up so we can have a look...