"loose" steering?

[detroiter]

I'm curious...does our steering on this car "learn" or anything like that? I think I remember reading a thread that since it's electric PS, that it has a sensor to know when to compensate for left and right wheels, that's how it knows to give the steering feedback a "real feel". I ask because I took the car out on a dirt road that has some nice long curves and gave it a little bit of hell, kicking out the rear end, etc...the usual fun business. After all of that back and forth steering wheel action...when I came back out onto the pavement and started driving away, the "weighted" steering feel was back again and no more disconnected/loose feeling.

I do remember a few days ago that the disconnected/loose feeling came after hitting a decent size bump. It wasn't a killer enough one to destroy an alignment but it was big enough to make a lowered car "BUMP" a little bit. Was the steering feel trying to compensate itself after something like that? Like I said, I'm not making this up or trying to troll. It's really weird and I've never once had a car that feels like this when it comes to steering/road feedback

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by detroiter

I'm curious...does our steering on this car "learn" or anything like that? I think I remember reading a thread that since it's electric PS, that it has a sensor to know when to compensate for left and right wheels, that's how it knows to give the steering feedback a "real feel". I ask because I took the car out on a dirt road that has some nice long curves and gave it a little bit of hell, kicking out the rear end, etc...the usual fun business. After all of that back and forth steering wheel action...when I came back out onto the pavement and started driving away, the "weighted" steering feel was back again and no more disconnected/loose feeling.

I do remember a few days ago that the disconnected/loose feeling came after hitting a decent size bump. It wasn't a killer enough one to destroy an alignment but it was big enough to make a lowered car "BUMP" a little bit. Was the steering feel trying to compensate itself after something like that? Like I said, I'm not making this up or trying to troll. It's really weird and I've never once had a car that feels like this when it comes to steering/road feedback

Your previous post didn't mention that you had driven on a non paved road and then returned to a paved road and the 'weighted' feel returned. In that case, I think you are okay (but don't take my word for it) if it is only happening on a non paved road. My steering previously (when my previous battery was newer) was more like what you describe it this post. Then for the last few months the off road experience you describe here was happening to me on paved roads and the weighted feel 'recovery' was intermittent. In the 3-4 weeks before my battery replacement 4 days ago I tried to do as much research as possible re the steering issues I was having. During that period I learned (through a word search on Yarisworld) that the boost from our Yari power steering virtually disappears at a certain MPH. I can't remember the exact number, but it was something between 35-45MPH. I'm glad I now know a bit more about our steering through reading old Yarisworld posts.

I'm also glad that my trying to milk my old battery as long as possible hasn't caused any damage that is apparent. If you haven't replaced your battery in a long tome, it still could likely only help. Trini has had his battery replaced every year (at least when he was really piling up the miles) and he has 472,000 miles + on his Yaris. However, Wal-Mart no longer offers the guarantee he has, but the current guarantees still rate as the best re ratio of cost/guarantee time.