Strange driving feeling

I've been noticing this for a while now and I'm not sure how to describe it other than the car feels almost wobbely/floaty at times? Cold this be bushings or suspension related? anyone ever had the same issue?

Don't drink & drive! :roll:

That was a really mature sensibe answer!

Tyre pressures and/or lack of traction on these roads at the moment.

All tires are new, and Tire pressure is good, plus I only drive it on a dry day so its not the lack of traction. I also had the wheels balanced correctly and steering aligned.

A dry day doesn't mean much when it's cold and the road surface is still covered with the remnants of salt and fresh rubber. Also, what do you define as good pressure? Standard Porsche pressures can cause a very skittish car. What tyres have your got fitted? When you say steering aligned? Do you mean a full geometry or a tyre place tweak with a spanner by a spotty YTS youth? Might seem a little pedantic but in order to correct diagnose something like this we need all the facts

More info on car/age etc would be good too, and under what circumstances e.g. fast in straight line, or round fast/slow bends. Initial thoughts would be geo, or possibly shock absorbers.

At least the spelling was mature :twisted: Maybe you should take it to a garage if you want a proper diagnosis? :roll: :wink:

What is the condition of your brake disks? The reason I ask is that I had the exact same feeling (wobbley/floaty front end) on my C4S for months and it totally spoilt the driving experience for me as I had no confidence in the cars handling. After several trips to the main dealer (and a local specialist) no problem could be found with any of the suspension or steering components and I was advised that it was probably due to changes in tyre wear, etc (I was not convinced). However last month I had all 4 disks and pads replaced as the existing ones were very badly worn and quite warped. This has totally transformed the cars handling and it feels really tight again and the steering is pin sharp (back to how it felt when I first bought the car). I can only deduce that in my case the wobbly/floaty feeling I was experience was play in the steering caused by the front disks making intermittent contact with the pads (someone feel to correct me if I'm taking rubbish!). Although I wouldn't rule out a possible steering or suspension problem it is definitely worth looking at the condition of your brakes (particularly any warping of the disks) as I am convinced this was the cause of my handling problems. Hope you get to the bottom of it.

Yep - don't underestimate the differences these things make. Had my C4S just over a year & at the moment it feels/handles like it did when I first had it i.e. VERY different to the summer months !!! You certainly don't have as much traction/control at this time of year.- maybe it's these differences that you're noticing & are describing as "floaty"?

Hi Sudesh With the engine off get hold of each of your front wheels in turn and and check for play in the outer steering rack LH and RH ball joints, the bushes on the ends of the rack, the track rod ends, and the front wheel bearings. If you feel any play, and there should be nothing that you can easily feel this might point to the cause. Also get hold of the steering wheel and wiggle it, you should see an immediate response at the wheels. Do this check with Engine running and Engine off. If there is movement of the steering wheel without movement of the wheels this too could point to a cause. Play found with the Engine On and Engine Off Tests point to different potential issues in the Pinion to Rack area. In one case it could just be a bit of extra backlash between the Rack and the Pinion, or an issue on the PAS valve as it ports the hydraulic fluid power from side to as you change direction. I had this on an Aston V8 Vantage and it was most disturbing as the steering had a mind of its own when you hit bumps etc. This will rule out, or in, the first areas of investigation, before you move to bushes etc and other aspects of steering geometry. First area of geometry should be a "toe in toe out" check! Hope this helps. Regards Big Bob

Thank for the replies The car is a 2002 Carrera 2. The wheels and tracking were professionally adjusted and the tires are P-Zeros. The sensation is apparent when going around a corner or, if on a straight line, its apparent when you go over a bump or dip in the road. Its not the road conditions as I took a run in a friends 996 a few days ago and his certainly does not have the same feeling as mine and his is also a Carrera 2. Bob thanks for the detailed info and I will take a look at those things today.

Dodgy Front End I've got a similar problem with my 53 reg C4S at the moment. The cars fine at low speeds but doesn't feel safe at speeds over 100mph (on the track of course)! The stearing wheel shakes slightly and the car just feels unsafe and unsteady on the road. I've got Mitchelin Pilot Sports on the front and am going to get them re-balanced at the weeked.....but a friend of a friend who had the same model car said that it was an issue with his as well. Is it a common fault? :?

Re: Dodgy Front End I had a Carrera 4S for over 3 years and never experienced what you're describing, yes it can feel a little light on the front when running Porsche 'reccommended' pressures, I recommend (like many others) reducing these by a few PSI to get the feel and stability back. All Porsches are a little susceptable to irregularities in tyre pressures so make sure all are equal across the axle. A geometry/alignment is also recommended annually and if you've hit the odd pothole or speedbump consider having it checked again. There are other issues (as described above) like brake discs and pads which can also cause a vibration through the steering wheel.

:food: Hi, now I could be right off the wall here, but if this is more noticeable for people with 4WD cars then we may need to separate this from 2WD models. I do not know the details of the Porsche 4WD System, but in essence there will be a transfer box to take power to the front of the car. There will also be differential effect at the front drive too. Certainly tranfer boxes have clutching mechanisms, and there may be some "limiting" etc on the front drive. What could be happening on 4WD cars is that the torque transfer to the front is varying under different driving conditions and as that transfers to the front it gives a "steering" effect to the front axle, and hence the sensation felt. If this was not evident on the New Car, it may be wear and tear on the transfer box clutches. Or I might be completely wrong!!!!! Regards Big Bob