04 ION Coupe electric steering

[Mark]

Anyone else having problems getting use to the electric steering?
After just over a month it still seems odd. Harder to control then
regular steering at high speeds. It feels tight when you start to move
the wheel on the highway then after what seems like only a 1/4 inch
turn of the wheel the assist kicks in and the next thing you know your
a lane over unless you backoff on the amount of force you have on the
wheel. I guess that's the variable assist at work. I took the car back
to the dealer for 2 days, they tested and found nothing wrong. Three
guys drove it and felt nothing. All within spec's. I did drive a 2005
ion coupe and noticed it felt normal. Two differences is it was a
2005, mine is 2004 and it had steel wheels and 14" tires, mine is the
alloy with 16 inch.

 

[C. E. White]

Anyone else having problems getting use to the electric steering?
After just over a month it still seems odd. Harder to control then
regular steering at high speeds. It feels tight when you start to move
the wheel on the highway then after what seems like only a 1/4 inch
turn of the wheel the assist kicks in and the next thing you know your
a lane over unless you backoff on the amount of force you have on the
wheel. I guess that's the variable assist at work. I took the car back
to the dealer for 2 days, they tested and found nothing wrong. Three
guys drove it and felt nothing. All within spec's. I did drive a 2005
ion coupe and noticed it felt normal. Two differences is it was a
2005, mine is 2004 and it had steel wheels and 14" tires, mine is the
alloy with 16 inch.

Make sure your tire pressures are properly adjusted. Too
high a pressure and things get squirrely.

Regards,

Ed White

 

[Mark]

Make sure your tire pressures are properly adjusted. Too
high a pressure and things get squirrely.

Regards,

Ed White

Tire pressure is at 32psi. The conclusion I have come to is; it's just
the nature of the beast. The variable steering beast that is! Around
town you couldn't ask for any better steering. Turning ease is
fantastic in parking lots and around the streets. But above 40 on a 2
lane road and on the highway...yicks it's a different story. I feel it
takes too much effert to turn the steering wheel and it take very
little turn of the wheel to get the car to move left or right. So what
happens is a little oversteering one way then the other until the car
is back in the center of the lane. Just doesn't feel comfortable. I
didn't feel this in the 2005 Ion Coupe, but then it had the smaller
tires and steel wheels. Mine has the higher performance Firestones and
alloys. Tires are wider and lower profile so that might be adding some
to the feeling. Also maybe too many years of driving hydralic steering
that operats at one level of assist all the time.

 

[Philip Nasadowski]

Also maybe too many years of driving hydralic steering
that operats at one level of assist all the time.

I really don't get why they dumped this. I've had it on older cars and
it was beautiful. One of my big peeves about the Saturn is NO BOOST at
speed. I paid for PS, I WANT it at all times, dammit. I can see
tapering off the boost a little bit, but for some reason, even older
Saturns drop it off a LOT at speed.

Thoght maybe i've got an alignment or other issue happening in this car
too...

 

[Blah blah]

I really don't get why they dumped this. I've had it on older cars and
it was beautiful. One of my big peeves about the Saturn is NO BOOST at
speed. I paid for PS, I WANT it at all times, dammit. I can see
tapering off the boost a little bit, but for some reason, even older
Saturns drop it off a LOT at speed.

Thoght maybe i've got an alignment or other issue happening in this car
too...

Hydraulic steering: Dropped because of weight, prone to leaks, robbed
HP, hurt fuel economy, higher maintenance, high cost, and space
consuming. Now you know many reasons why they dumped it.

http://www.delphi.com/media/news/product_info/esteer/
http://www.delphi.com/images/vpr/products/esteer.jpg

I think the problem people are having in the Ion may have to do with
the abnormally small steering wheel... With or without assistance you
should still now how far and how fast or slow your wheel should be
turned. The EPS shouldnt be assisting at highway speeds (not needed
then). The only thing I can think of is when your braking it may
activate assistance. Which I can see where some people might have
problems.
Saturns arent hard to steer sitting still with no power assist. If
possible, without setting a code, disconnect the EPS and try driving
without it and see how it behaves. Would be an interesting road test.

 

[john]

good to a good alignment specialist . get a front and rear wheel alignment.
had a similar problem on a new Chrysler. dealer no help. Moved the tires and
told me it was better now.