1999 VT2 - Multiple Issues + Poor knowledge of cars

[adamtherobot]

Hi All,

I've recently purchase a '99 VT2 commodore and after about 3 months have started having a host of issues with it.

1. Turning issue: when i am turning right (even more so when going through roundabouts) the steering feels delayed, and the steering wheel is harder to turn. On 2 seperate occasions the car is spun out and I've narrowly missed hitting other cars, i only drive my car twice a week so i try to avoid turning right (yes, silly i know), but this issue is that bad where i'm afraid i'm going to not have control over it. And to add to this, i'm turning right at less than 10k/h every time, so it's not speed causing the car to spin out.

2. Linked to the turning right issue is the car switching itself off when i'm turning right after first starting it, i even wait for a minute or so before leaving and that doesn't help either, after i've started it for the 2nd time, it doesn't switch off again.

3. Having a/c on makes issues 1. and 2. worse.

4. Seperate a/c issue: I have a very loud and defined "Click" sound when i have the a/c on, i used to the incremental, but now it's just as loud every time and straight away no matter what level the a/c is on, when the click happens the entire steering wheel and right hand side of the dash vibrates also.

5. Idling issue: when in drive and idling the steering wheel and right hand side of dash vibrates and revs moves down below 0, then back up to between 0 and 1.

6. A/C whale sound: when i've got the climate control on with a/c, its switches between the dash and then face, then feet and makes a "whale" type sound when switching, this wasn't happening previously.

[azza3144]

lol dude your car sounds haunted haha. 1st of all, for problem 1; take it to pedders. They do a whole steering and suspension check for like 14 bucks. I personally think that it could have something to do with the power steering pump or just a bad case of not keeping your fluids up. As for the aircon, get a fridge mechanic to take a look at it. My mate had a problem with his car turning off at bad times. Once at a set of lights in front of the cops. So just take it to an auto electrician and tell them your story.

[thedeadwalk]

delayed steerimg, car switching off, whale sounds as fun as all this sounds man i think your best off to an auto sparky to get it looked at starting with the ecu

[jakstas]

What? Why would he start there?

Oh noes my engine controller is causing my steering to go balls up!

Seriously pisses me off when people immediately blame controllers. In 8 years of experience as an auto electrician, I've replaced TWO control cards that have legitimately failed.

End rant.

Sorry for the completely non constructive post.

[wamboin23]

i'd be looking at idle air controller as a possible cause of 1,2,3,4 and 5.

its on the throttle body, and regulates air flow around the butterfly. it allows the engine to idle higher when the a/c is on, when the power steering pressure is higher (ie. turning), higher load on the engine etc. if its sticky/slow to move, it will cause problems like you have described.

it can be cleaned with something like throttle body cleaner, there is possibly a thread on here on how to clean it.

[thedeadwalk]

What? Why would he start there?

Oh noes my engine controller is causing my steering to go balls up!

Seriously pisses me off when people immediately blame controllers. In 8 years of experience as an auto electrician, I've replaced TWO control cards that have legitimately failed.

End rant.

Sorry for the completely non constructive post.

elimination is the key to finding whats wrong man its not hard to take it to auto to scan the thing

[lout]

i would be looking at battery cables especially ground connection to block, also try substituting another battery if you have one. about 25 years ago a girlfriends dad's HZ statesman had a similar problem, car would stall when turning left nearly every time. autoelec took car for 3 months without charge as he wanted to find the fault, ended up being plates shifting in the battery.

[adamtherobot]

Thanks for the replies and apologies for my bad descriptions of these issues, i know next to nothing about cars except how to change tyres and change an oil filter.

A car-savvy friend of mine thinks it is the power steering pump and that the fluid is old or low.

But i'll check all of the above just to be sure, will let you all know what fixes the issue so can tag this thread for future searchs etc