Knocking Sensation

[ellis]

Hi Guys
Just wondered if any of you get what feels like a slight knocking sensation through the steering wheel when pulling away, parking or any other low speed manouvres?
I seem to get the feeling through the steering wheel and wondered if it is common, or something I should get looked at.
Cheers in advance!

[Andy2010]

Hi Guys
Just wondered if any of you get what feels like a slight knocking sensation through the steering wheel when pulling away, parking or any other low speed manouvres?
I seem to get the feeling through the steering wheel and wondered if it is common, or something I should get looked at.
Cheers in advance!

Is that when you have the steering wheel on full lock? as many cars do that anyway

[ellis]

Hi Andy
No, it happens through the range of steering, between lock to lock......

[ellis]

Still getting this problem, car booked in on Friday so hopefully the garage will find something. One of those problems that is quite difficult to feel through the steering wheel so no doubt someone will go out in it and say it feels fine!!

[clarelou]

Hi please let us know how you get on, our Mazda 2 has the same issue. It seems to go away when I adjust the height of the steering wheel so I don't think it's serious. It still doesn't feel right though. 

It feels like lumpy steering when doing full lock manoeuvres like a 3 point turn etc, don't tend to notice it when doing normal driving.

[ellis]

Hi clarelou.
Got my car back from the garage yesterday, and the problem has gone. Unfortunately the garage said they didn't find anything specifically loose within the steering, but they went through all the joints and checked to make sure everything was tight. Service manager said it may have just been a slight tightening of the universal joint (i assume the one which enables the steering wheel angle to be adjusted) which sorted it out.
I too changed the steering angle which made a slight difference, but it soon came back.
Fingers crossed the problem will stay away but only time will tell. At least the garage have it on record now that it has been in for this problem.
I'd get yours booked in to be looked at. Whilst I was told that there was nothing which would be dangerous (that's their story!) it's better to be safe than sorry, and the lumpy steering is annoying.
Good luck!
Ellis

[ellis]

Well, this problem never fully went away even though it had been in a couple of times to be looked at.

In the end, the garage have replaced the electronic power steering motor, and fingers crossed, it now appears to be behaving itself and feels like it should do!!

[davesxjr13]

hi, i have experienced the same problem, my dealer says it is the steering rack, it is a common fault that mazda are aware of.

[ellis]

My dealer thought it might be the steering rack but after further inspection they ordered in and fitted the power steering motor and since then it has been (touch wood) fine!

[bawbee]

 Hello Everyone

Just thought, since I found the contributions of others so useful at the time, that I would add my own experience to the Mazda 2 'steering clunk' phenomenon.

I bought my car in July 2011 and experienced the annoying clunk from new. Naively, I thought that problem might just be associated with the newness of the vehicle and would disappear after a period of bedding in -- hope springs eternal.

However after about 1000 miles I took the car to the local Mazda dealer  who attempted to remedy the situation by installing a modified bolt associated with a universal joint on the steering column. This did not prove to be wholly effective so I returned the car to the dealer. A second repair involved replacing what I think was called an 'intermediate shaft' on the steering column assembly. This seems to have done the trick.

I have to say that the local dealer was pretty good in handling all of this. The impression I got was that my experience was not unique and what was done to my vehicle was the standard procedure in tackling the steering issue for vehicles of a similar age/chassis number to mine i.e. attempt a simpler/cheaper repair at first by replacing the bolt.

I like my Mazda, but it is a bit worrying to learn via this forum of the early failure of major steering components such as steering racks and power steering motors!
 

[maisie]

I have just started to be aware of this too -  M2 Tamura from April 2010.

I had to move flats for my son in Bristol which involved dozens of very tight parking moves (anyone who knows the Clifton/Redlands area will understand.)

This was 2 weeks ago and the clonking started very soon after, so I thought I had something expensive.

I read years ago that it is not good practice to turn power steering to full lock but sometimes it is unavoidable.

I guess another trip to the dealer is on the cards - thanks for the heads-up from the other contributors.