heavy steering in corners

[Coogs]

When driving my B6 S4 round corners at normal/high roadspeeds, the steering is really heavy. I'm 6ft 2in and I have to use both hands firmly on the wheel to keep it on track. This seems wrong to me. I shouldn't have to fight the steering this way. There are no noises from the rack or suspension.

The cars got 19 rims and 255 wide rubber, but even so its too heavy, and there is no feel or finesse. What could be the problem?

The engine and possibly rack has been out of the car before I bought it, and I heard it was possible (or necessary) to change the steering weighting using vag-com?

Or is it the rack? pump? belt? wheel alignment?

cheers

[maersk]

Hydraulic system so no Vag Com adjustment available. More likely a pump fault. I assume that all is ok ar parking speeds?

If the latter condition is true then it is probably a fault with the variable assistance rack fitted to these (iir) models.

[Scotty]

I agree.

Mine was feather light when parking and weighted up nicely as speed but it was never a two handed effort to steer.

Since the OP isn't saying it's heavy at slow speed then it certainly sounds like the Servotronic streering.

[PetrolDave]

I thought there was a separate Servotronic control module? Maybe that's faulty and is completely disabling assistance at speed rather than just reducing it?

[maersk]

As PetrolDave suggests there is a separate Servotronic module, however, when it 'fails' it simply allows the rack to revert to a 'normal' rack.

See below

Servicing servotronic steering boxt On vehicles with servotronic steering box the degree of power assistance is varied electronically in accordance with the road speed.t Should the electronics fail, the steering functions in the same manner as normal power-assisted steering.t The servotronic control unit -J236- does not have a self-diagnosis capabilityFault table Possible faultsPossible cause of faultFault remedyt More than the normal steering effort required to manoeuvre the vehicle.t Steering unusually light at high vehicle speed.t Open circuit in voltage supplyt Open circuit in speed signalt servotronic solenoid valve defectivet Check voltage supply → Chaptert Check vehicle speed signal → Chaptert Check servotronic solenoid valve → Chaptert Power steering heavy on one side only: e.g. steering is light when on right lock and heavy on left lockt Hydraulic fault in power steering box

So it looks more likely that the physical, mechanical part of the system has a fault rather that the ethereal electronics.................