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Power Steering Sensitivity Adjustment


megaspeed
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Hello everyone,

 

Is there any way to adjust the feedback of the steering on the 2012 Ford Fusion Sport 3.5l? It seems to be a bit light on the highway, where I would appreciate less of a feedback. I would say it's too busy when on the highway constantly requiring a need to compensate from left to right and vice versa.

 

In my older Fusion 2007 SE, I can let off the steering wheel for a while and the car runs straight ahead without a need to compensate.

I asked the dealer, he says there is a setting for Sport, Standard and Convenience modes, but I can't seem to find it either in the manual or anywhere in the vehicle settings. Probably because it's not even there due to the hydraulic type of steering in F.F.Sports, but I might be incorrect and hope someone might clarify it for me.

The vehicle is 2 months new, tires are balanced and in good condition.

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The power steering assist is variable and is adjusted by the computer inversely proportional to speed. There is no user adjustment. I find the low-assist at highway speeds to give a very desirable sporty feedback at highway speeds. When I drive on a road that isn't excessively crowned, my car will track straight for close to a mile. This has been discussed before ad naseum, but the perceived drifting or pull to the right is the result of the suspension setup being sensitive to the amount of crown in the road. If you drive on the left lane the pull will be in the opposite direction.

 

So to summarize, even if you could adjust the assist level, it wouldn't do anything to change what you're experiencing. If you have a consistent pull on all roads, then you need an alignment or new tires.

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Alignment settings may make a difference here. If the dealer feels that the steering responsiveness falls within normal range, then any experimentation would be on your nickel and may not be cheap.

 

If you wish to pursue this then find an alignment shop that truly understands alignment theory and start by checking the alignment to see where the settings are now.

 

Only after you know the current settings can you determine if subtle or not so subtle changes would make a difference. Generally you want to increase positive caster. Then study the Fusion shop manual to determine if such adjustability is possible. Alignment changes other than toe are limited, and may entail parts replacement.

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