Car leans slightly to the right.

[scrambler]

I've got a June 2010 XC90 R-Design. When parked on level ground it leans slightly to the right. Measured at the rear lights, there is about 7mm difference between the left and right sides. It did this a few months ago but corrected itself. Anybody else had this problem? My first thought is that it could be the self leveling rear shocks not working properly.

[Bill Edmondson]

Hi, have you tried eating fewer pies?. Sorry on a serious note, try as your stopping putting the brakes on hard just the end forcing the car to bob fwd and bwd.
Just to see if once the cars shocks get a good travel it cancels it.
Also does it look equal front and rear?

[The Painter]

I had a similar problem to this with my Focus ST, it drove me mad for a start and I never really found a solution, when you check the car make sure that it is on spirit level ground i.e. your garage and make sure you are measuring form the same points to the same points ( I`m sure you already are ), the spirit level ground is important because if the suspension is loading up the slightest bit then the measurement will be diferent.

[scrambler]

I first noticed it leaning in a car park and just assumed the ground was uneven. When I got home and parked it in the garage, it was still leaning to the right. I've put it in my farm workshop, which has a level floor, and measured it very carefully. I've rocked it from side to side to give the rear shocks a chance to self level, and it still leans to the right.
Writing that last sentance has given me another idea. I could drive the front right wheel onto a piece of wood to make it look level and then see if rocking the car from side to side makes the shocks reajust to make it not level.

[Coconut]

... and then you can take it to your local dealer who will have a nice level workshop floor,
armed with your trusty tape measure, you can show them the problem and ask them to fix it under warranty :-)

[scrambler]

Originally Posted by Coconut

... and then you can take it to your local dealer who will have a nice level workshop floor,
armed with your trusty tape measure, you can show them the problem and ask them to fix it under warranty :-)

Yes, this is why I need to be sure there is a problem before I get the dealer involved. I can quite believe they would keep it all day and then just say they looked at it from the back and it looked fine.

[The Painter]

Originally Posted by scrambler

Yes, this is why I need to be sure there is a problem before I get the dealer involved. I can quite believe they would keep it all day and then just say they looked at it from the back and it looked fine.

Unfortunately, and from my own experience there is an acceptable tollerance involved which is quite ridiculous, about 20mm if I remember correctly with my Focus, mine was about 8mm out at the most.