Steering wheel position

While towing a caravan with my Ford Scorpio, I noticed that the steering wheel was at about 10-to-2 when travelling in a straight line. My local garage diagnosed that the rubber bush on the rear of the nearside wishbone had collapsed and that the offside one had hairline cracks in it. I had both replaced, but the steering wheel is still at 10-to-2 when going straight.

The garage that replaced the bushes could not find any wear in any of the other bushes or balljoints. I have since had the four-wheel alignment/tracking done four times at ETB and ATS and none of them can find anything wrong. The only way I can get the steering wheel straight is to have the steering wheel set and tracked in the 10-to-2 position, which has made it in the level position when driving.

The car drives in a straight position if you let the steering wheel go. Have you any ideas what could be causing this type of problem?

Also, do you know of a company that can repair key-fobs for the Scorpio? I’ve bought a couple from ebay, but they seem to be almost as bad as the one I have, where you have to press it several times to get it to operate. I’ve tried putting silver paint on the contacts (the type they used to repair the rear windscreen demisters with in days gone by) which are carbon, but lasted for a couple of months then the trouble would start again. I also tried getting a new one from Ford but they were no longer available. Geoff Harris I am unsure why the steering position would suddenly change, other than as a result of damage to one of the steering components. The alignment of the steering wheel when doing the vehicle tracking is quite a simple process.

It should first be established that the steering wheel is fitted as close as possible to the centre line on the steering column. Then the steering wheel should be centralised and fixed. The tracking adjustment is then made by loosening off both track rod ends and winding them into the correct position.

It may appear that the tracking is correct, but to align the steering wheel one track rod end may need to be wound on while the opposite track rod end is wound off. This will then centralise the steering wheel.

One company that advertises replacement remote transponders for the Scorpio is Autotronics, 4 High View Close, Vantage Park, Leicester LE4 9LJ

(autotronics.co.uk; 0116 276 7054). However, not having used this company this is only a suggestion and not a recommendation.