Car problem advice, it keeps skidding/sliding!!!

first78

Can anyone help me please!! I have a Honda Jazz which I've had for just over a year. For the last 2 months on the odd occasion I've felt as though my car is slipping on the road (kind of like it's just hit a small patch of ice). This can be either when going round a corner or roundabout or sometimes even when driving on a straight bit of road. It has been very infrequent and I'd even put it down to windy days blowing the car or even my imagination when I'm tired, but yesterday morning on the way to work the back end of my car really slid/skidded whilst going round a roundabout at only about 20mph.

I've checked the tread on the tyres and the air pressure and both are fine but I feel really on edge driving the car now. I'm going to call the garage tomorrow and get it booked in asap but in the meantime can anyone shed any light on what this problem may be? As I said it doesn't happen all the time and I'm worried I'll just look like a stereotypical paranoid female!!

Please help!!

gilbert_and_sullivan

Obviously you'll get someone to check for any loose/worn suspension components that might be allowing the rear wheels to vary their track/camber etc.

First question though what tyres is the car on, make and model, particularly the rears and what pressures are you running on.

first78

I'm not sure how to tell the make, model etc of the tyres...
The front ones have Michelin Energy E3A 175/65R14 82T

The back ones have Marshal Steel Radial KR11 175/65R14 82T

The front ones are 33psi and the back ones are 32psi.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Hmm, the Marshall's at the back are not a bad tyre but you might be feeling the difference between quality rubber at the front and the budget fitments at the rear, though it's the sort of thing you'd be more aware of if you were taking roundabouts at 60mph, i think even the cheapest Chinese ditchfinders should be able to negotiate a roundabout at 20 without sliding off.

However you feel this 'unstable?' feeling even on a straight road sometimes which is a bit baffling, i'd be looking for suspension (rear especially) or steering wear or possibly even a grabbing or binding rear brake first and thinking of possibly swapping front/rear tyres over if the chaps find nothing else.

Do let us know what's found.

Lirin

The Jazz is very light isn't it? Could possibly be body flex as well- as you're going round the corner it skits over the ground a little.
Had it in mine, which weighs 1080kg, and solved it fairly easily by investing in good grip tyres and front/rear strut braces.
Easy way to test is put a suitably heavy weight in the boot, as close to the axle on each side (make sure it doesn't have any lee to slip around) and do a short test drive.

first78

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Hmm, the Marshall's at the back are not a bad tyre but you might be feeling the difference between quality rubber at the front and the budget fitments at the rear, though it's the sort of thing you'd be more aware of if you were taking roundabouts at 60mph, i think even the cheapest Chinese ditchfinders should be able to negotiate a roundabout at 20 without sliding off.

However you feel this 'unstable?' feeling even on a straight road sometimes which is a bit baffling, i'd be looking for suspension (rear especially) or steering wear or possibly even a grabbing or binding rear brake first and thinking of possibly swapping front/rear tyres over if the chaps find nothing else.

Do let us know what's found.

Will definitely let you know how I get on. Just hope I can book it in soon, I work 20 miles from home and am a nervous wreck driving to and from work :eek: Hope it's not a hugely expensive problem!!

first78

Lirin wrote: »

The Jazz is very light isn't it? Could possibly be body flex as well- as you're going round the corner it skits over the ground a little.

It honestly didn't skit over the ground a little, the back end really just sort of swung to oneside and I wasn't going fast at all. I'm not a nervous driver but feel really on edge driving my car at the moment, there has to be something wrong somewhere.

forgotmyname

Swap tyres front to rear, Decent rubber on the back. Problem then it will understeer more and wheelspin easier.

Bit of rain after a warm spell = greasy road surface.

daveyjp

How much tread on the tyres? I've had Pirelli tyres which have become positively dangerous on roundabouts when at a depth of 3mm.

kazwookie

I have a Honda same thing occurs when the tyres are worn / need replacing...

thescouselander

If it happens all the time it sounds like something could be amiss with the suspension geometry - it could have been knocked out of alignment some how.

On the other hand maybe there was just a bit of a diesel spill on the road.