My 2005 X-Type Wagon drives fine, makes no noises. However when I pull into a parking place (forward or reverse) the steering gets "tight" and the front wheels scrub like the awd system is not allowing any slip for the different radius the front wheels are turning through.

The car has 58,000 miles. I checked the transfer case oil last weekend and it only had about 200ml of fluid, so I drained and topped it up to ~600 ml. Will do it again next weekend, but that didn't make any difference. Plan on flushing the transmission next.

Any other suggestions?

 

amwood, do you have the DSC system on your car? If so, do all of your tires have the same amount of wear on them. While it shouldn't happen, it is possible (especially when turning) that the system is engaging because it is seeing the wheels spin at too much of a difference. Having the tires worn differently only amplifies this problem. Granted, if you turn the other way, it should also make the problem become either less or simply go away.

The other thing you may want to look at is the alignment of the car. If the wheels are leaning in at the top, when you turn, this is going to cause the tires to "dig in" on the edges and that can lead to the scrubbing that you are feeling. This could be caused by worn struts, strut bearings, lower ball joints, etc.

 

Thermo, thanks for the response, much appreciated. I do not have DSC (no button). The alignment is good. I put new tires on about 6000 miles ago and no abnormal wear, but I do mostly highway miles.