Hey guys. Been quite a while since I posted, just been so busy recently.

The other day my power steering warning light came on. I safely managed to get home and decided I'd take a look at it in the daylight. The next day, the warning light was gone.

It now seems to stay off for a little while after I start the engine and come back on after driving for a little while.

There doesn't seem to be any change in the way the car handles when the light powers on. In fact, it feels exactly the same.

Looking around on the site at other threads, I've seen that a weak battery might be to blame here?

What's this trickery that's going on fellas?

Cheers.

From what i have experienced with having this same problem and numerous threads on this topic.

Firstly check if your have a week battery or if it is getting charged properly.

But if all there is fine and you are not actually looseing your power stearing and it is not getting any worse i woudl not worry too much as it is a coomon problem that these are suseptable to the cold and damp and as a result for some reason it brings this light on.

You could check the tension in the Alternator belt, because the most likely fault is that the battery is not at high enough voltage, and in a few days you might lose the power steering on full lock before it goes all together.

You say it comes on after a while, which is why i think the alternator belt may be lose & not changing the battery fully.

Hope this helps Belt should move up or down 5mm i think.

A weak battery will make the PS click off to 50% powerish

if the battery is old - the alternator cant charge it properly, and the alternator cant provide enough power all the time - esp in winter with fans and lights on all the time

so as it demands the alternator isn't enough - it gains power from the battery which aint able too
so the warning light comes on

Ziggy

Hey thanks guys.

I'll make the appropriate checks to the battery system.

In the mean time, is it safe to drive? I have an important commute to make this week...

I would say yes but if the power stearing fails on you be perpared even though this is unlikely.

Mine failed this morning rock solid steering took it off this afternoon and when it was off if i switched off the car then on again it would work for a little bit then stop so i found there was a little hole that seems to feed into the body of the motor so i pumped it full of wd40 and it works fine now been out for a 20 mile drive and it works how long for we will see.

The battery may be bringing your light on but if the battery is fine then it will be the internal position sensor inside the EPS column , this can fail and bring the light on without actually causing the EPS to stop working, if the power steering continues to work ok then there is no need to panic, it may continue to do this for some time although it can sometimes lead to the EPS packing up.
If you need any help or advice then please contact me or check out my website, as a power steering company we have helped 100's of punto owners with their EPS problems.
www.westernpowersteering.co.uk
Regards
Gary

See here
https://www.fiatforum.com/punto/287238-steering-gone.html

A battery pushing out low voltage such as when a cell fails can actually overload some systems. I dont know if this applies to the EPS (but it might) so get the battery tested ASAP. It could otherwise be a costly way to prove my hunch is right.

Well mine is still working after putting wd40 in it over 500 miles.

vcx10 said:

Well mine is still working after putting wd40 in it over 500 miles.

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putting wd40 into what?

On the wheels

My motor failed warning light came on and wouldnt go off so i removed the motor and there is a little hole that feeds directly into the motor so i thought well i have nothing to lose so put the red straw ontp the can and pumped a load off wd40 into it and 500 miles later it still works.

thelad said:

On the wheels

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...

vcx10 said:

My motor failed warning light came on and wouldnt go off so i removed the motor and there is a little hole that feeds directly into the motor so i thought well i have nothing to lose so put the red straw ontp the can and pumped a load off wd40 into it and 500 miles later it still works.

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its an electrical motor with a circuit board
wd40 will do no good other than possibly making it catch fire,you are lucky this didnt happen

s and b said:

its an electrical motor with a circuit board
wd40 will do no good other than possibly making it catch fire,you are lucky this didnt happen

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Obviously it it did some good as it fixed it and no it would not catch fire its a 12 volt motor

vcx10 said:

Obviously it it did some good as it fixed it and no it would not catch fire its a 12 volt motor

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youve never souped up scalextric cars then
i had these on fire as a kid
seriously its not good advice telling people you pumped your motor full of wd40 and it worked

Just saying what I did and it works its up to you if you want to try it and it saved me changing the motor

Cant see how spraying wd40 into it would help. Its not as tho the motor had siezed (the motor still turns when you turn the steering wheel with engine off)?

Only thing i can think off is the wd-40 could have driven moisture off the circuit board?

colinf1 said:

Cant see how spraying wd40 into it would help. Its not as tho the motor had siezed (the motor still turns when you turn the steering wheel with engine off)?

Only thing i can think off is the wd-40 could have driven moisture off the circuit board?

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or shorted it out