Technical Power Steering Failure

[daveofkent]

I recently returned from being abroad for 3 weeks and the panda 1.2 '04 had power but not enough to start it, so I removed the battery and charged it. The car started fine and everything was great but the power steering light came on after 2 mins and no power steering.


The battery was disconnected for about 2 hours to charge. Ive read all the power steering posts i can find, but nothing that tells me if removing the battery and charging it caused anything and how to fix.

Many Thanks!

 

[AB100]

I recently returned from being abroad for 3 weeks and the panda 1.2 '04 had power but not enough to start it, so I removed the battery and charged it. The car started fine and everything was great but the power steering light came on after 2 mins and no power steering.


The battery was disconnected for about 2 hours to charge. Ive read all the power steering posts i can find, but nothing that tells me if removing the battery and charging it caused anything and how to fix.

Many Thanks!

Dead battery after 3 weeks standing sounds like you need a new battery. We leave one of our panda's for a month untouched with no flattening.


How old's the battery? Maybe time to fork out for a new one.

 

[portland_bill]

:yeahthat:
Modern batteries fail suddenly, leaving standing in cold weather just triggered it slightly earlier than later. Electric Power Steering needs a lot of current, if the battery is weak, the power steering is often the first indicator.

Give it a new battery for Christmas, and all we be well.

 

[daveofkent]

Dead battery after 3 weeks standing sounds like you need a new battery. We leave one of our panda's for a month untouched with no flattening.


How old's the battery? Maybe time to fork out for a new one.

The battery is 3 years old, just hoping its not the motor or torque sensor, just spending money after money on my panda at the moment. In a couple of years it's going to be a new car with all the new parts

 

[daveofkent]

Just to add more info, I just started the car again. The light wasn't on but the steering wheel was vibrating and juddering, moving slightly by itself.

 

[AndyRKett]

If the battery is really flat it might need more than 2 hours charging, I'd put it on for at least 12hrs if the car has sat that long

 

[daveofkent]

It appears i had it on some fast charge mode before so I have dropped it to slow charge and will leave it until tonight.

Thanks for your help. I will report back

 

[Wee Smurf]

I wouldn't bother with charging the old battery. You'd be best to go get a new one. Bosch or another good brand.

 

[daveofkent]

I wouldn't bother with charging the old battery. You'd be best to go get a new one. Bosch or another good brand.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/360647378146

Do you think the above would do the trick. I still don't understand how the battery can pass all tests, start the car fine power the lights and not run the pas. I'm willing to try tho

 

[AndyRKett]

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/360647378146



Do you think the above would do the trick. I still don't understand how the battery can pass all tests, start the car fine power the lights and not run the pas. I'm willing to try tho

Just charge the one you have before spending £45 buying a new one you might not need, it's such a waste to just bin an otherwise good battery for the sake of a proper charge.

The battery can be absolutely fine it's just that the PAS can draw 90Amps which is more than the alternator can supply at full chatter so the battery has to take up the slack while having to power everything else.

90Amps is huge so it can drop the out put of the battery by a volt or two which the steering then sees as insufficient power and simply errors out, a healthy well charged battery won't drop the volts so easily

 

[daveofkent]

So I slow charged the battery and its better but now its erroring randomly a lot.

I am going to change the battery, the car has a POS auto5 own brand one at the moment (belgium's quick fit like place but more expensive)

will the above varta fit its a 2004 1.2 and I dont have access to the car at the mo to be able to measure. Im unsure why the internet is awash with different sizes for the same car.

Thank you all

 

[daveofkent]

Just to update the thread for people with similar problems.

I bought the below VARTA blue battery and it seems (touch wood) to have cured the problems.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271648621172

Thanks to all for your help, without this forum id be stripping the steering column over christmas.