Panda Warning light woes

[morriclan]

Hi Guys,
Recently came back into Fiat ownership and starting to wish I hadn't!
Bought a 2006 37,000 mile 1.2 Dynamic Panda which is in lovely condition. Was driving great then got an occasional power steering warning light. Did some research and spoke to Gary at WCS. Changed the whole column, motor and ECU and thought all was well. Now I have ABS and Hand brake lights coming on intermittently and today the power steering light came back on!!!
Had it coded today and am getting B1019, C1110 and C1003. When the ABS and Handbrake light comes on the steering feels a bit lighter.
Don't know what to do now. Has anyone here any idea what's going on. Surely the PS unit cant be broken again.

 

[daveofkent]

Did you ever change the battery?

I was so close to getting a new column for my car - a new Varta battery and it all worked again.

I did not believe it until I did it, I couldn't understand how the car would start, the lights wouldnt dim yet all these gremlins and constant steering problems. That was 6 months ago and nothing.

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi, and welcome.
new battery is @£43 for a BOSCH S4

worked wonders on my 1.1 active too,

Charlie - Oxford

 

[morriclan]

Yes we did change the battery before we went to the expense of changing the steering column.
I am wondering if the new column could be causing the new problems in some way.

 

[varesecrazy]

Yes we did change the battery before we went to the expense of changing the steering column.
I am wondering if the new column could be causing the new problems in some way.

pretty sure they are canbus network codes,

Charlie

 

[Goudrons]

They are body and chassis codes.
The C codes seem to relate to the ABS and the B code the airbag/SRS system.

I'd hazzard a guess you might have a wheel speed sensor issue or ABS coil failure so the vehicles speed isn't getting relayed to the other systems that require it.

There are many systems on the car that rely on detecting speed, obviously the ABS, but also the SRS/Airbags and the steering as it's speed sensitive.

But, is it possible C1003 is actually C1103?
This would point at the brake pedal switch and would probably account for the same symptoms.

 

[morriclan]

Goudrons. Thanks for that info. I will pass this on to my mechanic.

 

[AndyRKett]

The B code can be airbag related on many cars but also can occur as a configuration error on the canbus system fixed with proxi alignment

The two C codes point towards a faulty abs wheel speed sensor and a vehicle speed sensor
Likely your cars speed is calculated off the abs wheel sensors so very likely connected and the electric power steering will use the vehicle speed for the amount of force needed for steering inputs, without accurate data it just defaults to a safe map hence the steering going light, no actual fault with the steering so it doesn't switch of the power steering but obviously anything that's going to effect the brakes and steering isn't to be sniffed at

 

[morriclan]

Things go from bad to worse.
Car managed 4 days with no warning lights at all but today excelled itself.
ABS, handbrake, red power steering and the speedo and computer stopped working!.
Waiting for the mechanic to get a machine that will let him look at the wheel ABS sensors to work out which one is faulty. I am guessing passenger front.
Is the ABS and wheel speed sensor the same thing?
Oh the joys of cars!

 

[morriclan]

At last we appear to be sorted!
O/S/F shock had leaked and it looks as if contaminated the ABS ring.
Since the front shocks have been changed and the oily mess cleaned up we have been ( I hate to tempt fate) warning light free!

 

[Tigertone2000]

This has been a very interesting thread: a steering warning lamp tale with a different ending to the usual (I'm being quite serious, not facetious - just in case this reads wrong!) If I was either of the forum contributors who pointed towards ABS sensor-related issues, I'd be quietly rather pleased with myself...