My wife and I own a 2000 (x-reg) Seicento. It has been a great car but over the last few months it has developed this electrical fault and I would like some expect advice if anyone visiting here can offer any help. My wife worries that it might be dangerous and we wondered if anyone else who knows this car well had ever come accross this:
When driving the car, the power-steering light sporadically comes on and the power steering fails. This only lasts a few seconds at most but may occur 5 - 10 times in a twenty minute drive. When this occurs, if we have the music system switched on, there is a loud buzz/crackle from the speakers. This lasts as long as the power steering is out and when the power steering comes back on the radio returns to normal.
We bought the car from a local garage and we always take it back there for repairs and service. They are good mechanics but not auto-electricians, and this problem is beyond them. They replaced the power steering unit for us but the problem did not go away. We have now started running the car with the fuse for the power steering out and this circuit isolated, but (although we are unable to notice anything from the steering which is now constantly un-aided) the radio still sounds out its buzz/crackle, so the fault is still there.
To isolate the radio circuit, this same fault still appeared with the radio off but the power steering fuse in. Therefore it seems to be something unconnected with these two circuits that is interfereing with them.
A friend of our has suggested that it might be a short-circuit somewhere but the job of finding it is one of checking every wire, connection, and earth. This friend has advised us to get a manual and look at the wiring diagrams to see if the radio and power steering circuits meet anywhere, or if another system runs off them. The problem with this is that I have been told that Haynes do not produce a manual for this car.
Can anyone out there offer any suggestions or help for us please? Thank you so much for any advice given.
When driving the car, the power-steering light sporadically comes on and the power steering fails. This only lasts a few seconds at most but may occur 5 - 10 times in a twenty minute drive. When this occurs, if we have the music system switched on, there is a loud buzz/crackle from the speakers. This lasts as long as the power steering is out and when the power steering comes back on the radio returns to normal.
We bought the car from a local garage and we always take it back there for repairs and service. They are good mechanics but not auto-electricians, and this problem is beyond them. They replaced the power steering unit for us but the problem did not go away. We have now started running the car with the fuse for the power steering out and this circuit isolated, but (although we are unable to notice anything from the steering which is now constantly un-aided) the radio still sounds out its buzz/crackle, so the fault is still there.
To isolate the radio circuit, this same fault still appeared with the radio off but the power steering fuse in. Therefore it seems to be something unconnected with these two circuits that is interfereing with them.
A friend of our has suggested that it might be a short-circuit somewhere but the job of finding it is one of checking every wire, connection, and earth. This friend has advised us to get a manual and look at the wiring diagrams to see if the radio and power steering circuits meet anywhere, or if another system runs off them. The problem with this is that I have been told that Haynes do not produce a manual for this car.
Can anyone out there offer any suggestions or help for us please? Thank you so much for any advice given.
