Hi All,

I bought (or found) a Fiat Punto (08) for my grandfather last year. It was quite low mileage and ran and drove well so we replaced his 28 year old Nissan with it. It was about £2500 so we hoped it would be fine and paid a little extra rather than an old banger because he is 80 and could do without problems etc.

After about six months, the clutch went and he had to replace it. Then the original battery went flat. The AA guy said he thought something was draining the battery, he didn't tell him what, where or why he thought that. We changed the battery at Halfords. Then about a month later, the new battery went flat again. We jumped the car, and Halfords said the battery was fine but they replaced it anyway. In this time, the

Since he got the car, he's complained of intermittent problems with the steering being heavy/stiff, maybe once a month and then it goes back to normal.

I didn't pay too much attention to the steering issues, but today he called me and said it happened again. So I went round, the the EPS warning light was on, also the ABS light was on (saying it was off) and the steering was very heavy at low speeds. Slightly softer going faster but it felt pretty dangerous because you couldn't maneuver the car properly.

Anyone have any ideas? Seen a couple of threads but not too much info.

Could it be linked to the battery issues? i.e something draining the battery which is then in turn affecting the power steering?

One thing to note is he doesn't drive it everyday, possibly two or three times a week and short runs i.e to the local shop, or longest journey would be about 15 miles a week max.

Roger100 said:

Hi All,

I bought (or found) a Fiat Punto (08)

Could it be linked to the battery issues? i.e something draining the battery which is then in turn affecting the power steering?

One thing to note is he doesn't drive it everyday, possibly two or three times a week and short runs i.e to the local shop, or longest journey would be about 15 miles a week max.

Click to expand...

Hi, and welcome,

it sounds like something isn't quite right electrically,

the battery WILL be getting a slightly harder time with the occasional / short runs..,

but it's worth ruling out other possible issues,
look in the Grande Punto section , at the top is a list of FAQ's,

there is good info on the myriad of dash lights.. often associated with a deteriorating main EARTH cable.

beyond that .. looking for a parasitic battery drain
https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-mk2...alternator-parasitic-drain-testing-guide.html

Charlie - Oxford

Thanks.

I've got a mechanic I trust who is a MB specialist but unfortunately he won't touch other cars.

I did suspect after a quick search online that the battery issues would be or could be connected to the intermittent steering issue. I didn't know how bad it was until I drove it today and really struggled to turn the wheel at slow speeds. No idea if/when it will go back to normal like in the past.

I will try and find a mechanic who can explore the wiring/electrical route first before focusing on the steering/power steering.

Check the electrics.
1. What's the voltage across the battery with the car off and running?
2. Check all the cables to/from the battery they rot away at the ends, sometimes just inside thr cable plastic cover.

The GP electric steering needs a decent power supply

Roger100 said:

Thanks.

I will try and find a mechanic who can explore the wiring/electrical route first before focusing on the steering/power steering.

Click to expand...

the PAS is VERY power hungry.. so you need a decent battery and charging circuit..,

finding a mechanic shouldn't be too difficult, as it's a reasonably common car - closely related to the Vauxhall corsa,
( is it a normal manual gearbox..?)

where is the car based..??

Charlie - Oxford

varesecrazy said:

the PAS is VERY power hungry.. so you need a decent battery and charging circuit..,

finding a mechanic shouldn't be too difficult, as it's a reasonably common car - closely related to the Vauxhall corsa,
( is it a normal manual gearbox..?)

where is the car based..??

Charlie - Oxford

Click to expand...

It's North London.

I guess because I use an MB indie for mine, and the others in my family have company cars who are serviced through the company's we don't really use a mechanic.

It's not so much a mechanic it's more a mechanic that we can trust.

I've found a mobile guy who's got excellent reviews and is a auto electrician/diagnostic expert who can come out and hopefully figure it out at a reasonable price!

Hi Roger and welcome on board !

it seems that we have a sum of small (possible) issues here:

1. short drives twice or trice a week
2. bad (cold) season
3. battery size (old replaced by same AMPs ?)
4. well known earthing issues on GPs
5. well known alternator issue on UK GPs

Some explanation / guidance

1. can't change driving habbits
2. same here, cold weather slows the chemical reaction in the battery, reducing it's power output, and driver uses lot of electrical stuff in the car (defrost/demist/lights/heater fan etc.)
3. The original battery size is known to be at the minimum limit: the tray accept a bigger battery , one just have to remove a little plastic/rubber thingy to fit a larger battery.
4. Earth connection (battery > body > engine) often goes very bad. There is a method for checking (see FAQ's section) and replacement is not expensive.
5. Right-hand driven Punto's are prone to get water from the windshield pouring into the alternator. I believe it is due to water drainage that was designed for left-hand driven cars as on the continent, only partly modified for wipers location in the UK (but I'm not sure)

Fix

1. If the car sits in a comfy garage, install a battery optimizer. Pro: will keep the battery in good shape Cons: need to be connected / disconnected each run.
2. Wait for spring /summer ! (just kidding hey)
3. Install a larger battery. Pro: will ensure higher Amps in cold weather Cons: cost and battery will end up draining anyway if there is a problem elsewhere.
4. Earthing cable replacement. Only if found bad by on site testing. Pro: cheap and easy, could solves all annoying problems with warning, steering, ABS, etc. Cons: none
5. Alternator replacement. Again, only if found bad ! Pro: would fix the charging issue Cons: expensive and need to solve the water driping issue anyway...

Hope this helps a bit and wish GranDad a lot of hassle-free runs with His GP !

Regards, Bernie

Thanks for the helpful replies.

New development this morning, it's always difficult to verify the exact facts over the phone with grandad but he's said the following: Apparently, he adjusted the steering wheel/column from the position it was in to a lower position and all the warning lights turned off and he drove it around the block with power steering back on and no problems.

Assuming the above is correct, not sure if we should leave it now, or what the route of action would now be? Does that rule out battery/earth issues, but possibly a wire issue in the steering column or something that would be only steering column related?

If you can lay your hands on something like this - Car Cup Charger, CHGeek USB Car Charger 12V: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics - you can quickly check how much juice the car puts out. It's a useful gadget by itself - sits in a cup holder, 2 USB, 2 Cig-Lighter sockets.

I've had occasion to use mine inside my wife's car for checking the battery.

Hi Roger,

there are 3 connectors on the EPS (Electric Power Steering), one for main power, one for control power and communications and the last for sensors. If the problem disappears by changing the column angle or position it indicates there might be a connection issue. Don't know how difficult it is to get there but shouldn't be too hard to remove the plastic covers and have a look. I will have a quick look at other half's car and be back to you later with a "how to" ...

Regards, Bernie