Hi about 6 weeks ago I started getting an intermittent power steering warning light and the steering would go heavy. The garage said the motor had gone so I had it replaced with a reconditioned one. This morning the warning light and steering were playing up every few seconds. I put the car on my dad's car diagnostic machine and it came up with the codes p0300 and p0302 which mean cylinder misfire. Nothing about the steering. I read on an earlier post that the power steering can play up if the battery is low. The car has only been driven for 2 of the last 5 weeks. Any suggestions please as I really don't want to have to pay out another £600. Thanks
Panda Power steering problem
- Thread starter Ajc71
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Panda Power steering problem
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The power steering uses a powerful electric motor which works hardest when the engine is turning at low speed. It needs a good battery to work properly.
Make sure the battery is fully charged. Ideally fit a voltmeter you can read while starting the engine and working the steering to check the volts drop.
Make sure the battery is fully charged. Ideally fit a voltmeter you can read while starting the engine and working the steering to check the volts drop.
if it random. Mostly at slow speed. Restart engine sorts it temporarily battery is more likely. Mine was most noticeable when reverse parking.
If its mostly when turning full lock in one direction or vibrations at the steering wheel the torque sensor is more likely.
not 100% but a fairly good indication.
you can read the steering code but special software and cable is needed
If its mostly when turning full lock in one direction or vibrations at the steering wheel the torque sensor is more likely.
not 100% but a fairly good indication.
you can read the steering code but special software and cable is needed
I would definitely try a new battery first, which is considerably cheaper than other routes.
The power steering eats a huge amount of power and if your battery is not in tip top condition it can trigger random fault codes.
The power steering eats a huge amount of power and if your battery is not in tip top condition it can trigger random fault codes.
Hi
Sorry to hear you are having problems
Ok
The basics:
Your car has a battery for Storage of electric..to start the engine
The Generator..Alternator..
Provides the major power to keep things like the PAS supplied
Pandas are FUSSY about a good battery
We had our Panda 15 years..
had a total shutdown once at 6 years old.. fitted another battery (its 3rd..) all was good
Steering motor.. not sure how they deduced it was dead...or replacement one was better .
Code readers.
Most use an industry standard for Engine faults
Body:
Abs
Pas
Stability
tend to be specialist kit..often manufacturer specific
Personally.. I would return to the garage that disgnosed the steering motor.. get them to scan for the steering fault.
DO NOT SPEND MONEY..!!
post back the codes they find on here
My money is on a failing battery
Charlie
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My wife's panda would randomly flash the alternator charge light but battery was always fully charged. Checked/cleaned alternator cables and earths no significant difference.
Then she started getting steering problems. Battery was stress tested all ok. Voltmeter showed the system volts dropping when steering worked. New alternator solved the problem and of course no more random charge lights.
Then she started getting steering problems. Battery was stress tested all ok. Voltmeter showed the system volts dropping when steering worked. New alternator solved the problem and of course no more random charge lights.
Hi I had the battery checked at bush tyres today and they said it was fine at 80% and didn't need changing. I drove to wotk today and the light was on for most of the way but didn't affect the steering. On the way home however the light was on and the steering was stiff. Got it booked back in on Friday at original garage to go back on the diagnostic machine. Another £43 to pay will post codes if they give me them which they didn't last time
Seriously they should not be charging anything as the fault you have paid them for hasn't been fixed and is clearly still there.
Get consumer advice on this so you know your rights, did you pay by debit card or credit card originally?
You may be protected if you did.
80% what
CCA ?
charge ?
what age and specifications are the battery. both written on the battery
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It doesn't take much of a drop in battery performance to affect the steering because of the amount of juice that the electric steering uses.
It'll be interesting to see what the diagnostic says
It'll be interesting to see what the diagnostic says
Hi Ajc71, is it the same garage charging £43 to run diagnostics on a fault they've already charged you £600 to not fix? I don't like the sound of that.
Before offering them any more money, this would be my next course of action:
Before offering them any more money, this would be my next course of action:
- Run a jump lead from battery negative terminal to engine block to test it's not the earth cable under the battery tray that's the culprit
- Connect a different battery / jump leads to another battery and check if there's any difference.
- Get a motor electrician to test the battery to make sure there's nothing draining the battery & that it's charging OK (could be alternator?)
- Talk to Western Power Steering (details here). The power steering failure is a well-known issue but does need dealing with by someone with experience of it.
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Any updates?
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My 100HP has been parked for weeks. It went though a phase of refusing to start even with fully charged battery. It settled down after ever single fuse and relay was pulled tested and replaced. When it did start (never found the culprit) it threw up steering and ABS warnings ("oh poo", said me). But I took it for a test drive and it settled down. This week, London and back and it's performed perfectly no warnings no jitters.
However, I have had no power to the heater or the screen washer pump so I'm suspecting there is a relay issue somewhere. Maybe despite testing ok, it's likely the none start culprit relay got swapped to the heater circuit.
However, I have had no power to the heater or the screen washer pump so I'm suspecting there is a relay issue somewhere. Maybe despite testing ok, it's likely the none start culprit relay got swapped to the heater circuit.
Update: car has been on the diagnostic and every system checks out fine with no problem codes. Until it gets to the power steering system which comes up No COMMUNICATION. Going to investigate for me but not until I finish work for the summer holidays. If anyone has any ideas it would be great to hear from you
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What system are you using to read the fault codes? MultiECUScan uses different OBD adaptors depending on what you need to examine.
"no communication" might simply mean you need a different adaptor.
https://www.gendan.co.uk/product_FESCBL.html
"no communication" might simply mean you need a different adaptor.
https://www.gendan.co.uk/product_FESCBL.html
By far the easiest way to diagnose the battery is substitution.
I have had two failed batteries. One wouldn't idle but steering was never a problem the other measured okay but the steering would I intermittently fail.
but would improve temporarily if left on charge over night.
I have had two failed batteries. One wouldn't idle but steering was never a problem the other measured okay but the steering would I intermittently fail.
but would improve temporarily if left on charge over night.
The battery is fine, so is the alternator and fuses all systems are fine but the machine gets no communication from the power steering so cannot scan for codes. I have no idea what the garage is using to do the diagnostic but will try to remember to ask when it goes back in on July 20th
+1 for battery being prime suspect of your actual steering problem though
something like 95% of these are a battery fault and most of the rest are torque sensor built into the steering column
sounds like the garage don't know what they are doing. At least electronic diagnostic wise. No communication when trying to connect to the steering module is nothing more than the wrong cable.
how do you know. Most batteries test fine but still fail on the steering.
At the beginning of the tread I asked for the code printed on the battery. From this we could have worked out the year of manufacture. These batteries start giving trouble at around 5 years and probably nearer 3 for the tiny square ones.
as long it a CD play is often easier and quicker to undo the 3 bolts test swap the battery for a known good as the code is stored on the body computer. Surprised the garage didn't offer to do this first.
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