If replacing the complete power steering column, is there anything in the ecu that needs doing or should it be plug and play?

I don't want to go down the route of getting another column to find it has to be coded to the car or something stupid!?

If someone could confirm, that would be great. Thanks

As far as I understand it, because thankfully I haven't had to do one - yet, if you send your old column off to someone like Western Power Steering they will rebuild it - I believe incorporating "improvements"? (maybe a knowledgeable person could comment?) and return it to you as a plug and play install - with a lifetime guarantee I believe? It's what I would do if I ever have to. A new unit would need to be coded to the car's ECU I believe?

not 100% sure. But I think we would have heard if any were by now

I just changed one on a smart car with no issues

might depend on year. On my latter Suzuki everything is coded including ABS pump

Of cause if you just change the sensor there can't possibly be any issue.


I take it a recalibration didn't work

dac69er said:

If replacing the complete power steering column, is there anything in the ecu that needs doing or should it be plug and play?



I don't want to go down the route of getting another column to find it has to be coded to the car or something stupid!?



If someone could confirm, that would be great. Thanks

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Yep, plug and play. From experience though, make sure you’re getting sent the correct one for your car.

I bought a new one from Western Power Steering a few years back, plug and play, with a lifetime warranty.

Yes plug and play.
I did mine about 6 years ago and took my old one out and drove my other car 50 miles to collect a refurbed one. Just gave them old one and took new one with no waiting.
Was life time warranty and have done 70,000 miles since with no trouble.
Cant remember where i got it but was midlands somewhere.
Was an easy job with the hardest part was bloody unclipping the air bag.
Think it was advised to wait an hour after disconnecting battery before removing air bag.

Great. Sounds good to me.

I'm just thinking of getting a used one off a lower mileage car as it's a lot cheaper. The current one works 95% of the time but fails unexpectedly now and again.
Recalibration did nothing. It's as soon as it gets cold that it plays up.

dac69er said:

Great. Sounds good to me.

I'm just thinking of getting a used one off a lower mileage car as it's a lot cheaper. The current one works 95% of the time but fails unexpectedly now and again.
Recalibration did nothing. It's as soon as it gets cold that it plays up.

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If it's temperature dependent I'd have a look at the battery first.

paddie said:

If it's temperature dependent I'd have a look at the battery first.

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correct


except it already been changed twice and works fine for a few day


there was a thread a few months ago


A fresh charge battery is also okay for a few days


I would measure volt drops on the supply and ground. Data log the supply. Read the error code


If you change everything eventually you will fix the problem. I don't mean the last part was fault unless you have already reseated all the connectors first.

koalar said:

If you change everything eventually you will fix the problem.

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Funny how it's always the last thing you change that fixes it.

Actually that's not so surprising; after all, once you've fixed it, why would you change anything else?

It's ok for weeks at a time, then it will randomly fail. Turn the car off. Restart it and its ok again for a while.

The bonus with a replacement complete column is I can mess about with the original one and if I break something or have an issue, it's still a useable car.
Also, if the replacement column is a low mileage one, It will likely have more life in it than my current 150k mile one.

As long as I can simply chuck it in, then I'm sorted.

The replacement column will be on an exchange basis. They take your old one back and refurbish it, ready for the next customer.

If you want to keep the old one, it'll cost you a lot more.

Check the main battery cables, positive from battery to starter, and especially the earth, from batery to body and engine. These corrode internally, so even if the end connectors look ok, they can break along their length, causing low voltages. These can result in intermittent failures.

portland_bill said:

The replacement column will be on an exchange basis. They take your old one back and refurbish it, ready for the next customer.

If you want to keep the old one, it'll cost you a lot more.

Check the main battery cables, positive from battery to starter, and especially the earth, from batery to body and engine. These corrode internally, so even if the end connectors look ok, they can break along their length, causing low voltages. These can result in intermittent failures.

Click to expand...

I believe it has a separate earth in one of the footwells but I will have to double check

I also believe there something odd about the power feed. Like it has two one from the battery and one from alternator.

its been awhile since I have studied the circuit diagrams for this part of the car. Unfortunately we dont have access to the software to see how it senses a problem with the power. I looked quite hard for the circuit diagram for its internals but failed to find them.

I have checked properly the best I can as I dont have the wiring for the 100HP



The motor side of the EPS is connected directly to the battery positive and negative (worth undoing the nut and checking underneath on the negative side)


the Positive passes through the F5 in the under bonnet fuse box (be worth taking out and checking for corrosion )


the logic side has a separate power feed and ground. The power is via the ignition switch and ground is via the footwell

portland_bill said:

The replacement column will be on an exchange basis. They take your old one back and refurbish it, ready for the next customer.

If you want to keep the old one, it'll cost you a lot more.

Check the main battery cables, positive from battery to starter, and especially the earth, from batery to body and engine. These corrode internally, so even if the end connectors look ok, they can break along their length, causing low voltages. These can result in intermittent failures.

Click to expand...

I'm talking about buying a used column off a low mileage breaker for £100. Not paying for a "refurb" unit.

I have checked over everything multiple times. It is so intermittent now that it would be almost impossible to fault find.
I replaced he battery. During the pandemic when we could barely use the car it was playing up loads. I replaced the battery within it's years warranty period and it still had issues, then it went away and now it happens once every 3-4 weeks. It does seem related to the colder weather, but that could be coincidence.

dac69er said:

I'm talking about buying a used column off a low mileage breaker for £100. Not paying for a "refurb" unit.

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Do you have a licenced copy of MES?

motor direct to the battery

jrkitching said:

Do you have a licenced copy of MES?

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I do indeed. Why is that?

dac69er said:

I do indeed. Why is that?

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I'm thinking it's possible you may need to recalibrate the steering if fitting a unit that's been calibrated in a different car.

is it for a 100HP ?


they might be rare if different ?


51771048 ?


I dont have Eper that includes the 100HP