Hi all

I am sure that this topic is already on the thread, but they all seem quite outdated.

My Fiat Panda '61 plate and yesterday my red steering wheel light has come on; now, this has done this before if my steering wheel is left in a funny position, but normally if I turn the ignition off and back on it goes away and steering goes back to normal. However, yesterday and today it has stayed on; the steering isn't stiff or anything, but does feel different - hard to describe.

I have also recently had when I start the ignition my clock restarts. So I am assuming this could be a battery issue? at least that is what I am hoping as I really don't want it to be anything too serious.

Can anyone advise/assist or suggest what this could be?

Lorna87 said:

Hi all

I am sure that this topic is already on the thread, but they all seem quite outdated.

My Fiat Panda '61 plate and yesterday my red steering wheel light has come on; now, this has done this before if my steering wheel is left in a funny position, but normally if I turn the ignition off and back on it goes away and steering goes back to normal. However, yesterday and today it has stayed on; the steering isn't stiff or anything, but does feel different - hard to describe.

I have also recently had when I start the ignition my clock restarts. So I am assuming this could be a battery issue? at least that is what I am hoping as I really don't want it to be anything too serious.

Can anyone advise/assist or suggest what this could be?

Click to expand...

Hi again.

Ok.. it is because of LOW POWER coming from the battery at start up.

Could be:

The alternator isnt putting out enough power

The earth cable from battery is failing internally

The battery itself is tired.

To do:
Get a volt meter on the battery.. should be
Between 12volts and 13.2 volts

Then start engine.. and CAREFULLY test battery voltage again.. should be AT LEAST
14Volts (alternator adding extra power)

Let us know what you find.

Charlie

varesecrazy said:

Hi again.

Ok.. it is because of LOW POWER coming from the battery at start up.

Could be:

The alternator isnt putting out enough power

The earth cable from battery is failing internally

The battery itself is tired.

To do:
Get a volt meter on the battery.. should be
Between 12volts and 13.2 volts

Then start engine.. and CAREFULLY test battery voltage again.. should be AT LEAST
14Volts (alternator adding extra power)

Let us know what you find.

Charlie

Click to expand...

Hey Charlie!

Been a long time since I have come on this forum. My little Panda is at the garage now and they said they would run diagnostics. I did have the battery tested last year, and they said it was absolutely fine.

On a side note, I have not heard any water swishing in my car for about three years now lol :worship:

Replacing the battery will quite likely fix this issue.

On a '61 plate car, if it's the original, don't even bother with testing, just replace it. It'll be well past its best now.

Hoping that is what the garage will do/say. There's been a couple of things that have happened over the last year that make me think the battery has been in a slow decline; so can we all keep our fingers crossed that this is the case please as replacing the battery is not too financially demaning.

They've run diagnostics on the car, and the fault code is C1002, so a new steering column is required I believe?

Dont rush out to buy a new column until the electrical charging system and battery have been ruled out. The steering needs a lot of power at parking speeds so low system voltage will easily upset it.

If the steering column is faulty, a reconditioned exchange unit is about £180 and fitting is easy for a mechanic. so don't pay over the odds on labour costs.

Lorna87 said:

They've run diagnostics on the car, and the fault code is C1002, so a new steering column is required I believe?

Click to expand...

No .. that is the torque angle sensor..
Just googled it myself. Its just a bolt on part.

Hope they didnt charge much for that test.


As I said an hour ago..

You have a POWER SUPPLY ISSUE.. only reason the clock will flash..


The steering code may well be a symptom of power starvation.

Get online and order a new battery.. should be £50 or less .. no stop:start on yours.


Charlie

coming on when leaving the steering at an angle sounds like the torque sensor


C1002 sounds like it confirms this.


however you have a power issue also. clocks restarting is volts too low


could well be the extra load of the steering at an angle causing the problem.


I would fix the battery issue first. Maybe it just a glitch caused by the low power

A lot of steering columns have been needlessly replaced when only a new battery was required. From your description of the clock issue, you really ought to replace the battery now anyway.

But if it does need a new torque sensor, an easy way to fix it is to get a refurbished column like this one.

If you just replace the torque sensor, you need to know what you are doing and will likely need Fiat-specific software (such as multiecuscan) to calibrate it. If you get a remanufactured column, it should already be calibrated and fitting will then be a simple plug and play job, well within the capabilities of the home mechanic, or decent independent garage - no Fiat-specific tools will be required. So if you're really handy with spanners and software, or you've access to a top notch independent Fiat specialist, replacing just the torque sensor is a good option. If you're going to use a general purpose independent garage, or want to keep a DIY job easy and simple, go for a remanufactured column.

Be aware that franchised dealers will likely just replace the column with new; the total cost for this will be close to £1000. A properly remanufactured column with an uprated torque sensor will likely outlast a new column.

Also see this thread for more information on this topic.

I've been quoted £650 for a new steering to replace it all. I don't know whether the time has come to trade it in for a new Panda, but I'm all confused now with what to do. I trust the mechanic as he is a family friend so I know wouldn't charge me anything he didn't have to.

He might not be a specialist on Fiats and is probably getting a brand new steering column. The price quoted for the job looks extremely high to me.

This is simply an eBay search, others may have recommendations based on experience.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-PANDA-ELECTRIC-POWER-STEERING-COLUMN-TORQUE-POSITION-SENSOR-EXCHANGE-UNIT/201027966831?fits=Model%3APanda&epid=1334318921&hash=item2ece33576f:g:L6gAAOSwDw9bLjVv:rk:2f:1

But you can see, parts should be about £200 including delivery costs to return your old steering column.

Fitting is easy for anyone with a set of spanners and it might have to be electronically aligned. All garages should have the ECU interrogation tools. But to put that in perspective, MultiECUscan software does that for £50. It runs on a windows laptop. https://www.multiecuscan.net/

In my opinion £300 should cover the job. See what the professional members have to say.

If the battery is the original, you really should change it. 7 years is very good going and the cold weather will soon be here. A new one costs about £50 and you may well find the steering issues go away.

As above, most likely problem is the battery.

Not guaranteed, but well worth taking a punt.

Had the exact same problem on an older (04) 1.2 Panda last month, same error code, same diagnosis from a local trusted garage (which should have known better). Older owner, not mechanically minded.

I changed the battery as it was the cheapest option available and it is still fine.

Biggest clue was the clock time being wrong.

I checked the service book (which was stuffed full of invoices) and found the battery was about 7 years old.

As the quote for fixing it was most of the value of the car, the poor old owner was convinced it was heading to the big scrapyard in the sky, so £44 for a new battery was a pleasant surprise.

The cold weather and darker evenings pushed the old battery past being able to cope.

Lorna87 said:

I've been quoted £650 for a new steering to replace it all. I don't know whether the time has come to trade it in for a new Panda, but I'm all confused now with what to do. I trust the mechanic as he is a family friend so I know wouldn't charge me anything he didn't have to.

Click to expand...

£650 is too much for this job if a remanufactured column is used; exchanging one is only about an hour's work if you know what you are doing; perhaps two hours for a competent mechanic doing it for the first time.

I'd say a fair price would be about £300 parts & labour for the column swap, and another £50-£60 for a good quality replacement battery.

I'd recommend trying the battery replacement before proceeding further; you're going to need one soon anyway.

I have spoken to the garage again, and they have already tested the battery, and that is all working okay; so it is definitely not a battery issue.

Lorna87 said:

I have spoken to the garage again, and they have already tested the battery, and that is all working okay; so it is definitely not a battery issue.

Click to expand...

Hi Lorna.

Ok back to basics:
The clock flashing indicates a lack of power on starting..

You want to get this sorted NOW

Once you have a stable power supply around the car..

THEN worry about other faults.

As I have posted many times on here..
My panda died steering and all.

A new battery fixed it..
No more isdues in last 6 years
For less than £50 .. I would do that now.

Charlie

My old Punto would start fine when parked on flat ground but would have a totally flat battery when parked on a hill.

The battery was so old that debris falling from the internals was shorting out the charge carrying plates. Fine on the level but not when it sloshed to one end.

I went to Halfords who insisted on doing a battery test and the guy pronounced it was fine. Just 10 minutes before I'd had a struggle to jump start the car AND had no power steering. I put on the headlights, started the car and wound the steering lock to lock. Then switched off and asked him to test it again. He did (reluctantly) and this time his box of tricks showed red - dead battery. The car would not start. I bought a new battery and all was sorted.

This is not meant to disrespect Halfords who to be fair do OK. But most battery testers don't do the job properly and many technicians believe implicitly what their computers tell them.

Step 1
Get yourself a new battery. Even if its not really needed its not a huge cost. But the odds are strongly in favour of that being your problem. Consider it a test fee.

Step 2
Use the car and see how it goes with the steering. Even if it does go heavy on a cold start, just heave to get out of your parking space and soon enough the steering will wake up. Once the car is moving, you don't really need the power assistance and the car gives no steering assistance above 30mph.

Step 3
If the steering motor has failed, find a garage who really does understand the problem and don't pay more than £300 to have one fitted.

Forgot to mention, I did load test the old battery, and it seemed OK-ish.
But it wasn't...

The EPS together with everything else running in winter (cold starting, headlights, wipers, heater fan, brake lights etc.) is a big ask even for a battery in good condition. On top of that, it still needs to deliver the correct voltage to the ECU, BCU and other electronics, otherwise wierd errors pop up (like the clock resetting, etc.)


On our own Pandas I have installed CTEK connectors so I can easily just plug them in for a top-up charge a few times over the winter months.
Almost certainly not necessary, but saves me messing about with battery clips, or getting phone calls about "the red light on the dashboard just came on"!

1 probably a good idea to replace the battery anyway.

2 sometimes the c1002 issue can be solved by cleaning and reconnecting the plugs inside the stearing column

3 it is not the motor that fails, but the sensor. changed mine almost 2 years ago and as long as you work precise it's very easy. Did a write up on this forum.

gr J