Technical EPS ( Power Steering wheel red Light on.)

[Bicky]

Hi - I know there are loads of posts on this, but most look to be dead so i thought i would start again.
I have a 2002 Punto ( Dynamic ) - Mileage 150,000 Km - my power steering light keeps coming on, together with heavy steering.
I have been quoted €750 to fix this - obviously the car is not worth this money, so I am looking for a temp fix to get me thro' the MOT.
I have found that if I switch the engine off - open and slam the bonnet shut - then restart, the steering is O.K again. At times I can get the same result by switching the "City" button on and off.
Obviously this is a Connection / Relay fault - any pointers as to where i might look to solve this.
I can drive the car O.K. but need to pass the MOT !!.

 

[Eklipze3k]

How old is the battery? The EPS system draws a lot of current and relies on the battery being in good condition to operate properly.

 

[Bicky]

Hi - thank's or reply. Battery is about 2 years old, as far as I can tell is in good nick. Lights, wipers, start up etc all seem O.K. and Alternator seems O.K.

 

[Ziggy122]

Hi - thank's or reply. Battery is about 2 years old, as far as I can tell is in good nick. Lights, wipers, start up etc all seem O.K. and Alternator seems O.K.

Depends on battery quality
Some cheap brands are okay for basics - but fail after a short period

Ziggy

 

[Bicky]

Just been to Garage to get petrol - service station checked Battery quality - passed O.K.

 

[nitramtpr]

Just been to Garage to get petrol - service station checked Battery quality - passed O.K.

If you're fairly competent with the spanners you can change it yourself in a day. There is a very good set of guides for doing it. A reconditioned motor is about £160.

 

[dumbledore]

Wiring between the pwr steering ecu and motor is not of good standard. The connectors are weak. A fix is to remove wiring, clean connectors and refit wiring.

 

[Bicky]

Wiring between the pwr steering ecu and motor is not of good standard. The connectors are weak. A fix is to remove wiring, clean connectors and refit wiring.

Hi - this looks good - can you give me any pointers on how to do this. i am reasonably competent just need to know the source and end connection locations, then I'm good to go.

 

[Brendan W]

Remove the cover under the steering wheel to access the connectors for the p/s motor. A few years back I cleaned ours and the cutout problem went away for about six months. In the end I had to replace the relays in the motor. This is a known issue. Fiat switched to solid state relays in about 2003. Relays cost about ten Euro on ebay and if you are handy with a soldering iron it's about two hours work to remove the motor, change relays and refit.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/N-2-RELA...teering-Motor-V23072-C1061-A308-/130679840618

 

[Bicky]

Hi Brendan - this looks very positive - did as you suggested, and for the moment all working O.K.
if this lasts for six month I'll be more than happy. Thank's for your input.

 

[Scudmonkey]

Usual suspect is slight drop in voltage from Battery, which is why others have suggested battery.
ECU connectors would be my second check, FIAT electrics aren't exactly the best in the world (Numerous issues get caused by rear light cluster earth wire for example).
If the relays pack in then the light will always be on, sometimes the EPS light coming on a lot is an indication that the relays are failing.
If one relay fails then light may be on or off and steering is generally fine turning one way and heavy the other way
750 Euros seems expensive, you can get second hand motors and ECU from ebay cheaper than that and it's about 1/2 hour job to swap them with the old ones yourself.
example :- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-pun...038837?hash=item41e366cab5:g:u9sAAOSwdd9afFNx
However be careful not to get the 9238 motor (Relayless) as it is off the Mk 2/B and probably wont work on a Mk2/A

 

[Bicky]

Hi Scudmonkey - thank you for your very instructive and informative reply. I know what you mean about the Fiat wiring, I suffered this rear light cluster problem after a rear shunt some years ago. This was after the car had been repaired by a Fiat dealer !!. Also the excessive price tag is as a result of a visit to a Fiat dealer who said i needed a new steering column assembly.
My situation is , at the moment, the car is working. If I pass the inspection , then I will probably leave well alone, if not I will do as you suggest and go on EBay. Thanks for the note about the 9238 motor.
Once again many thanks for this info.

 

[AndyRKett]

take the motor out turn the output shaft about 180 degrees and put it back in, should solve the problem for a few months (at least it did on mine till i sold it about 8 months later)