Good evening,
I have a 2005 Fiat Panda Active 1.1 with 73000 miles on the clock. I inherited the car from my mum after she upgraded and it has served me well over the past 3 years. We're approaching MOT time and the Electronic Power Steering warning light is lit up on the dash - it appears that this would be considered a 'major defect' according to the relevant .gov page. This light has appeared and disappeared briefly over the last few years (and beyond, if my mum is to be believed) but usually clears itself very quickly so I clocked it up to dodgy electronics. However for the last few weeks it has been on permanently. There doesn't seem to have been any changes with the power steering functioning, bar one time when simply restarting the engine rectified the problem.
From reading various threads on this forum, this isn't an unheard of problem and I would be best off getting some sort of OBD2 scanner to check and clear the codes, then see if it reappears. The Panda is my first car and I don't know very much about mechanics, although I am eager to learn as I think these skills will serve me well for the rest of my life. I don't have a lot of spare cash so would love to resolve this is the most economical way possible. Fixing the issue myself would unlikely to be viable at present, given my limited knowledge and skill set, but I'd like to be clearer about what the issue actually is. I would really appreciate any guidance you can offer with regards to:
I have come across a lot of recommendations for the Multi EU Scan software but am struggling to understand what equipment I need to buy or if the free version will even allow me access to the information/codes that are likely to be involved with this fault. I'm not sure if the learning curve here is too steep for me, given the time constraints of the looming MOT, and so would I better off paying £50 for a diagnostic check at the garage?
Other relevant info:
Bought new battery with 3 year guarantee in September 2018 ('Halfords HB202')
Recently replaced brake master cylinder due to fluid leak and corrosion
Thank you so much for your time and assistance.
I have a 2005 Fiat Panda Active 1.1 with 73000 miles on the clock. I inherited the car from my mum after she upgraded and it has served me well over the past 3 years. We're approaching MOT time and the Electronic Power Steering warning light is lit up on the dash - it appears that this would be considered a 'major defect' according to the relevant .gov page. This light has appeared and disappeared briefly over the last few years (and beyond, if my mum is to be believed) but usually clears itself very quickly so I clocked it up to dodgy electronics. However for the last few weeks it has been on permanently. There doesn't seem to have been any changes with the power steering functioning, bar one time when simply restarting the engine rectified the problem.
From reading various threads on this forum, this isn't an unheard of problem and I would be best off getting some sort of OBD2 scanner to check and clear the codes, then see if it reappears. The Panda is my first car and I don't know very much about mechanics, although I am eager to learn as I think these skills will serve me well for the rest of my life. I don't have a lot of spare cash so would love to resolve this is the most economical way possible. Fixing the issue myself would unlikely to be viable at present, given my limited knowledge and skill set, but I'd like to be clearer about what the issue actually is. I would really appreciate any guidance you can offer with regards to:
- buying a scanning tool that will give me the ability to read and clear the codes
- passing my MOT this month - I am of course willing to spend as long as it takes to investigate and resolve the problem but I am concerned that I'll be without a car for some time while doing so if I cannot pass the MOT
I have come across a lot of recommendations for the Multi EU Scan software but am struggling to understand what equipment I need to buy or if the free version will even allow me access to the information/codes that are likely to be involved with this fault. I'm not sure if the learning curve here is too steep for me, given the time constraints of the looming MOT, and so would I better off paying £50 for a diagnostic check at the garage?
Other relevant info:
Bought new battery with 3 year guarantee in September 2018 ('Halfords HB202')
Recently replaced brake master cylinder due to fluid leak and corrosion
Thank you so much for your time and assistance.