Technical Heyup

[lightweightmick]

Long time no post...
Just back from MOT - another pass - Viv this time.
All 3 have passed again this year - no issues with camper (35yrs old now...) - 1 adv. on Billy anti roll bar bushes (done) and 2 adv. on Viv (minor - wiper blades and tyre) though tester did pick up on PAS steering issue (though didn't adv. on it) it's def tighter when turning right.
I'm ruling out sensor/bad earths as it's only affecting RH travel and thinking more along poor contacts somewhere or motor wear maybe. She's done 65k - Billy up to 95k and no issues with steering (though I can't be sure it hasn't been replaced before I got it...)
Thinking a new motor unit will sort it, but it may not need one..?

So over to you more experienced in PAS ... ha ha, I'm that old this is the first car I ever owned with power steering!
I use Torque but know it don't show PAS fault codes and my tester didn't suggest checking fault codes anyway...

Cheers if anyone can help out!

 

[lightweightmick]

Work in progress...

 

[lightweightmick]

...and I was about to get the drill out

 

[lightweightmick]

... another cup of tea. Animals wanted feeding, that's my excuse.
The two 13 mm nuts on the rear mounting captive bolts are taking some getting at, not least as I'm not good at scrauming under these days as it can make me a bit dizzy - age related no doubt. Got the inner one off, but the outer is less accessible due to the fuse box, so I'm going to loosen the securing screws in the hope that it'll move aside a bit...
Nearly there, though I have the feeling that the harder it is do the less likely the replacement is to work lol

 

[lightweightmick]

Kettle's on... again... at least part no's match. So, plan is to have the original one serviced. I have a sneaky suspicion that the 'tried and tested' £30 scrappy replacement ain't going to work right either.
That bit I though was the fuse box in the way wasn't... it's part of the dash next to the fuses. But undoing the dash mounting bolt allows a bit of movement. Turns out it would be better to undo the nuts underneath before the more obvious front mounting bolts, but there you go. Oh, and remember to protect the dash to the LH as you're trying to free it on the RH side...
Ah, tea, lovely tea...

 

[lightweightmick]

Job done

Feels a bit stiffer on road test than her 'brother', but maybe the unit has spent 10 yrs on the shelf...
Feels same in both directions now though.

At least when it comes to fitting the reconditioned original unit I'll be better prepared.

 

[lightweightmick]

Forgot to mention - one of the reasons it took ages was trying to sort out the wiring for an after market central locking (so not all down to old age and incontinence lol) It's a 'Steeli Man- brand. I did find 1 online post re this unit but my wiring didn't match anyway... so I just took it out as I like old school keys anyway . Whoever wired it in should be jailed - hadn't even used scotch blocks just bared the wires in the loom and twisted contacts round with a bit of tape over. I will get round to cutting the offending sections, soldering and sealing proper with heat shrink... it's on the list...

 

[purf]

Forgot to mention - one of the reasons it took ages was trying to sort out the wiring for an after market central locking (so not all down to old age and incontinence lol) It's a 'Steeli Man- brand. I did find 1 online post re this unit but my wiring didn't match anyway... so I just took it out as I like old school keys anyway . Whoever wired it in should be jailed - hadn't even used scotch blocks just bared the wires in the loom and twisted contacts round with a bit of tape over. I will get round to cutting the offending sections, soldering and sealing proper with heat shrink... it's on the list...

Thanks for the info. Common failure on other makes electric PAS. Know on Puntos but Seicentos perhaps, it doesnt seem so common?

Quite a few years ago the pas on my Sei dropped out one day when battery was low but worked for the next journey and it's never had a problem since. touch wood!

 

[Prawny12009]

Column needs to be calibrated (centralised) otherwise it will always assume it is turning one way or the other.

Iirc there is a separate ecu under the passenger foot plate with its own 3 pin diagnostic port for the Electric power steering

The seicento I broke would intermittently start giving full assistance to the right I assume assume resistance in the wiring somewhere or an issue with the torque angle sensor.

The column should be set to the straight ahead position and marked before removal to ensure everything goes back on straight.