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Panda Power steering problem

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Panda Power steering problem

full version required to connect to the Delphi Electric Steering module.

might have lied


you can connect but will receive FREE VERSION RESTRICTION and no data so not useful
 
Hi quick update. The car was booked in at the garage last Monday for them to investigate why they were getting no connection from the diagnostic machine and to find the fault.Basically they cancelled on me and are now on holiday for 2 weeks. So it's booked in with the fiat garage on Wednesday. Surely if anyone can figure it out they should be able to. I hope
 
I am on my 6th Fiat power steering faults. Although both Panda I have both hade dodgy batteries to start with.


3 batteries and two reseat of the connector under the steering wheel and one recalibration.


As I have said many times. Most battery tester will not show any fault. Usually over 12.6V and plenty of cranking capacity. I fact I have had a faulty battery at 11.8v that wouldn't idle but did not throw the steering fault.


to measure the internal resistance a standard car battery testers use very low value load resistors and results are less than accurate

your battery is 80%

We still haven't received the information from of the battery. How hard can it be. Here's the information of one of my batteries

The only reliable way is by substation of the battery.
 

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My old battery went flat overnight. It was so bad I struggled to get it jump started. I drove 1 miles to a local Halfords. They insisted on using their fancy test box and pronounced it was ok. I started and stopped the engine twice and said please try again. This time, the box pronounced the battery was dead.

My point? Even the most wrecked battery can appear ok if tested inappropriately.

System voltage under load is the most reliable test. It is usually the battery, but can be the alternator. When system volts are low, the power steering will struggle and faults will show. It's a shame Fiat did not include a "low volts" fault code on the steering motor.

But lets suppose the motor has failed. A service exchange unit from WPS is from £180 to £250.
 
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Ajc71 said:
it's booked in with the fiat garage on Wednesday. Surely if anyone can figure it out they should be able to. I hope
Click to expand...

As in a genuine FIAT dealer? That would be my last choice, personally. I don't like being negative, but I understand they have a track record of advising customers they need a new column, because that's where they make their money. This could cost you more than the car is worth.

If you've tested the battery earth cable (common culprit), and MultiEcuScan doesn't show anything, then this is what I would be doing:

  1. Get an independent motor electrician to test the battery is charging OK, that the alternator is doing its job and there's nothing draining the battery.
  2. Talk to Western Power Steering 0117-9602906. At worst they can offer an exchange unit at not too much expense.
Good luck:)
 
I have already had a reconditioned motor from wps fitted and the fault was back in 5 weeks. I told the garage you guys said it's probably the battery or the alternator and he checked them both and declared them fine. Just want it fixed so I can get rid of the damn thing now I've had enough
 
This is the only barcode on the battery. It looks like the original one the car came with to be honest. Tried to start the car as its been stood a while and its dead so it might be a new battery after all. Husband at work so will have to get dad to get it started so I can go get a new one
 

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Should last more than a couple weeks. So a power issue is far more likely than the power steering itself.


I can't read a date code on that label. I suspect you are correct and its an original. The date is was First charged will be melted onto the side somewhere. But is irrelevant now, as its not holding its charge correctly.


fingers crossed you will be back to happy motoring shortly
 
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Got car going took it to bush tyres they said battery was fine. Had a new battery fitted just to be safe. Made problem worse light was flashing on and off with occasional stiff steering. Now light on all the time steering permantly stiff.
 
Ajc71 said:
Got car going took it to bush tyres they said battery was fine. Had a new battery fitted just to be safe. Made problem worse light was flashing on and off with occasional stiff steering. Now light on all the time steering permantly stiff.
Click to expand...

start the car with the wheels straight ahead. Raise the revs to about 2000 revs. Hopefully the red light will stay off .

don't let the revs drop below 2K turn the steering from full lock left to full lock right.


Does the light come on if you keep the revs up.
 
Light is on as soon as you switch ignition on. Stays on at 2000 revs. Stays on when turning from full lock left to full lock right with revs at 2000
 
Ajc71 said:
I have already had a reconditioned motor from wps fitted and the fault was back in 5 weeks.
I told the garage you guys said it's probably the battery or the alternator and he checked them both and declared them fine.
Click to expand...
Ah, OK sorry if I missed that earlier.

I'm guessing the complete column was changed so it included both the motor and the torque sensor in the upper column? It's very unlikely (but not impossible) that the replacement column has developed the same fault.

Can your garage confirm if the ECU has been recalibrated to match the new torque sensor?

Have you reported this to WPS to see what they have to say? They offer a lifetime warranty on their reconditioned units.

There's most likely an underlying issue causing the problem to reappear. This could be the earth cable, alternator, or a wiring issue somewhere on the car draining the battery.

Have you run a jump lead from the battery negative terminal to the engine block to bypass the earth cable?
(I would replace this cable anyway at this stage, available for £13 here)

As DaveMcT says, a voltmeter would show any drop in system voltage when the steering is used. As I understand, a significant drop (below 13volts? Please put me right on this if I'm wrong...) would show the issue is in power supply to the steering motor, not the motor itself. This one plugs in to the lighter socket (albeit probably quite loosely...).

If all this doesn't help then I would be considering a new alternator.
 
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Ajc71 said:
Light is on as soon as you switch ignition on. Stays on at 2000 revs. Stays on when turning from full lock left to full lock right with revs at 2000
Click to expand...

The steering light is on all the time.

It wasn't before the battery swap ?

we are talking about the red light at 6 0'clock position on the speedometer looks like a steering wheel and under the exclamation mark one

turn the ignition on without starting which stay on after a few seconds.
 
Red steering wheel light used to be on on ignition but then go off. Then flash on and off whilst driving sometimes making the steering stiff. Now on on ignition and never goes off steering permantly stiff
 
the wheels are pointing straight ahead when you switch the ignition on.

What other light don't go out when you switch the ignition on,
 
Wheels straight when turning ignition all normal lights come on all go off except red steering wheel light
 
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