Technical Powersteering - another question

[Aad Doix]

Community,

I think the forum does have all the information I need, but finding it together, with my lack of knowledge of the English language, this could be a challenge, so I try another question on power-steering on a Panda.

Last week I went for a ride after the Fiat was parked for about a week. After a mile I suddenly heard a sharp click behind the dash, the steering-wheel light popped up and the steering felt a lot heavier than normal, it even seems like the power-steering was working against me. I pushed on that [ City ] button but no reaction. It felt strange, that steering but alas, the car was still well manageable, so I drove on. Then, as working in IT, I thought the Microsoft Windows method should be a (temporary) solution, so I stopped, shut off the engine, waited for a 5 minutes (needed some fuel also), started the car and everything was alright again.
Since that day I drove the car another three times without any power-steering problems.
I am not a technical guy and I still need to check error codes (got me a scan-tool and I will expect a C1002 error code) but found following regarding electric power-steering:

There are 2 types of power steering problems:

1. Power steering light is on but that the power steering still works.
2. Power steering light is on but that the power steering no longer works at that moment (my situation).

If it still works: Often the sliding contacts (solder points somewhere near the steering wheel?)
If it no longer works: The 2 relays on the steering angle sensor (people immediately replace the entire sensor and costs around 800 euro's over here).

Types of relays are (I think I found this information on this forum):
SIEMENS V23072 C1061-A308 GERMANY BC95221

But now some one million dollar questions:

1. Where are those relays placed and how do I replace them?
2. I also heard that the powersteering needs recalibrating after replacing them? How do I do that? Is it doable for the regular guy?
3. And also I read somewhere that a weak battery could be the culprit, so replacing those relays wouldn't be necessary then?

Thanks for reacting and thinking along and kind regards,

Aad

 

[jrkitching]

99% of the time the cause is just that the battery isn't able to deliver sufficient current to the power steering motor. Sometimes the battery is just too worn out; sometimes the connections (especially the earths) have corroded and aren't sufficiently sound. Occasionally problems with the alternator prevent the battery from charging properly.

Replacing the battery and cleaning/replacing the earth leads and connections will fix almost all power steering issues. No need to go changing torque sensors or relays at this stage; this is more often than not just a red herring.

Check that the battery can deliver sufficient current without losing voltage during a load test and that the connections and earth cables are sound before doing anything else.

 

[koalar]

99% do not require any expensive parts

Some that have been fixed by changing the steering column, have only been fixed as a byproctuct of unbolting and reseating everything,

In the last 10 years or so I don't know of a single case of anyone fitting the old part back to see if the fault returns and confirm a it was a faulty part

Last week I went for a ride after the Fiat was parked for about a week.

Got to be a clue here

Sound battery to me

Hard to test

Loads of advise here, click link below

EPS electric power steering faults | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

First don't panic, the vast majority of power steering faults are normally simple and cheap fixes especially if it starts failing mainly in your winter months But unfortunately nobody can say change this or do that and it fix it. A lot of different faults will cause the same symptoms or the...

www.fiatforum.com

The fact it's been fine since kind of proves it's mainly due to the battery being sat for a week, it will probably start failing again when the weather gets colder, I'd charge it up over night and carry on using it until it starts failing more frequently, there's a chance it might make it through winter and you'll get another year out of it

so I stopped, shut off the engine, waited for a 5 minutes (n

You don't have to wait, just switch the car off and start it again

If it no longer works: The 2 relays on the steering angle sensor (people immediately replace the entire sensor and costs around 800 euro's over here).

Common on the Punto, never known one to fail on the the panda, even then the relay was normally fine and just needed resoldering, but does not apply here

And also I read somewhere that a weak battery could be the culprit, so replacing those relays wouldn't be necessary then?

Yes most common fault

I also heard that the powersteering needs recalibrating after replacing them? How do I do that? Is it doable for the regular guy?

Easy loads of "professional" software can do it, multiecuscan, Delphi, wow and so on, it only needs to be recalibrated if the torque sensor been changed for the zero angle position, even then if you change it correctly it normally good enough as is

I am not a technical guy and I still need to check error codes (got me a scan-tool and I will expect a C1002 error code) but found following regarding electric power-steering:

Error codes are Not 100%, low power to the electronics will throw none related error codes as well, a power related code will be a power related code, a torque sensor code will be a torque sensor or just low power to the sensor

 

[Aad Doix]

Thanks for the replies! I do not know how old the battery is. Yesterday I checked the car with that scantool and it showed my that the battery was functioning normal and no errorcodes were found. So I will ask the former owner how old the battery is and if needed will replace 'm.

Kind regards,

Aad

 

[koalar]

Thanks for the replies! I do not know how old the battery is. Yesterday I checked the car with that scantool and it showed my that the battery was functioning normal and no errorcodes were found. So I will ask the former owner how old the battery is and if needed will replace 'm.

Kind regards,

Aad

Most battery's have a date code on them, or part of the serial number

Often they also have a date when they were last factory charged melted into the plastic


Use your scantool plot the battery voltage as you crank the car


Here's my old tried battery

 

[Aad Doix]

I do not have a beautiful graph as above, but the battery got 12.11 Volt in rest, drops to around 7 Volt when starting and when the engine is running it shows a quite healthy 14.3 Volt ..... is this battery in healthy condition or is it going a bit worn out already?

Thanks in advance and kind regards,

Aad