Steering locked !!!

[Danipaige]

Hi I have an 04 plate fiat punto - I don’t use the city drive function as find the steering too light! Anyway a few times when I have made a sharp turn the steering has locked itself whilst driving and I have had to stop the car as cannot turn the wheel - the steering wheel light also comes on.... I had to switch the engine off and on again for the steering wheel to then work again!!! Anyone know why this could be?? I have the car booked in the garage later this week but they never heard of this problem before??

 

[chris3234]

Are you sure it's locked and not just lost power steering making the wheel really heavy to turn?

 

[Danipaige]

yeah I suppose more very heavy but I would really struggle to turn it because it’s soooooo heavy!!! What does that mean?! Only seems to be when I do big turn

 

[DaveMcT]

The power steering uses an electric motor to give assistance below 30mph/50kph. That needs needs a strong battery and generator. A drop in system voltage will cause the power steering to stop working until the car is re started. Check your battery is not failing and that your generator is making full power.

The car can be used without power steering but the action is extremely heavy at less than 10mph/16kph.

City Mode uses more electrical power so avoid using it if our battery is weak.

 

[Danipaige]

Thanks for the advice !! I will have to get the garage to check all this hopefully not an expensive job!

 

[DaveMcT]

Get the battery tested under load. If the voltage holds up you will need to get the generator tested. But you problem is almost certainly caused by a weak battery.

 

[Danipaige]

Thanks for the replies I had the car checked at the garage and they couldn’t find any specific fault they checked the battery and fine! So I haven’t driven it properly since yesterday - went to turn left onto a main road and it did it again! The steering went really heavy like you said I kept hold of it to then turn right off the main road but it was so heavy I couldn’t steer it! Turned engine off and switched it to city mode to get me back home. The garage basically said that it could be the whole steering shaft including wheel that would need replacing if it happened again which is £500+ so looks like im going to have to scrap the car .. only had it 3 months

 

[DaveMcT]

You need to get a voltmeter connected so you can see the system voltage when it is under load. If the voltage drops too low, the power steering will stop working. Fitting new steering parts will not solve an electrical system problem.


Cheap ones that plug into the cigar lighter socket are good enough.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=333119164475&_sacat=0

If it only works in City Mode then it is likely the steering motor has failed. Reconditioned units are under £200 in UK plus fitting. You will need to confirm LHD is compatible with RHD before buying from UK.

Example - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-PANDA-ELECTRIC-POWER-STEERING-COLUMN-TORQUE-POSITION-SENSOR-EXCHANGE-UNIT/201027966831?fits=Car+Make%3AFiat%7CModel%3APanda&epid=1334318921&hash=item2ece33576f:g:L6gAAOSwDw9bLjVv

 

[varesecrazy]

Thanks for the replies I had the car checked at the garage and they couldn’t find any specific fault they checked the battery and fine! So I haven’t driven it properly since yesterday - went to turn left onto a main road and it did it again! The steering went really heavy like you said I kept hold of it to then turn right off the main road but it was so heavy I couldn’t steer it! Turned engine off and switched it to city mode to get me back home. The garage basically said that it could be the whole steering shaft including wheel that would need replacing if it happened again which is £500+ so looks like im going to have to scrap the car .. only had it 3 months

Hi.

Worth a little effort.. to save you the money and inconvenience of a new car so soon

Check charging circuit.. alternator output

A new battery should be less than £50..

And you can always use it on another cheap car..

Charlie