Power Steering Warning Light

Thank you for the offer but you are right it’s just a bit too far.

What is it Varta, Bosch ?

Regards,

Steve
 
I think this my be conclusive ? Battery has been on Smart Charger about 18 Hours. Only got to 13.1v. Usually would get to 14v plus. Started Engine. Amber Power Steering Warning Light came on but went out again. Went for a short drive. No Warning Lamps. Everything working. Put Battery back on Charge when I got back only 12.6v now. So sounds like it is the Battery ? It is 17 years old !
 
Power Steering still not right. Amber Warning Lamp sometimes but not always still comes on when starting engine. Power Steering does not always work straight after starting but sometimes it does. Will it just be the Pump that was New in September 2018 is starting to fail ?
 
Usual answer, have a full VCDS scan done and report back. Did you change the pump in Sept 2018? If so, why? Never say never but under 2 years old would not expect the pump to be on its way out. Take it you did buy a new correctly rated battery for your car? Power steering being electric does take a lot of power, any failing in the electrical system from the battery, the alternator and importantly the heavy duty power and earth leads could cause the power steering to receive a low voltage.
Check battery leads clean and tight, check battery earth to chassis by left rear wheel, check engine earth below left headlight for corrosion in the wire or breakage. Better option is to run a second earth say between the ( looking at the engine from the front ) left engine mount and a point on the chassis of your choosing. There is enough fluid in the reservoir for the power steering and its not leaking?
 
Power Steering still not right. Amber Warning Lamp sometimes but not always still comes on when starting engine. Power Steering does not always work straight after starting but sometimes it does. Will it just be the Pump that was New in September 2018 is starting to fail ?
Sorry if you have already done this, but have you checked the steering fluid level??
The reason it is a variable error could be depending on if you have parked on a slope or with two wheels on the kerb.
Steve B
 
Power Steering Fluid Reservoir Level is the first thing I have checked every time. Never had to top it up yet. No leaks. The Fault was more obvious back in September 2018. The Power Steering just stopped working. There were no leaks then either. E2 Battery I have just fitted is Varta E44 which is the highest rating that can be fitted, I think. Power Steering was working today. Just the Amber Warning on starting the engine every time.

Regards,

Steve
 
It’s getting worse. More often the Power Steering does not start working for a while after starting the engine. There’s not supposed to be a Pressure Sustaining Valve in the system somewhere to maintain the pressure when the pump is not running is there ?
 
It’s getting worse. More often the Power Steering does not start working for a while after starting the engine. There’s not supposed to be a Pressure Sustaining Valve in the system somewhere to maintain the pressure when the pump is not running is there ?
No

to verify that just switch off the engine in any A2 and you will instantly find no power steering.

if you are having no warning lights or VCDS errors then I would suggest a specialist. (Timmus is near you I believe). When it comes to vital systems such as steering I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
Steve B
 
I tried to get Tom ( Timmus ) involved 2 years ago when it was doing this but he had other commitments at the time, away somewhere in Europe I think. Took it to a local Garage who diagnosed the Pump and fitted a new one in September 2018. It had been fine since then, until recently.

Steve U
 
I’ve sent a PM to Tom asking if I can take the A2 to him sometime. He’s only 25 - 30 minutes away from home, and even nearer to where I work. I still go back to the Battery thing. The Power Steering Warning Light had been doing the same thing before it went to WOM Automotive for the New Clutch a few weeks ago. I charged the Old, Original from New, Battery up and it went away. It was not doing it while it was at WOM. Started playing up a few weeks later. Several A2OC Members told me to fit a New Battery, so I fitted a Varta E44. That seemed to fix. Then it came back again. I can’t see how a bad earth would be intermittent, unless it was a connection between 2 moving parts ?

Steve U
 
Hi Steve,

I have had lots of A2s with poor batteries but never seen an issue like this.
The current drain from the starter motor is more than that of the power steering pump (as you can imagine). If there is enough power to spin the starter at “normal” speed then how can there be too little for the power steering pump.
it would surely be more likely to be a bad earth than the battery. Bad earths are often intermittent too, depending on the moisture in the air, the growth of oxidisation etc.
So have ALL of the earthing points been cleaned (not just checked) especially those near that A pillars?

Steve B
 
Replacing a battery obviously involves removing the +ve lead which in turn disturbs the secondary live feed so it could be worth checking this out.



Cheers Spike

PS
Checking the secondary live feed piggy backed off the main battery terminal as shown in the link above is an easy check and as it can give similar problems to a faulty / bad earth it's worth having a look.
 
Last edited:
I think I will be leaving it to the Experts like Timmus, or WOM. If only WOM were not so far away ! Even Timmus takes his A2 to WOM !
 
Hi Steve,

I have had lots of A2s with poor batteries but never seen an issue like this.
The current drain from the starter motor is more than that of the power steering pump (as you can imagine). If there is enough power to spin the starter at “normal” speed then how can there be too little for the power steering pump.
it would surely be more likely to be a bad earth than the battery. Bad earths are often intermittent too, depending on the moisture in the air, the growth of oxidisation etc.
So have ALL of the earthing points been cleaned (not just checked) especially those near that A pillars?

Steve B
Last time I looked at the A Pillar Earthing Points they looked like they were brand new, fresh from the production line. Strange thing this afternoon. I was still thinking it must be the Power Steering Pump, as if you wait a while after starting the engine the Power Steering does start to work normally. I turned the Ignition on but for some reason did not start the engine. The Power Steering Warning came on but went out again, without Starting the Engine but with the Ignition On ! That destroys my theory of the Pump or Motor starting to fail. Maybe something along the Bad Earth line, or what Spike says about the Secondary Supply Connection from the Battery ?
 
What Timmus found today was Corrision in the Wiring Plug Connection to the Power Steering Pump Control Unit. What a great guy ! He spent over 3 hours on Diagnosis then trying to fix it this afternoon. It’s only half fixed for now. He managed to clean the Contacts in the Plug but the ones they plug into on the Power Steering Pump Control Unit are inaccessible without taking the Front End off the car. Having said that the Amber Power Steering Warning Lamp has not come back on since we left Timmus house, and the Power Steering has been fully working.
 
Anyway, don’t necessarily believe it when you are told your A2 will need a New Battery just because it is the Original and is 17 years old. I might even put the Original Battery back on just to see how long it can really last. Talking of which I’m sure I put something on here about not being able to get the 2 Battery hold down Clamp Bolts to start on the Threads whatever I tried. Timmus tried to get them to start for ages without success. He wouldn’t give up even though I said not to bother. What he realised in the end was that no pressure could be applied to the heads of the Bolts as they just slide up inside his Socket the same as with mine. He could only get the bolts to start by putting a Spacer inside the Socket to take up the play. I had not thought of that !

I’ve tried the A2 again this morning. Still no Amber Power Steering Warning Lamp ! So it may be more than half fixed by a Timmus. The alternative I find it’s not fixed is going to be to take it back for him to take the Front End off the A2 to get proper access to the Power Steering Pump and Control Unit. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Regards,

Steve U
 
Last edited:
A2 will be going back to Timmus. Took it out this afternoon. Power Steering Amber Warning came on as soon as Ignition was turned on. Staying on permanently now and Power Steering not working at all. It was then accompanied by Red Flashing Brake System Fault, ABS Warning, maybe some others. This may be, as Timmus explained to me, due to the connection between ABS and Steering Position Sensor i.e. how the ABS must respond if you have to Brake when cornering.
 
On its return to timmus if it possible to have a few pics of the repair process?

Cheers

Howey
 
I think you would have to ask Timmus about that. I’m going to have to leave the A2 with him for at least a full day. I will not be there at the time.
 
Back
Top