Ok, so the little red light in the shape of the steering wheel has come on on the dashboard in my 04 plate punto. It came on first time today after driving for about 2 miles, went off and then back on again. I've just been out and it stayed on when I started the car for about a mile and a half. After stopping for 5 mins, turning and coming home, the light was off the whole way back.

Any ideas?!

Something to do with your electrionic Powersteering by the sounds of it. Don't know much more than that, sorry

I figured it was the power steering... lol

It's the on and off that's confusing me

https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-guides/70703-punto-steering-column.html

scared sh!tless now...

coukd just be connection, speed sensor or voltage fault....only one way to find out though!

You're really filling me with confidence here.... *sarcasm*

If it was a major fault (like completely goosed) then would it not stay on all the time?

Not neccessarily, as stated only one way to find out & thats a visit to Fiat garage.

Does the steering go stiff when the light is on or does the light just come on and the steering is normal

The steering still feels the same, can't feel any difference at all

This would suggest a less serious fault as if it were the torque sensors or the coloumn it would go stiff and offer no assistance. Only way to tell though is togo to fiat and get it on the examiner and get the fault code.

ok, so fiat garage it is, how much you reckon i'd be looking at for diagnostics?

Mdeko said:

This would suggest a less serious fault as if it were the torque sensors or the coloumn it would go stiff and offer no assistance.

Click to expand...

Thats not true i'm afraid.

T14086 said:

Thats not true i'm afraid.

Click to expand...

:idea: Surely if it was a big failure of something vital in the electronic steering it would stop offering any assistance because it dosent know which way your steering, how hard your steering, etc. . . and it would be dangerious if it decided todo its own thing. But because its still working i thought that it meant that there wasnt a problem with something major (i.e. torque sensors, motor. . )

i stand corrected

I have the same problem, some times its on and sometimes its fine. I find if it comes on and i pull over, turn off the car and apply the steering lock, put the keys back in and start the car again it goes away.

When it does come on the steering goes all stiff which isn't a great sign but could it just be a battery problem because the powered steering is electric? Sometimes my car doesn't start 1st time and i think the battery may be running low. Could this cause problems.

And as asked above (to which no answer was given). How much would it cost (ball park figure) to get the error codes read at fiat?

Hi mate,

Yes, poor battery/alternator MAY cause problems for your EPAS. So its definitely worth checking.

Ball park figure for basic diagnostics on fiat examiner is from £45 to £75 but to be honest more in depth diagnostics is required for the EPAS as there are 3 main components that can go wrong, and often the fault codes point to one of them but it DOESNT actually mean that that particular component is the fault. Hence why normally its recommended to change the whole column including control unit, motor torque sensors etc. Otherwise you may spend your hard earned on replacing said one comonent only for the fault to still persist.

Hope that helps,
Alan