Technical city switch light

[supertracy]

hi can anybody help, have got a fiat punto. and today have noticed that when i went out in then car, the green city light on dashboard keeps flashing on and of, tired switching it off but it still flashies, if i hold the button in the light stays off, but has soon has i let go it starts flashing again.

anybody got any ideas

 

[PuntoSS]

Sounds like dodgy wiring somewhere, or loose connection on the button. Once you go above 30mph, the "City" steering disables itself anyway. But realisticly, you should turn it off!

 

[MSH1]

Hello all.
I am not a mechanic but I love my fiat punto 188 MK2 (ZFA5000) 2002.
This car has a city button for lighter power steering. When you press the city button, a light comes on the dashboard that says CITY, and the steering becomes lighter.

PROBLEM (S):

Everyone once in a while when it rains the power steering light (red steering wheel) turns on, and then it goes away on its own. I know this is intermittent , not my biggest issue, just adding for context.

Another piece of information for context is that sometimes the gearbox light turns on and the brake clicks. Again only after heavy rain. I have learned this is due to corrosion located at the rear light cluster connection pin. The seal isn’t great so water might get through. Once the corrosion on the final connector pin of the light cluster is removed , the light goes away and brake stops clicking.


MAIN ISSUE:
Beginning yesterday, after turning the car on, the city light began flickering on the dashboard - affecting steering sensitivity.
When I long press and hold down the city button , the light goes away and the gearbox light (as above) flashes. This began after a hail storm.


I have a VAGCOM/KKL cable with switches , and a ELM 337 tool from eBay,
I use the multiecu scan tool normally, but can’t make it work for the power steering light, I don’t know how to make it work .
I get a message which says ELM327/ODBKey Interface or can’t find COM3.

I just want the light to stop and the problem to go away.

My non-mechanic mind thinks an electrical glitch maybe an earth problem (not something I can verify but just a feeling I have based on the erratic nature of the light).

Please can you guide me and help me

 

[varesecrazy]

Hello all.
I am not a mechanic but I love my fiat punto 188 MK2 (ZFA5000) 2002.
This car has a city button for lighter power steering. When you press the city button, a light comes on the dashboard that says CITY, and the steering becomes lighter.

PROBLEM (S):

Everyone once in a while when it rains the power steering light (red steering wheel) turns on, and then it goes away on its own. I know this is intermittent , not my biggest issue, just adding for context.

Another piece of information for context is that sometimes the gearbox light turns on and the brake clicks. Again only after heavy rain. I have learned this is due to corrosion located at the rear light cluster connection pin. The seal isn’t great so water might get through. Once the corrosion on the final connector pin of the light cluster is removed , the light goes away and brake stops clicking.


MAIN ISSUE:
Beginning yesterday, after turning the car on, the city light began flickering on the dashboard - affecting steering sensitivity.
When I long press and hold down the city button , the light goes away and the gearbox light (as above) flashes. This began after a hail storm.


I have a VAGCOM/KKL cable with switches , and a ELM 337 tool from eBay,
I use the multiecu scan tool normally, but can’t make it work for the power steering light, I don’t know how to make it work .
I get a message which says ELM327/ODBKey Interface or can’t find COM3.

I just want the light to stop and the problem to go away.

My non-mechanic mind thinks an electrical glitch maybe an earth problem (not something I can verify but just a feeling I have based on the erratic nature of the light).

Please can you guide me and help me

Have you checked the Duckbill drains?

 

[MSH1]

Have you checked the Duckbill drains?

Hello. Aren't those the drains in the scuttle box, where the wiper assembly is contained? They often get blocked and I poke them clear.
Why would that be a place to investigate for the problems I have presented? Kindest MSH1.

 

[judderbar]

Hello. Aren't those the drains in the scuttle box, where the wiper assembly is contained? They often get blocked and I poke them clear.
Why would that be a place to investigate for the problems I have presented? Kindest MSH1.

because your problems seems related to poor earths and other connections and problems coming from that due to damp weather and potentially an aging city switch or poor connections between the switch wiring and the power steering electronic box. But if your drains are clear then you dont need to look at them.

I suggest you remove the plastic cover under the steering wheel and you disconnect all the cables that go to the power steering control box and then you reconnect them. Doing that will scrape off any corrosion that is stopping electrical contact.

While you are at it there is a large black earth wire that goes to the power steering from the battery. Also on the same connection at the battery there is a very large wire that goes under the battery and half way along that wire between the battery and this gear box earth cable there is a bolt there that connects many earths that are inside a plastic box to that gear box cable. After you remove that bolt the bolt and all the metal that is touching that bolt needs to be cleaned. If you dont have a good earth to the metal of the car you are going to get general electrical problems but maybe not to the power steering which has its own large earth from the battery. All of this kind of stuff has to be cleaned when these cars are so old.