Technical Fiat 500 Power Steering Issue only in cold weather

[mrrobot]

There is also this one:-

http://tamworthpuntocentre.co.uk

 

[varesecrazy]

There is also this one:-

http://tamworthpuntocentre.co.uk

strangely , there appears to be NO MENTION of them on the forum..??

Charlie

 

[Thefox]

How old is the 500.? If it's over 6 years old the earth strap from n,s,f chassis to gearbox will probably be in poor condition causing low charge rate and not recharging the battery fully.

 

[varesecrazy]

How old is the 500.? If it's over 6 years old the earth strap from n,s,f chassis to gearbox will probably be in poor condition causing low charge rate and not recharging the battery fully.

Agreed - see post#5

 

[zanes]

Did you give the battery a proper (bench) charge before fitting it?

 

[mrrobot]

No. Just plugged it in. Car seems ok at the moment.

 

[mrrobot]

Update on this. Cold this morning so power steering light came on. Ran car for about 5 mins. Turned off ignition and back on, power steering light went off. Still unsure what the problem is.

Spoke to someone the other day at a garage and I am not sure if they were scare mongering. Told him the issue and he said power steering is failing you need a new steering column £695. Why would I need a new one when it works fine and it's obviously a faulty sensor, can these things not be replaced/fixed. He might be right, I was also told it would cost £1800 at fiat by them also. Not sure how true that is. One last thing that worried me is he said whilst driving it could fail and it would be hard to steer etc, is there any truth in that. I am no mechanic, but guessing that there will be amongst you.

 

[varesecrazy]

Thats a classic power drop..starting a COLD engine.

So. Still battery/ charging system.

Charlie

 

[John202020]

Well for the time being if it ain't (totally) broke, ,,

 

[Thefox]

What fault code is stored in the steering system.??
Has the earth lead on n,s,f chassis to gearbox been replaced.?
Is the battery correct and in good condition.?? (Correct CCA rating)
Has the charging system been checked.?? (Under load-lights on etc)
Are the tyre pressures correct.??

 

[mrrobot]

Hi,

Answers to question.

What fault code is stored in the steering system.?? - Not sure bloke who plugged computer in said internal fault.
Has the earth lead on n,s,f chassis to gearbox been replaced.? Not that I am aware of.
Is the battery correct and in good condition.?? (Correct CCA rating) Yes, brand new from halfords. It is the right battery.
Has the charging system been checked.?? (Under load-lights on etc) Not sure what you mean by this
Are the tyre pressures correct.?? yes

 

[John202020]

Charging check,turn on all the lights, hazards,fan full, heated rear screen, then check the voltage, should be 13.8v or higher at about 1500 rpm, if it's say 12 or lower something is up.

 

[Thefox]

You have to rule out the basics before you spend a fortune on a steering column.
If it was my car I would replace the earth lead I mentioned before to rule it out. (Start with the cheap and known issues first) They're common for failure so it will need one before long anyway.
If the fault persists after all I have said you need a diagnostic check on the steering system. Ask for a print out with the fault code. Choose a garage with Fiat experience, halfords would not be my choice.

 

[John202020]

You have to rule out the basics before you spend a fortune on a steering column.
If it was my car I would replace the earth lead I mentioned before to rule it out. (Start with the cheap and known issues first) They're common for failure so it will need one before long anyway.
If the fault persists after all I have said you need a diagnostic check on the steering system. Ask for a print out with the fault code. Choose a garage with Fiat experience, halfords would not be my choice.

Our 09 plate's earth looks a bit green but is otherwise OK from what I can tell, though its lost a bit of flexibility.

 

[Thefox]

Looks can be deceiving, give it a good pull and a wiggle.

 

[mrrobot]

Any pictures or advice on where it's located. Car failed this morning 2c, warmed up for 5 mins no luck. Working now 11c. Driving me mad.

 

[Mercky]

I can recall many reports of failing power steering in the past on the forum been resolved by a new battery, I know you've done this so it does point to a dodgy electrical supply issue be it the earth or whatever. The battery although new will possibly give out a lower voltage when cold which will compound the problem of the poor connection and cause the steering to act up

 

[varesecrazy]

Any pictures or advice on where it's located. Car failed this morning 2c, warmed up for 5 mins no luck. Working now 11c. Driving me mad.

the earth cable..??

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/340765-bad-500-starting-1-2-8v-pop.html

pics of a GP but essentially ALL relevant info;
https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto/318839-electrical-gremlin-thread.html

carry a jump lead - when it's COLD and PAS isn't working ,
do the test with the jump lead ,
you'll soon rule out the cable - or NOT

 

[Zeewulf]

I'm pretty sure the offer of T Bay and myself popping over with MultiEcuScan and a multimeter still stands if you need it.

T Bay
mrrobot

 

[Zeewulf]

Hi,

Answers to question.

What fault code is stored in the steering system.?? - Not sure bloke who plugged computer in said internal fault.
Has the earth lead on n,s,f chassis to gearbox been replaced.? Not that I am aware of.
Is the battery correct and in good condition.?? (Correct CCA rating) Yes, brand new from halfords. It is the right battery.
Has the charging system been checked.?? (Under load-lights on etc) Not sure what you mean by this
Are the tyre pressures correct.?? yes

To be honest Halfords brand batteries aren't the greatest in terms of CCA or AH capacity