Technical HELP my Power Steering Light is ON! - Start here!

[flisko]

that bolt at the back can be easily reached with small socket wrench extension and 8mm socket

 

[velohead18]

Okay, so here's my version of the failure which is a little different from all of those described. My PAS makes a buzzing noise at certain positions of the wheel…usually just to the right of dead straight.
This buzzing continues (annoyingly) and then the relays click and the PAS switches off. I changed the motor with a used unit but the problem reoccured within minutes.
So, the questions are:
1/ motor, ecu or something else?
2/ would it be an MOT failure if the PAS is not working?

The reason I ask number 2 is because I really don't mind driving with the PAS off…the heavy steering isn't an issue and seems much easier than a possible column change.

Any help gratefully received.

 

[flisko]

could be either pas ecu or steering sensor, did you check charging voltage?

 

[velohead18]

Thanks Flisko.
Charging voltage is fine...more concerned about the buzzing from the motor at certain points in rotation...this doesn't seem to have been mentioned before.
Also whether or not it would be considered an MOT failure if it wasn't functional.

 

[deano88]

i have a a fiat punto that i have broke up for spares every thing works i took steering unit out as 1 complete lump will sell for £45

 

[velohead18]

Thanks Deano…I'll stick with it just now as I don't really mind when the PAS is switched off.

Thanks for the offer though.

 

[Tangler]

Hi guys. I just thought I would chip in with something to prevent other people being as silly as me. I had a problem with the power steering where the warning light would come on, the steering would go very heavy and you would need to turn everything off and on again. After turning ignition back on everything was fine again. When searching for a solution to the problem this thread was the first to pop up.

I just wanted to say that we've found out that that is actually perfectly normal operation and Fiat have designed it so that if you do a lot of turning (such as when parking) it shuts the power steering down to prevent overheating. (Seriously...check the manual). I'm not overly impressed that Fiat have simply made a bodge fix when designing this rather than designing something that doesn't overheat in the first place but it turns out that something I thought would cost £££s to fix is actually perfectly fine.

 

[flisko]

it never turns off on mine, who is parking 10mins in city mode?

 

[dmcquade]

Hi,

My son has a 2003 Punto. Steering light goes off on start up but if steering wheel moves even slightly to the left the light comes on. The steering remains normal (does not become heavy).
The car is up for MOT at the start of December and i don't want to put money in to it until i sort this.

Again steering is never affected but the warning light comes on.

Any ideas?

Cheers.

David

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi,

My son has a 2003 Punto. Steering light goes off on start up but if steering wheel moves even slightly to the left the light comes on. The steering remains normal (does not become heavy).
The car is up for MOT at the start of December and i don't want to put money in to it until i sort this.

Again steering is never affected but the warning light comes on.

Any ideas?

Cheers.

David

Hi,
check to battery voltage, and alternator output - cheap = FREE

you could try reading the PAS ECU to see what it thinks is wrong,
(sounds like the torque sensors if it's just 1 direction.)
needs diagnostic kit - normal charge would be @ £10 via the forum - up to @£100 at a dealer.

link to innards and MES diagnostics ;https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-mk2-2b-guides/266588-resoldering-power-steering-motor-relays.html


Charlie - Oxford

 

[Lorenzo97]

I know this has nothing to do with this but I don't know how to make my own discussion,
Never the less does anyone know if VW caddy wheels will fit in s punto mk 2

 

[varesecrazy]

I know this has nothing to do with this but I don't know how to make my own discussion,
Never the less does anyone know if VW caddy wheels will fit in s punto mk 2

are they the circular ones with a band of rubber on the outer edge..
they look fine in Photoshop




Hi, and welcome,

if you use SEARCH you can find similar posts, and info detailing what you need to know,

a bit like this;
https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-ii/317301-alloys.html

Charlie - Oxford

 

[varesecrazy]

I know this has nothing to do with this but I don't know how to make my own discussion,

Hi, :wave:
try THIS;

make sure you're actually logged in,

then search the list for the section you're after,
look for "NEW THREAD" in top left corner

Charlie

 

[julesy1958]

i had the same problem with my mk 2 punto the red light came on and the power sterring went i switched the engine and restarted the engine and the light went off and the power sterring came back i think its the cpu at fault as i have the same problem also the engine judders when hot and over revves i regret buying it now as its been a money pit or endless slot machine forever pouring money in and nothing back mine has had a clutch and servo, wiper linkage etc and still more cylinder head gasket plus to do is the drivers side lock barrel and seat belt with tentioner plus the coil pack and leads it just isnt worth doing all this when its not worth all this money

 

[gmoore1960]

Anyone know if you can get steering repaired or replaced in Sussex!! Have found a power steering man in Bristol but wondered if anyone more local ???

Hi Andy You don't have that guys number from Bristol do you .Im in Bath

 

[Ctong]

Thanks for your reply, I ended up buying a new ELECTRONIC STEERING ECU & MOTOR and only replaced the motor which solved the problem

However, it was used and has stopped working twice since! First time, we had to take the motor out and poking it a bit made it work! Second time, we resoldered all the connections and now its working again..

Is there a mk2 that doesnt experience this power steering failure?! I love my car, but I am starting to get sick of this..

Just an update to let you all know that the power steering did not fail after this. Good resoldering should do the trick even if a few times!

In my case I was never able to just turn off the ignition and turn it back on for the steering to come back. That may be related to something else that others have discussed.

 

[ianlcfc]

Hi,

If your red power steering warning light is illuminated on the dash, and/or your EPS is in-operative, then there are a number of issues that could be causing your problem.

For safety's sake, the first place to start should be to have the car hooked up to diagnostics equipment and to have the codes read. This will point you in the right direction as to what the fault may be. You may get a code such a C1005- Torque Sensor. Low voltages codes may also be stored along with VSS faults etc.

The power Steering on all Mk2 and 2B Puntos is Electric (EPS) rather than hydraulic, and as such it is sensitive to voltage drops.

A good basic starting point with EPS failures is to check the condition of the battery. Although you can get a rough guide of a batteries health with a multimeter, its best to have the battery properly tested. Many motor factors/ garages will carry out this service for you for free. They should also test the output of the alternator at the same time.

The next step would be to check the condition of the battery connections and cables, as well as the alternator connections. Loose or dirty connections or corroded cables can cause high resistance and as such trigger the EPS warning light.

Apart from the above regarding weak battery/alternator and or loose or damaged cables, there are a couple of other main faults that are seen regularly.

For cars manufactured before 2003, the motors (rev049) are prone to failure. More specifically the joints on the relays inside the motor. There is a guide on how to check and re-solder the relays on this early style motor. Alternatively, the motor can simply be replaced with another motor of the same type.

For cars manufactured after 2003, the motor (rev03A) was improved and the relays were removed, so the motor itself is less prone to failure.

On all models (2a nd 2b) another common failure is the torque sensors. This is located within the column itself and should it fail, the whole column will require replacement.

If your EPS is erratic or feels vague or you experience sudden unexpected movements in the steering, then do NOT drive the vehicle. The EPS is a safety critical component, and if you do not feel confident in diagnosing or repairing the fault, then please seek the advice of a suitable qualified technician.

Also, please make sure you search the Punto mk2/2b section using the search function at the top right, as there are MANY threads on this fairly common problem, and its highly likely your problem has already been answered in one of these threads.

A few useful guides....


Alan

HELP!

My son has a 53 Punto 1.2 8v and his power steering goes heavy now and then.
I have replaced the battery, replaced the motor (no relays), checked ALL connections & fuses.
He does however have a black box fitted which is live all the time, he has his lights on all the time and his stereo on all the time.
Will this drain the battery enough to cause the steering to fail intermediately?
What could you recommend to try next?
Thanks
Ian

 

[Dreamhazard]

HELP!

My son has a 53 Punto 1.2 8v and his power steering goes heavy now and then.
I have replaced the battery, replaced the motor (no relays), checked ALL connections & fuses.
He does however have a black box fitted which is live all the time, he has his lights on all the time and his stereo on all the time.
Will this drain the battery enough to cause the steering to fail intermediately?
What could you recommend to try next?
Thanks
Ian

I left a bluetooth OBD connector attached for a while without running daily and it ate the battery, it might be worth getting a trickle charger and keeping it running when the car's parked up to rule out the battery draining, other than that do a parasitic drain test and check the grounding throughout

 

[dtzgr]

So, what's the prognosis of the resoldering fix, based on your experience.

I've recently resoldered mine (kept the original relays, though) and it's working fine, but I'm wondering if I should have changed the relays too.

From your experience, does the motor survive long after just resoldering the old relays? Or should I start looking for replacement relays?

 

[Wolf5849]

Hi all. I'm looking for some advice regarding my daughter's 2003 Punto 1.2 active Sport, with 130k+ on the clock!

She had intermittent problems with the eps warning light coming on, sometimes with heavy steering, sometimes not. Sometimes the light would go off on it's own, more usually had to pull over, turn off the ignition for a few seconds, start the engine and all was good again.

About a month ago, the car was left standing for a couple of weeks while she was off work. As a result, the battery went flat (the battery is about 2 years old) and the engine wouldn't turn over. I took the battery off and charged it up overnight on trickle charge, refitted it and it started straight away.

A few days later she used the car to travel about 8 miles or so to work, and about 200 yards short of her destination, the eps light came on and the steering went very heavy. Nothing I've tried since (ignition on/off etc.) has made any difference. On first start up, the warning light, instead of coming on then going out after a few seconds, comes on and stays on.

I don't have access to any diagnostic equipment or software, so no idea of any fault codes., and the nearest Fiat dealer is nearly 30 miles away. I've accessed and removed the motor and it's of the later type, without the electro-mechanical relays mounted on the circuit board.

Anyone got any ideas as to how I can determine whether the fault is the motor, the eps ecu, torque sensors, supply voltage or something entirely different? Any suggestions greatly appreciated.