123 replies to this topic

[wolfie-silicone-smudger]

Many thanks Techie1.. you saved me a fortune.

51 plate fabia 1.4 16v
Intermitant pas failure, intermittant pas warning light, headlights and interior lights flicker as pump audibly fires-up with or without steering wheel movement.

Auto-sparky said i need a new pump without having done proper diagnosis.. told him to leave it.  thanks to reading this page first.

time for your check list: healthy battery, check
  getting good charge from alternator, check
  cleaned battery and pump earth connections, check
  pas fluid level, check
  followed sensor lead back to sensor... ah haaa... old type plastic case.

fitted new type sensor ( 6Q2 423 291 AX ) and bobs your uncle... sorted.

part cost £135 from skoda but being an exchange part (signified by the "X" at the end of the part num) i get £35 back when i take the old sensor back (within 10 days). The "A" in the part number means it is an ammended part, i.e. not the original bag of **** that has cost countless hundreds of pounds for people who were told they needed a new pump.

Fitted the new part myself in 45mins with the help of this page: http://www.fabia-vrs...-sensor-change/
for which i believe you are also responsible for techie1... you freakin legend..

I think the problem is that an auto electritian looking at this prob for the first time wont be able to translate the diagnosis without some research, and it takes a dedicated tradesman to sit down and read the tinternet for an hour or two.

in retrospect i think the tell-tale signs of a faulty sensor as opposed to the pump are the flickering lights coinciding with the audible whiiring of the pump firing up when the steering wheel is not in use.

hope this helps some1 as much as Techie1 and this website have helped me.

wolf (soon to be skoda lover).... (hopefully)

[Dave1953]

 sujeewasenarathne, on 15 January 2013 - 09:38, said:

I bought a 2003 skoda fabia classic 1.2 petrol car month ago. and after one week I saw the pas warning light sometimes when I switch on the engine.it goes off if I switch off and switch on again. when I start the engine at once the warning lights comes on.but if I do it in two steps,( battery first and after few second switch on the engine) then the warning lights wont come up. so it was fine for few weeks. but it yesterday after a cold night I started the engine.did my two steps.switched off and on, but the warning light stayed on.and I felt the steering is heavy for the first time.but after 10 or more tries warning lights were off. but every time time I switch on the engine it takes longer for warning lights to go off.
Can anybody tell me whats happening. do I have to get rid of this car. or is it easily fixable. and HOW MUCH IT WILL COST to repair this fault.
Thank you.

I had exactly the same symptoms and used to go the same routine most mornings, especially when it was cold.  The odds are that the battery has never been changed and it's long overdue replacement (even though it will still start the engine, it can't deliver enough current to start the power steering system as well).  A new battery will only cost £40 or so online, and will probably sort out the problem.  Halfrods will probably charge you about £80-£100 to supply and fit a new one, but you can swap the batteries yourself in five minutes.  I changed mine 15 months ago and have not had a warning light since, whereas beforehand it had started to stay on almost constantly - as yours will certainly do before much longer!

Edited by Dave1953, 29 January 2013 - 02:15.

[JvdP]

I'd like to contribute to this thread after having a whole lot of trouble with my PAS lately. The seperate thread is here, but to cut a long story short:

• One morning, PAS light came on, no PAS. No previous history of PAS problems.
  
• Read the OBD with a VAG cable, no signal from sensor, weird low voltages from pump.
  
• Checked sensor, seemed fine.
  
• Removed the foamy jacket, which was soaking wet.
  
• After some weeks, PAS light disappeared, still no PAS.
  
• Read the OBD, now voltages were normal and a normal signal from the sensor.
  
• Removed the pump from the car, dismantled it and found a blown voltage regulator.
  
• Appearantly, water and salt had entered the pump through the silicone seal due to the foamy jacket holding moisture and then destroyed the electronics.

[Mat Naylor_77801]

Does anyone happen to have a copy of the guide used to check the PAS ?

Would quite like to check the sensor before I order a new one, but the site with the guide is down :/