prt57

Just an update in that I did a thorough check of all the wiring in the brackets below the starter in front of the gearbox this morning and everything looked just fine. No splits or cracks in the insulation. So I bit the bullet and bought a Lucas remanufactured alternator and fitted it this afternoon. The old alternator would do a whistling noise so maybe a dry bearing so I thought just change the whole thing. So far so good in that the battery symbol goes out instantly as the engine is started rather than having to rev it up to make the light go out. I checked the voltage output at idle and again it was fine. I will monitor it over the next couple of days but fingers crossed the issue is now fixed. With the winter coming I wanted peace of mind as the number of revs needed to put the light out seemed to be increasing recently. Thank you to everyone who had given their advice.

Thank you very much for the information. I’ll give that a test in the morning. Please can you tell me why the charging circuit bursts into action after blipping the throttle causing the relay to click? Could the relay be faulty instead of the alternator? I suppose I am saying that I don’t know why the relay does not activate until 14.4V is reached? I assume the relay switching turns off the dash light.

Thanks for the info. what is the little “click” I hear as the light goes out? So is the alternator at fault? Would I be correct in thinking that the output from the alternator is 90 amps? The car is a 2005 model with the 100 Hp 16v BBZ engine. My car has air conditioning. As usual, the info on ECP is confusing!

A few months ago there was a false alarm about the steering pump going wrong on my car. It turned out to be a fault with the refurbished rack that had been fitted. This is fixed now so this is something totally separate.

On my Fabia with the BBZ engine from 2005 the battery/alternator light does not always extinguish instantly as the engine is started. I have had the car for about 8,000 miles and it has always done this. Often, it will take a few revs and then the light goes out. There are no charging or voltage issues as chatted about this when I thought I was having steering pump issues a couple of months ago. The only thing, I have noticed is there is a slight single click noise coming from the dash area, exactly as the light goes out. This sounds a bit like a relay to me. So can anybody point me in the right direction to eliminate this minor issue as I don’t want it to get worse as winter arrives. Thank you for your advice.

As I type this, the steering is fixed and it was neither the pump nor the steering angle sensor. In fact the problem stemmed from the reconditioned steering rack that would not hold the pressure from the pump, just letting the fluid circulate. Yesterday, the chap scanned every aspect of the steering pump or steering angle sensor and no fault was recorded and everything was performing and displaying on the scanner as normal. As mentioned yesterday, on full lock the fluid was just being returned to the pump indicating a seal had gone with reference to the piston. That was checked today and the same fault was displayed when the connections to the rack were undone. Another reconditioned rack was fitted and so no more fighting the steering wheel on the way home. The lesson here is don’t just believe everything an apparent VAG specialist tells you as if I had had the new genuine pump fitted as was recommended I would be nearly £1300 out of pocket and the fault would still be there. So if the steering goes faulty, get the system scanned to check the pump is working correctly. Everyone said a faulty pump would put a light on the dash so if the pump and the angle sensor is performing properly on the scanner it has to be the rack. I had no light on the dash at all. The company I had the rack from tried hard to sort a replacement rack out for me ASAP once they knew what they were dealing with so thank you to them for excellent service this morning. Ultimate Recon in Birmingham.

Yet another update but it’s not fixed yet. so I made the 90 mile journey to the steering reconditioner. The car was scanned and it appeared the pump was performing properly with voltages and motor speeds all as expected. The chap thought it may be the rack that had been fitted 3 months ago. I agreed to pay for some exploratory work and after a few tests involving removing the fluid return pipe to the pump and seeing if fluid was still returned on full lock. The fluid was still being returned so no pressure was being built up so the piston in the rack is the suspect. I got a quote for a replacement but I would have to return at a later date. so on my return 90 mile journey I decided to visit the unit that had fitted the recon rack 3 months ago. I described the findings and the boss agreed it sounded like the piston but this was very unusual for the Fabia/polo racks. long story short, I’m taking it there in the morning to have another recon rack fitted under warranty. Fingers crossed!

Time for an update on the power steering problem. A couple of weeks ago I went to a small VAG specialist near where I live and explained the problem and that it was likely to be the power steering pump. I suggested that I was looking for an economical repair and quite happy with a good 2nd hand part or reconditioned unit at a pinch as I only paid £250 for the car!! That did not appear to be a problem according to the chap I talked to. I had to wait two weeks to get it booked in. The scan cost me £40.00 and it told me there are no stored faults on the system and so it must be the pump. However, I could not believe my ears when they then said they would only fit a brand new pump and it would cost £1284!!! What a waste of two weeks and why tell me originally that no problem with reconditioned parts. Net result, I’ll never go back and we have 7 VAG cars in the family. Not the best business sense! As you can imagine, I just paid for the scan and took the car away ASAP. 15 mins searching on Google found a big steering reconditioner that gives a 3 year warranty on parts and even labour if I take the car to them for a fraction of the cost compared to the new part. So it will be a bit of a trip but the car is worth spending a sensible amount on as I did have a bargain when I bought it and it is ideal for the areas I have to visit in B’ham for one of my jobs. I’ll update after the trip.

OK, that makes sense, thank you very much for your clarification.

That’s fine and I understand but any idea why the warning light on the dash does not illuminate if the pump has packed up?

Yet another update….. I took the car back to the rack fitting garage and they fitted what they believe to be a good steering angle sensor. Provided by a 3rd party who assured them it was fine. No change what so ever, but at least I don’t need to pay a gym membership at the moment! No charge to me so no problem really. I have learnt from some Youtube videos what has to be done to get a new pump to run via VCDS and so no chance of going any further with them. So this afternoon I went for a chat with a local VW specialist with a view to getting it sorted out properly. The one thing the guy could not understand was normally, if the pump is at fault, the dash light will illuminate. Mine does not, apart from the standard test as the ignition is first turned on. The car is booked in for the week after next but does anyone have any idea what else it could be as I don’t want to spend on a pump if it’s something else? Thank you for your further thoughts.

A little update for everyone who has given their thoughts. Originally, all I needed was a replace the rack due to a leak from the passenger side boot. Not expensive and I was happy with the refurbished rack repair. I’ve done well over 1000 miles since the repair and this heaviness only popped up a few weeks ago. Minimal to begin with and I took the car round the Lake District maybe 3 weeks ago. No real problem then. So I took the car back last week in case it was a rack warranty job. That is when I discovered no scanning capabilities. I thought I’d give them a go to fit a steering sensor. Not too expensive and if it works then excellent! I’ll go to Midland VW if no joy but this is a budget car and I need it to help me complete a volunteering project I’m involved with in Birmingham so nothing too flash. The garage is 10 mins walk away from where I am working on Tuesday. I tried something this morning in that I added a bit of rotation to the steering wheel before starting the engine. Then started the engine and the wheel loosened and moved slightly in the direction I was turning the wheel. Nothing much but it may be it is in minimal power due to a broken steering sensor. Time will tell! Cheers everyone, Peter

Hmmmmm, not good news! This old car is starting to get quite expensive. I’ll see what next Tuesday brings when it goes in for another look.

The garage is going to try a new steering angle sensor next week. Still no light on the dashboard. Unfortunately, they don’t have scanning capabilities so I’ll give this a go as it is the easiest option. If not fixed with this I’ll have to go elsewhere. I think it has packed up totally as the steering is heavy all the time now. The chap at the garage commented the power steering fluid was not warm indicating the pump was not working. I had only driven 1/2 mile from where I was working so took this with a pinch of salt. I checked it later after driving about 15 miles through Birmingham and it was barely Luke warm. I know it warms up as the Haynes suggests different levels on the dipstick for cold or after driving. How hot does the fluid get after driving as I could barely feel anything on my finger?

Did you start getting lack of power steering when the sensor started playing up?

I don’t think I was clear enough. the Carly tool could not connect at all as it is not compatible with these older cars. My son bought it so he could modify convenience factors on more modern vehicles. Hopefully the garage will plug it in and all will be revealed.

Thanks everyone. The handbook says fuse no. 7 relates to the power steering and it was intact. The links on top of the battery were all OK and I checked the continuity. A little tweak of the 10mm nuts holding them down but they were tight enough really. My son’s Carly diagnostic tool did not connect but it is for more modern cars really. So I’ll have to see what the garage says tomorrow.

Thanks for your thoughts. I'll update if we find anything this evening. Just one thing, could the reconditioned rack be the cause of any of the symptoms?

Thanks for your reply Wino. The battery light does come on prior to starting the engine. The engine switched off voltage is 12.5V and after stating the engine the battery is being charged at 14.38V. What are your thoughts about a dodgy steering pump or steering angle sensor? As I said, no lights on the dash. My son is bringing round diagnostic Carly which may be able to identify any faults. My basic diagnostic reader for my Mk 4 GTI could not find anything. The intermittent heaviness almost caught me out going round a tight roundabout as I had to turn the steering wheel tighter. The company who fitted the rack reset the tracking but I don’t think that would not affect the heaviness at low speeds but again the fault appears to be intermittent so that rules that out.

Hi, A couple of months ago I had to have a reconditioned steering rack on my 2005 1.4 16V 100bhp due to a fluid leak out of one end. All seemed fine but then I noticed that the power steering seemed to lack assistance at times. This may be a total coincidence and is more noticeable at low speeds doing almost full left or right steering lock manoeuvres. Increasing the amount of steering on a tight roundabout will produce a wooden feeling and I really have to pull on the steering wheel to increase the lock. Yesterday, in a tight car park doing a 3 point turn took a lot of effort. On the open road when steering is minimal there does not seem to be an issue. There are no lights appearing on the dash. I do not know if the steering angle sensor was checked or replaced as part of the reconditioned rack. The recon company has been in business a long time. In my research, some information points to a low capacity battery not producing enough current for the steering pump to work properly. On checking the Exide Premium 079 battery in the car bought by a previous owner, it appears to be 3 years old with 53AH and 540 Amps stamped on the top. Some info I have read suggests that the capacity should be higher. The two choices on ECP are either a 027 or a 063. The 063 batteries have a lower capacity than the existing battery the but the 027 exceed what I have already but at 246mm long it might be tight fit into the case after a quick measurement. So which is the correct battery code for my car if I need to buy a replacement? I have no issues with starting the car etc. My Haynes manual or the car handbook is no help! The fluid reservoir is topped up properly. I am going back to the company who supplied and fitted the reconditioned steering rack tomorrow and so what do you think might be the problem with the steering so that I am clued up. I don't want to pay for something that may not be needed? Thank you for any assistance.

Yes I encountered the door micro switches on my Mk 4 Gti. I had trouble with the interior lights again and then the rear locks started playing up. I had to replace all 4 locks. Dreading it happening on the Fabia as my car has the riveted metal door card rather than the bolts on the Golf. What a mental way to do things. I had to remove the front passenger door card to fit a new window mechanism on the Fabia and knackered my hand trying to operate the manual rivet gun as sold by Halfords when reassembling. Any recommendations for a user friendly rivet gun that won’t ruin my knuckles squeezing the arms together?

Here you go Wino. Both micro switches are made by Cherry. The dodgy switch terminals are labelled 1,4,2 leading from the microswitch end. The only other reference is 4A 24 in this arrangement on the side of the housing with the switch. I had managed to get the dodgy switch working again with contact cleaner but not 100% reliably so no good. You may find that the orange dust shield grommet has come forward towards the end of the plunger as mine had this reducing full movement. I pushed it back and full movement was restored with encouraging click sounds but as mentioned, not totally reliable.

Sorry about the delay in posting the part numbers. The replacement part number for my car which has central locking is shown on the plastic wrapping, same as the part number on the original component. It is a nuisance to have to buy the whole latch and micro switch gear when there was nothing wrong with the metal parts but at least I got a bit of discount. The reason why the boot light micro switch breaks is that if you look at my earlier photo you will see the switch near the green wire has a sprung piece of metal that pushes directly down onto the micro switch whereas for the micro switch that goes wrong, the cam rotates and pushes the micro switch down but also to the side slightly. Over time this is what causes the wear. A poor design in my opinion. New latch installed and perfect operation.

I’ll have a look at my existing part in the morning as the replacement had the same reference. The number is stamped on the orange latch component on the metal just near where it sits in the tailgate. Imagine sitting on the inside of the tailgate then look up to the latch.

All the guy needed to do was to disconnect the wires to the switch. No boot light and no warning on the dash.