my sisters 2001 fabia 1.4 mpi 35000 mls started having intermittent loss of power steering some months ago. we brought it to a non main dealer who perfomed diagnostics and said it needed a new steering sensor. we didnt get the sensor replaced, i read somewhere that the power steering may function with the sensor disconnected so I disconnected it at the pump but this didnt make any difference, the power steering was still intermittent. about a month later I reconnected the sensor and the power steering worked fine again for about a day before failing altogether. we then brought it to a main dealer to have the sensor replaced but they diagnosed a failed pump, quoted 800 euro plus fitting to replace it, we didnt have it done

Is the fact that there is now no pwr steering at all as opposed to intermittent pwr steering indicative of a failed pump or is it also possible to have no power steering at all as opposed to intermittent pwr steering with just a failed sensor? Ive heard horror stories of computer diagnostics being wrong and people paying for new pumps when what they actually needed was a sensor.

simple.... change the sensor and eliminate that... if it works bonus.... if not look elsewhere??

simple alright but that will add another 200 euro to the repair bill if it turns out to be the pump

Bought pump on ebay for 344 euro, put it in myself which is straightforward enough, power steering still not working ! F****ing Hell

I'm not trying to be really clever, but did you read the "soft coding" from the first pump's onboard controller and checked that the "ebay" pump either had the same "soft coding" or alter the coding to be the same? I am assumming that you swopped like for like - ie Koyo for Koyo or TRW for TRW - I would have thought that swopping one for the other would be a problem due to hopefully different connectors and/or pipes.

soft coding ?, not familiar with this, please explain, thanks . The pumps look identical even though the part nos are different. The part no of the old pump is 6Q0423155AE according to the main dealer, I couldnt see any number on the pump itself. The part no. of the new pump is 6R0423156. I queried the seller about this and they responded quote:

" the part number advertised is the latest part number from vw you might have 6Q0423155/AB/AE , 6Q0423156/AB/AE 6Q0 423 156 S there also other

numbers as well this pump will fit all fabias,polos and ibizas is brand new genuine and you dont have to return your old unit like some other sellers want you to."

The pipe fittings and 3 electrical plugs at the front all fitted fine. Is there some other procedure required to get the pump to work other than just connecting the wires and pipes and filling it with fluid?

Soft coding - its to "configure" the controller for "your" car - I might have been wrong in this case as I seem to remember that its only the level of assistance that can be altered - but its always smart to read the original controller - if its possible, maybe just plug in the electrics again and scan it - just to be safe!

Had car at main dealer again today. They did another diagnostic and found 3 blown fuses, one they said was a main battery fuse, which they replaced and the new pump is now working. dont know how the fuses would have blown when I was installing the new pump as the battery was disconnected.cost another 100 euro. anyway at least its working now.....fingers crossed it stays working .

Heh, a result - don't knock it! Good luck.