Hello, I've not been a member long and have just bought a fabia sdi estate, the economy is ace and believe it will run on biodiesel aswell as I can get it for 99p litre!!!! Anyhow I have no power steering and the light is on although it goes off each time I come to a standstill, I am an old style mechanic type that thrived on plugs, points and dzzy caps and are struggling with the fact that I cannot diagnose without a computer to plug the car into. As the power steering is so problematic, can a basic mechanical and more reliable system be installed? I think the octavia sdi's have a pump driven from the crank so could this set up be used? Appreciate you would need reservoir, pipes and maybe another rack but surely it would be a more reliable set up.

It's a very simple system anyhow, they are reliable but have a few common faults. Its going to be far easier and cheaper just to fix what's wrong with yours.

I'd bet on a battery earth lead which for £12 is a pretty economical fix.

It's a very simple system anyhow, they are reliable but have a few common faults. Its going to be far easier and cheaper just to fix what's wrong with yours.

I'd bet on a battery earth lead which for £12 is a pretty economical fix.

Battery lead good, took it off today cleaned with emery and refitted with a smear of grease, new alternator on and new battery. It stopped working after I parked it up at work and while doing so was on full lock for a second or too and i could hear the steering pump working. When i returned to car to go home, no power steering at all, the angle sensor is a metal cased one aswell.

Have you done a voltage drop test across the lead? Changed loads lately that 'looked' fine.

Turned out to be water/moisture ingress in rack where sensor is fitted, sensor was covered in gunge when removed so cleaned it all up and now fine. Light was still on for a while even though power steering was working. It has eventually gone off, probably similar to previous cars ive had, if after so many successful starts the problem never arises then it clears the snag in the ecu without needing a meter to do it