Power steering power

[inkey]

Done a fault read on the car and found this stored fault saying about low voltage doing to power steering.

If i replace the battery will this fix this as i replaced the battery just over a year ago.Or would there be a sensor causing the problem?

[Phil-E]

There are a few things to check here.

First is the simplest. Turn the ignition on (don't start it). Do you have a battery light showing?

Second is to check the fuses on top of the battery. They can sometimes develop very small cracks in them and this can cause problems getting the amps the power steering pump requires.

Third is to check the condition off the battery connections and most of all the black earthing wire going to the body of the car. This can often corrode and cause a bad connection.

Lastly is to get the battery tested. If it is a year old it is unlickely to be bad. However if there are problems caused by the above it could be that the battery hasn't been getting charged properly and caused premuture wear to the battery.

Phil

[inkey]

Yes the battery light is showing what does that mean?

[Phil-E]

That is normal. It's if it isn't showing that it indicates something is wrong.

Try the other suggestions and see what you find.

Phil

[Ben Cordy]

This may be a stupid question but I haven't seen any power steering fluid resvoir in the engine bay, (although the is something just below the passenger side headlight that I can't quite see.) Is the fabia entirely electrically assisted? I've noticed the lights occasionally dimming whilst turning to lock while parking.

[Phil-E]

The resevoir is below the battery box. The box has to be removed to get to it.

The pump is electrical so that will be the lights dimming as the pump kicks in (only runs when steering is needed).

Phil

[Ben Cordy]

Thanks, just got my Haynes today so shall have a look, I assumed the cap I could see just behind the light would be that!

[peter3197]

Do you know how long the code has been there? Could it have been there from before your last change of battery or has it been cleared and come back?

[Avalon]

When the battery was replaced it would clear the code due to the loss of power as it's not one of the codes that would stay resident like an airbag code.

From personal experience:

Does your dash illumination/headlights pulse at all (easier to spot at night)?

Can you hear the PAS motor kick in as if the wheel's been moved fractionally in one direction then the other even when it's not?

Does your PAS drop out or the weight change?

If so i'd suggest angle sensor but check the fuses/earth/battery first as they're the cheap options. If they don't fix it then you can try cleaning the angle sensor and the housing but in my case the effects were short lived, a new sensor fixed it.