Power steering problem - not usual symptons?

[tag1_uk]

2002 Skoda Fabia Mk1 1.4 16v / 60,000 miles of light use.  Over recent weeks the power steering has seemed heavy for the first 100 metres as I manouvre out of my driveway and then it seems ok.  I've seen no PAS warning lights ever.  I now notice that occasionally when completely stationary with steering dead centre the power steering motor is making an occasionally popping/gulping type sound - at the same time if you feel the cap of the PAS fluid resoivoir you can feel a judder conincidental with the popping sound suggesting the PAS motor is doing something odd - normally it should and does run smoothly/idling in the background when no steering lock is being applied.  Any thoughts?  Is it the angle sensor - as far as I know it is still the original sensor on the car.  I've also not noticed specific headlight flickering problems that would normally appear to be a sympton of an angle sensor problem.  Can this sensor go with no PAS warning light appearing?  I would be grateful for suggestions.

Edited 13 May, 2014 by tag1_uk

[rwbaldwin]

Is it low on PAS fluid?

[Avalon]

Checked the fluid level? At face value with the wheel stationary and PAS kicking in was what my angle sensor failure sounded like.

[tag1_uk]

Thanks, I took it to the garage who said the fluid was a little low so they've topped it up - the first time it has been topped up in the seven years I've had the car.  I thought this never needed topping up unless there is a leak.  I've not seen a wet patch on my drive indicative of a hydraulic fluid leak.  The popping/gulping sound is still there even with newly topped up fluid.  Thanks for the suggestion that the PAS pump kicking in whilst wheel stationary is a sign of the angle sensor failure.

[tag1_uk]

I've driven the car back to the garage this morning to be looked at - the power steering was much worse today, no longer just no assist for the first 100 metres or so but now no assist or low assist at various times for the whole 1 - 2 miles journey to the garage.  When the angle sensor goes people report the flickering electrics as a sympton - does this is result in variable/unpredicatble or no assist too, this never seems to get mentioned.  Does variable/poor assist therefore point to the pump or rack itself and thus £££?  I really hope not!  I've still never seen any PAS warning light come on on the dashboard.  Thanks.

Edited 14 May, 2014 by tag1_uk

[jahfish]

My symptoms were:

intermittent PS, sometimes heavy sometimes light as a feather.

Flickering dash and head lights

on and off slight whirring from PAS - even when not moving the steering wheel

Also (maybe less common) if I held the steering wheel at an angle away from straight the steering would subtly judder, as the PS came on and off

 

I ordered a PAS sensor (steering angle sensor) and got this replaced, and bingo all symptoms gone now, and PS is 100% fine

 

hope this helps

[Avalon]

Surely by now the garage have read the fault codes? Again it sounds like classic angle sensor failure. Check fuses, battery and pump voltage, earth and the type of angle sensor fitted. Plastic cap = old, metal cap = new.

Edited 18 May, 2014 by Avalon

[AaronMountford1990]

I had that with mine when i replaced the fluid, jack the front up and go from lock to lock with the engine running it sounds like air in the system..kept knocking mine off and on for months

[tag1_uk]

Thanks for the advice.  The garage advised that the battery was partially discharged (I do a lot of short journeys).  They topped the battery charge up and the car was fine for a few weeks.  After not being used for about 10 days and previous to that some short journeys the symptons have returned with little power steering assit for the first 100 metres of a journey but then otherwise ok.  The battery is seven years old so I know it is on borrowed time but the garage that previoulsy investigated things said that the battery was servicable.  Note the garage could find no fault codes logged on the system so were adamant it wasn't the steering angle sensor.  Would people advise changing the battery for peace of mind?

 

Thanks.

[AaronMountford1990]

You can try it, but if your going to experience the same problem every few weeks your better off replacing the battery - unless its an alternator issue not fully charging the battery.

 

Try going on a run on the motorway for a few miles, return, and check the voltage reading both running and with the engine off

[surfingobo]

I had the same problem, replaced battery (got it drop tested at 60% capacity!).  That sorted it.

[c3po]

People would be surprised the problems a dodgy battery can cause. A multi meter test for voltage is not good enough a test to determine a poor one. Use a meter to check alternator output but a nackerd battery can still show 12v on a meter. Quite a lot of people will see 12v and assume the battery is ok. This is not always the case.be wary people :-)

[tag1_uk]

Cheers again for the advice, I am going to go for a new battery.  I'm thinking of getting a Bosch S5 005 (type 27) battery as that mentions being reistant to short runs and is 63 Ah which is fairly decent.  I'm going to do this DIY, will search the forums for anything I have to be careful of beyond the radio code.....

[mogwye]

Get a Varta or Bosch battery.

 

DB.

[Dave89]

Yep, same here several years back.  New battery didn't solve issues (Bosch S5) but it turned out to be faulty!  So, a second new battery solved all these issues, described as your symptoms 

[tag1_uk]

Hi all, just to confirm that I changed the battery myself this weekend for a Bosch Silver S5005 (type 27).  It was very simple to do and the radio didn't need to be recoded (I've just the one touch function on the electric windows to sort).  This has completely transformed the car, it is running much better and the steering problem is cured (so far touch wood).  So I can only re-iterate some of the above comments that a weak battery can cause a range of issues, one of which would seem to be the power steering struggling.  Thanks to everyone for their help.

[bazz1975]

i had the same problem with the flickering lights and the power steering going heavy and light, the mechanic i bought the car off changed the battery and it fixed it for about 3 days, i then took it back and he opened up the sensor sorted out the dry solder, no signs of leaking into the sensor and ive had trouble free motoring for about a week now, touch wood its going to be like that for a while to come yet.

[tag1_uk]

Just a wee update to my traumas, I thought the new battery had fixed my problems but no, I started getting a power steering warning light on my dashboard and at the same time no power steering assist.  The warning light would go off and the assist returned after turning off the engine and restarting it.  These events got more frequent over the course of a week and a faulty steering angle sensor was diagnosed.  This was replaced and the car has been ok (so far).  I'm very annoyed that the original garage didn't diagnose this - I presume there must be some margin between the sensor playing up/not being normal before an error message is triggered - the original garage were not interested in the sensor as no error was recorded on the computer despite me complaining that the steering was off.  A key sympton was a gulping sound from the power steering fluid resoirvoir linked to the pump spooling up randomly even when no steering angle was applied and also occasional heavy steering.  I suspect for anyone else that observes these symptons that this is a sign of the angle sensor being on its way and should be replaced before triggering an error on the dash.  Cost me £240 to get diagnosed and replaced so none too happy about that.  Am saving up to replace with a Ford!

Edited 21 July, 2014 by tag1_uk