Just bought it for my other half

When idleing theres a motor kind of noise as if steering pump is working but wheel isnt being touched :s occasionally steering light comes on but steering is fine then other times steering is very stiff hesdlights flicking when idleing

iv noticed if i turn wheel slowly when all is well the steering seems fine but if i try turnin wheel quick its very stiff. Iv tried a bigger battery thats fine and its still the same Im thinking angle sensor but anyone else got any ideas or suggestions as its gonna be othet halfs first car and dont fancy her driving it like this incase or goes rock solid on her.

Cheers folks

Angle sensor to me.  Been there, done that, had same symptoms, same outcome.  VCDS scan should confirm angle sensor correlation error.  Water can get behind the sensor.  "Sometimes" you can get away with removing sensor, drying it off, and refitting.  Usually its new sensor time though and they're not cheap at all.

They the same sensor as on any other cars aswell ?

Anyone

possibly polo, but get the right one for the fabia.  I believe the sensor for X reg is the one which comes with about a metre of cable, and not the one with the plug on the actual sensor.

 

Before all of that though, get it scanned.

2 things.

1. Get it scanned
2. Get it scanned
3. Get it scanned.

I know that's at item (3), but it is that important. I thought probably the angle sensor, but it could also be low alternator output or a weak battery.

Iv had it scanned and didnt show up any codes. Where is the sensor located exactly as iv noticed my washer bottle leaks and i no pump is somewhere close so just curious whether its leaked onto the sensor etc

Get an auto electrician to do voltage and deep load checks on the battery and alternator. He'll probably do those for free on the understanding that he gets the business if one or the other needs replaced.

 

The steering sensor would almost certainly have logged "Steering angle sensor; implausible value" errors.

Iv had it scanned and didnt show up any codes. Where is the sensor located exactly as iv noticed my washer bottle leaks and i no pump is somewhere close so just curious whether its leaked onto the sensor etc

 

Washer bottle is lower than the pump so this shouldn't be an issue. The sensor is at the base of the steering column on the steering rack, you can see it with a torch down below the brake servo, it's held on with two torx or allen screws and has a wire coming from it.

Have you checked the fluid level? Bit of a pig to get to, take out battery and air filter box.  That was what was up with my old Elegance TDI used to go down to nothing approx every 20k miles.....never found the leak!!

Fluid is fine mate does seem to do it more when its rainin etc so makes me think water on the sensor etc

Right pas went off otherday and light stayed on. Plugged reader in and no fault codes. What would people suggest before i scrap the damn thing

Get proper code reader. Guarantee vcds would find fault in power steering module.

I have X reg & my angle sensor was the one with several M's of cable & the plug on the end.............

Iv had it on a snap on machine and no faults

Iv had it on a snap on machine and no faults

 

That's good news then, the PAS must be OK if the snap-on machine says so, amirite?

 

No, most generic code readers will only read the engine ECU, with the power steering light on you WILL have a code, likely to be a J500 and stored in the CAN gateway memory if it's a total pump failure, my guess is that the angle sensor malfunctioned initially then the pump failed through thermal fatigue. You'll need to replace the pump, it must be like for like, yours, being an early Fabia, is probably a Koyo rather than TRW pump.

If you'd managed to read the pump ECU before it failed you'd likely have found an angle sensor implausible signal error code.

Its still working bud every now n agen it fails