If you download the Self Study Programme about the Seat implementation (document Electro-hydraulic Power Steering found in a long list under "Individual Vehicle Information" once you are logged in) there may be some info that clarifies the situation. Maybe not though. You can download any other SSPs about the car/engine/other Seats.

 

You could also download wiring diagrams, repair information, 'car data' about your exact car, and other useful info at the same time. It's a very good deal for about 7 Euros.

 

I didn't realise your car was so young, 2009? I don't know how to navigate round that parts website you've linked, but are you sure your car is a 6J model not a 6L? There seems to be a few manufacturing years where it could be either. Probably regional variations.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/szm7nwzz81amxtt/VID_20150820_133353.mp4?dl=0

Maybe the sensor is not as responsive as it should be

Video is too hard to see.  The camera mainly focuses on the steering wheel, and the reflections on the screen make it hard to see the numbers even when the screen is in focus.

 

I guess you're concerned that there's a time-lag between starting to move the wheel and seeing an angle rate appear? Sometimes instant, sometimes not?  Probably a sampling/measurement artefact.

 

Try reducing the number of active measuring blocks, which will speed up your sampling rate.  There's a very noticeable difference on my set-up between having three blocks running versus just the one with the angle rate. 

I mean if I move the steering slowly it doesnt detect anything.

Ah, OK, I'll just go out and try that on mine.

It's the same as yours. Video uploading, which may take a while.

 

I guess there's no need for it to be able to detect slow rates of wheel turn, because they wouldn't require much, if any, power assistance?

 

Here's my video (this might not work until it's uploaded to the cloud).

 

If you look at the numbers that appear when you do get numbers, there's a quantisation. The minimum angle rate it can see is 7.8 degrees/sec, every reading is a multiple of this. If you turn the wheel at less than this rate, it doesn't register in VCDS. The current does seem to vary even if the angle rate is still at zero, which suggests that it's VCDS that's not seeing the changes, rather than the PAS controller?

Still cant see yours. Actually i didn't notice at first but not a good idea to do this. look at the amps

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/l9fauevmykb7gfh/VID_20150820_182223.mp4?dl=0

Edited 20 August, 201510 yr by dm222

The stand-out difference you'll see when it is available, is the current/amp values that I see compared to yours. Very, very different; despite us doing approx. the same thing. What surface are your tyres on? They're not super-wide wheels or anything?

 

I'm on compacted gravel, so quite easy for the wheels to move compared to asphalt, I guess.  Not enough to explain the different currents though, unless your road surface is super-glue!

185/60/R15

Same here but on 14s. Shouldn't be much longer uploading.

Well I'm even more confused now, This doesnt look good, steering rack maybe 

 

Maybe I will make an apointmnent at SEAT next week

 

I believe it's worse when it's hot weather

Edited 20 August, 201510 yr by dm222

The only thing that makes me think it might not be the rack is that you said it was perfect when you had G85 in control.  From a hydraulic point of view, which sensor is supplying the information shouldn't make any difference to how much electrical power is needed to do the job. :think:

 

Edit: I suggest that you reconfigure the system to use G85 (how?), and then do the same experiment. See if the currents have got more reasonable. If they have, either leave it reading G85, or replace G250.

The only thing that makes me think it might not be the rack is that you said it was perfect when you had G85 in control.  From a hydraulic point of view, which sensor is supplying the information shouldn't make any difference to how much electrical power is needed to do the job. :think:

 

Edit: I suggest that you reconfigure the system to use G85 (how?), and then do the same experiment. See if the currents have got more reasonable. If they have, either leave it reading G85, or replace G250.

 

Will try that!

Same stuff!

 

The log cutted at the middle and at simliar conditions that the test above it was equal. Guess that when I changed to G85 the other time, it was a time when the steering was light, because this shifts a lot...

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/621jij2ms1oe216/LOG-44-001-002-003.CSV?dl=0

This is the scatter plot of term 30 voltage against pump current for that log:

 

 

It looks quite similar to your previous ones.

Was that driving around, or just moving the wheel with the car stationary?

Moving around at hight speeds, there is a speed column and most of it was at high speed actually.

The G250 is not discarted though (only 99% discarted ).

I believe the pump could still be using the G250, since the other time I changed to the G85 the G250 had those errors above and the G250 was not communicating with the pump (PAS light on who disappeared after changing to G85).

So at that point I was sure that I the pump was using the G85, but now I am not.

I guess I could try to disconnect the cable from the G250, but I don't know if this worths a try... I'm afraid I void warranty if I play too much with it, so next week I will make an appointment at SEAT to see if they can find anything.

Today i did a visual inspect at the rack couldn't find anything wrong with it.

Last september I touch a sidewalk at 50KM/H more or less, that could damage the rack indeed, but didn't notice nothing wrong at the time, so if there is damage it's some leak inside.

 

My pump has 4A at idle while yours has 3A, this suggests some extra work to keep the pressure...

Edited 21 August, 201510 yr by dm222

Have a look at page 18 of the VW SSP (a version that's out in the internet) page 18 onwards. There's some description of how the hydraulic fluid does its work at the rack. I'm wondering if your non-return valve may be the problem, where the flow from the pump first comes into the rack.  It looks like it could be reasonably easy to access and inspect? Just a ball bearing and a spring (broken spring?)

 

Good observation about the idle current. I didn't have time to look at your latest log in detail, to see the speed info.

Good point, could be that. I will make an apointment at SEAT, but I'm afraid even if there is something simple they will want to replace the whole rack.

Take it to someone/somewhere who will do what you ask them to do, not what they feel like doing for maximum profit? (Not easy in the motor business, I know, which is why it's better to have older cars that you don't mind working on yourself).

Didn't solve the problem yet. I have an appointment next wednsday to SEAT, I hope they solve this.

Meanwhile I confirmed the problem is temperature related :( When the weather is cold or the car has been running for not much time the steering is lighter.

Edited 14 September, 201510 yr by dm222

Sorry to hear it's not yet fixed, but thanks for the update.

I guess the temperature relation might be that when warmer, the pump is more likely to overheat if it is already working too hard for some reason, and shut down to protect itself?

Sorry to hear it's not yet fixed, but thanks for the update.

I guess the temperature relation might be that when warmer, the pump is more likely to overheat if it is already working too hard for some reason, and shut down to protect itself?

It doesnt shut down, I cant find anything different in the measure blocks when its warm, the temperature doesnt go up a lot only 2 or 3 degrees after 10 minutes.

The only thing that makes sense is if the pump is taking more time to respond wich indicates the sensor but then tested with the g85 and same results but not sure if it was really using it... Lets ser if they find something...

Edited 14 September, 201510 yr by dm222

Yes, sorry. I forgot where you'd got to with measuring blocks.  Fingers crossed for you that they are able to find something. 

Connector broken on terminal 30. It was full of glue!!

They are waiting for the part, let's hope it solves this...

The main two-way power connector onto the PAS module? Or something else?