Power steering takes a while to kick in after engine start

[RallySport150]

as title, its seems to take longer and longer after engine start, it used to be a few secs now its mins, it is also happening more frequently (it doesnt happen all the time)

 

is this a common issue?

 

any help appreciated..

Edited 23 February, 2017 by RallySport150

[Breezy_Pete]

Check this first:

 

[sepulchrave]

If not that then the battery's a goner.

[MattyVRS64]

I have a similar issue, the power steering takes around a minute or so to kick in after start.

i have checked all visible alternator connections i can see and the alternator seems to be charging the battery fine. the fault only seems to occur first thing on a morning when the car has been left cold overnight. im leaning more towards it being a battery fault but not sure as the car cranks fine and never feels sluggish to start.

[MattyVRS64]

Apologies @Wino just seen your thread on broken alternator signal wires. will have a look at the lower connector that seems to be giving alot of bother when the weather improves. does anyone know where i could possible find a wiring diagram for a ASZ Vrs? if its not the connectors i guess a disconnection from alternator power supply and a simple OHMS test of the blue wire should indicate any breakages.

[Breezy_Pete]

The battery light not coming on with ignition will tell you that the blue wire is broken.

 

[MattyVRS64]

Of course it would! sorry blonde moment. will check tonight

[KeithCheetham]

  Agree that battery problem is a probably main culprit, but had this problem with mine but just for a few seconds and when turning through a down hill 'S' bend not long after starting. Turned out to be low level in the power steering reservoir. What may be happening is that oil could contract when cold - dropping level - and drawing air into system. Outside chance but worth a look if battery is OK.

[RallySport150]

21 hours ago, Wino said:

The battery light not coming on with ignition will tell you that the blue wire is broken.

 

 

yep thats what iv got

[t140pete]

Short-term, give the engine a quick rev up beyond 2500rpm - the alternator should kick in then even when the revs drop back down. Needs sorting though.

[RallySport150]

On 23/02/2017 at 16:38, Wino said:

The battery light not coming on with ignition will tell you that the blue wire is broken.

 

 

when you say broken, what exactly is the common issue here e.g. has came loose and needs re-attaching, needs a new wire etc?

 

why and how does it break?

[Breezy_Pete]

The wires are quite short either side of the connector pair, and they have some convoluted plastic tubing protecting them from where they emerge from the loom bunches either side. But these bits of tubing stop short of the cable entries of the connectors by a centimetre or two, so there's a chafe zone at the ends of these bits of so-called protective tubes, where thin flexible wires come out of stiff plastic tubes.

 

The wires eventually just snap, leaving you with either no battery light (no alternator excitation, blue wire bust), ASR warning light after 10 minutes driving and fault codes for 'load signal' problem (no feedback signal from alt to engine ECU, DFM wire bust); or often both. Sometimes even both wires broken both sides of the connector pair.

 

Graft in some fresh wires bypassing the connector pair, problem(s) solved.

Edited 24 February, 2017 by Wino

[shelle182]

On 24/02/2017 at 23:06, Wino said:

The wires eventually just snap, leaving you with either no battery light (no alternator excitation, blue wire bust), ASR warning light after 10 minutes driving and fault codes for 'load signal' problem (no feedback signal from alt to engine ECU, DFM wire bust); or often both. 

 

Can confirm common issue, my ASR warning light comes on after 10 mins and power steering sometimes takes a while to kick in when it's very cold. Keep meaning to sort it, looks pretty easy! 

 

 

[MattyVRS64]

Snap, looks like my battery light isn't coming on either. unfortunately i will have to wait until better weather before i can look at repairing the wire.

 

Thanks, 

[Breezy_Pete]

Get under there and do at least a temporary fix.  Low state of charge kills batteries, fix it now, quick-and-dirty, and do a tidy-up when the weather gets better.

All you need is something like this, and a few minutes:

 

 

[RallySport150]

2 hours ago, Wino said:

Get under there and do at least a temporary fix.  Low state of charge kills batteries, fix it now, quick-and-dirty, and do a tidy-up when the weather gets better.

All you need is something like this, and a few minutes:

 

 

what thickness wires do i need and what are those wire connectors called?

[Breezy_Pete]

They're only low-current wires, anything will do. The connectors are just 'terminal block', any DIY shop or electrical shop will have 'em. usually in strips of 12 which you cut down with a knife.  Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Double-Position-Barrier-Block-Terminal/dp/B008IDO2FK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1488298280&sr=8-3&keywords=terminal+block+5a 

They come in various sizes with screw terminals to suit various thicknesses of wire, you probably want a small size to suit thin wire, like my amazon link. Even smaller would be better still, less tape needed to wrap them up.

 

You could just twist the wires up and tape them up, instead of using the terminal block, main thing though is to make sure the wires on the car are nice clean copper where you join to, if they've been busted for a while they may have corroded not just at the break point but back up inside the insulation a distance.  Keep stripping back insulation 'til you find clean shiny copper to join to.

 

I put the reel of electrical tape in the picture because you do want to try to weatherproof the joins, just wrap them generously in tape to keep splashes out 'til you fix it neatly (may never be required if you're not too fussy).

Edited 28 February, 2017 by Wino

[dm222]

pff those damn wires always causing problems in all VAG small cars...

[rum4mo]

9 hours ago, dm222 said:

pff those damn wires always causing problems in all VAG small cars...

 

Typically it is just VAG small cars with DERV fuelled engines, you should be okay with your Beezer with 1.4 BXW engine (famous last words)

[dm222]

1 hour ago, rum4mo said:

 

Typically it is just VAG small cars with DERV fuelled engines, you should be okay with your Beezer with 1.4 BXW engine (famous last words)

 

the design appears to be the same, but maybe the engine vibrates less.

[MattyVRS64]

it turned out to be the exact connector you mentioned at fault.

clear as day the blue wire had corroded just after the female connector. while i was there i also repaired the brown wire and the faults seem to have gone and the battery light has now returned.

 

thanks for the help!