Ok good. If anyone knows the exact code for max assistance on my car. Then it would be helpful when talking to dealer.

Edited 2 May, 20197 yr by Lupi13

18 minutes ago, Lupi13 said:

Ok good. If anyone knows the exact code for max assistance on my car. Then it would be helpful when talking to dealer.

 

It's in the manufacturers service manual, to which the dealer will refer when performing the recode.

 

There's a sticky on here with options available to recode using VCDS, it's in there as well.

22 minutes ago, Lupi13 said:

Ok good. If anyone knows the exact code for max assistance on my car. Then it would be helpful when talking to dealer.

 

View these two pages:

 

https://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/fabia-mk1/chassis/steering/self-diagnosis_of_the_power-steering/coding_control_unit/table_of_codes_power_steering_control_unitj500/

https://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/fabia-mk1/chassis/steering/self-diagnosis_of_the_power-steering/coding_control_unit/the_meaning_of_the_code_numbers/

 

If you look at the first linked page,  I think there's a misprint above the second table; logically, it should say "from 05/2001".

 

I assume your car has airbag(s), so the 10160 code looks like the exact one you want.

 

Thank you for the info. I will report back what the dealer say.

On 01/05/2019 at 09:00, Wino said:

 

Changed mine (on the Polo) from 10140 to 10120 this morning, using this cable and my registered copy of VCDS lite.  

Haven't tried it yet weight-wise, but the change appeared to 'stick' through an ignition off/on cycle.

 

Has it made much difference, Pete?

Barely noticeable if I'm honest.

I think I prefer it as it is now, but it's a very small change, as far as I've experienced so far.

 

I did drive it a couple of miles with no assistance at all a few weeks ago, while experimenting with something else and forgetting that the fuse I'd pulled kills PAS too. That's very noticeable.  Not for the faint-hearted.

Interesting.

 

Never had the 'pleasure' of driving mine without assistance yet. Haha

I sort of feel that it's a useful thing to try, so that you know what to expect if it happens suddenly as a real failure, but I'd be finding an empty private road somewhere or a deserted supermarket carpark to do it, with the benefit of hindsight.  The journey I did wasn't really hard work or alarming, but there was a sense of 'what if?' all the way, as the ability to take rapid avoiding action would be much diminished.

Similarly, braking without servo assistance is probably a useful thing to 'feel' under safe conditions, can't say I've tried that yet.

I might find somewhere and try it.

 

Have driven without servo assistance on other cars whilst being towed. Keeps you alert

Edited 3 May, 20197 yr by TMB

Did the original Mini have a servo? If it did then I must've done similar at about 18, being towed to a garage with a very broken engine (non-running) behind a transit van, including a very long steep downhill.  Garage/transit van man said I should do all the braking whenever I saw his brakelights come on, to avoid running into the back of him.  I'm surprised that he trusted me.

Haha, it's scary. Most original Minis had no servo. Come to think of it, I had a B-reg Mk2 Fiesta 950cc and that had no servo either. I eventually took all the bits off a scrap one and fitted it all to mine which made the brakes way better. It also only had points ignition so I took the electronic distributor and coil off the other one and wired it to mine.

I might try it over the weekend on the missus's car, so it doesn't matter so much if I crash it...

^

I brought the correct code 10160 to the dealer. Then he said that he would type in 00160 instead. That was the one he would use. Does this make a difference? The steering only got a little bit more assistance, in other word not much difference. I was expecting a little bit more, given that the setting is called handicaped. There are no handicaped people that would benefit from this small differerence.

 

However, if I can manage to code it myself when I get the cheap product I ordered. Then I can try to type in 10160 instead.

It won't make any difference, it's the same setting, the pump is now running flat out and cannot deliver any more hydraulic pressure.

Ok. Its good to at least be able to access the program. Thanks for help.

Edited 7 May, 20197 yr by Lupi13

8 hours ago, Lupi13 said:

I brought the correct code 10160 to the dealer. Then he said that he would type in 00160 instead. That was the one he would use. Does this make a difference? The steering only got a little bit more assistance, in other word not much difference. I was expecting a little bit more, given that the setting is called handicaped. There are no handicaped people that would benefit from this small differerence.

 

However, if I can manage to code it myself when I get the cheap product I ordered. Then I can try to type in 10160 instead.

 

Did the dealer say what the coding was before they changed it to 00160?

Does the car have airbag(s)?

I don't understand why - from May 2001, assuming my misprint theory is right  - the coding differs depending on whether the car has airbags or not, but if your car does have at least one, it seems sensible to code the PAS module appropriately with 1 as the first digit. Perhaps the car doesn't, so that's why they chose the 00160 code?  I don't expect that it will affect the steering weight though.

 

Have you tried increasing the pressure in the front tyres? That can make a significant difference to steering weight, especially if they are under-inflated. Narrower wheels/tyres would presumably also help, what size wheels/tyres are fitted now?

It does have airbags. The preasure in front tyres are on 33 psi. The wheel size is 175 65. I would like to get some 165 tyres but I havent found somebody who is selling. I apreciate your answer. I agree with you that the the code should be 10160 instead of 00160.

165/70/R14 is a standard Mk1 Fabia size, fitting on 14inch 5J steel wheels, I think, so should be available.

 

Try 35psi maybe, on the tyres you have.

I would like to set the power assistance coding back to factory setting. What is that on a scale 1 to 6 which I think it is on my Skoda Fabia 2003. I have now no need for the power steering pump to work at highest setting. 

 

It is so difficult to understand the names for the different codings 1 to 6. For example light steering heavy vehicles, normal steering light vehicles etc. Can all codes 1 to 6 be used?

Edited 6 November, 20196 yr by Lupi13

On 06/11/2019 at 15:00, Lupi13 said:

I would like to set the power assistance coding back to factory setting. What is that on a scale 1 to 6 which I think it is on my Skoda Fabia 2003. I have now no need for the power steering pump to work at highest setting. 

 

It is so difficult to understand the names for the different codings 1 to 6. For example light steering heavy vehicles, normal steering light vehicles etc. Can all codes 1 to 6 be used?

It isn't a scale. The coding is vehicle specific. 2 is sport program (for RS and GTI versions) 3 is normal assistance for light vehicles (petrol hatchbacks), 4 is for heavy vehicles AND increased assistance at low speeds (Diesel Combis, increased assistance at ie parking manoeuvres), 6 being the overassisted "disabled" mode. I don't recall the others. 

 

VCDS has every setting listed and explained when you're coding, and it's pretty straightforward. 

 

00130 is the stock setting for my petrol 1.4 16v dual airbag 2007 hatchback. Changed it to 00140 (diesel + low speed assistance) while I'm recovering from hand surgery. For a 2003 the whole code might be different depending on equipment but the steering assistance number remains the same. Only change that number, not the whole code.