Hi, folks, First time on the forum though not the first time I've had helpful info from this site. Longish post, I'm afraid, but ta in advance for any help. I have a Skoda Fabia Estate, Bohemia, registered 2006; I've had it since 2012. It's recently developed the "steering light comes on, steering goes stiff" problem I see so much of on the internet. However, my other problem is this: I live in France, so any technical vocab I built up in the UK isn't at my fingertips, though I have researched this problem online and found the same thing on French sites. I've taken the car to a local garage, which said it was the alternator charging at 16v, "fixed" it, and the problem came back (I had a new alternator and battery in January). Took the car back, they did a diagnostic test and took it for drive, gave Gallic shrug and said they had no idea. They were NOT interested in the steering angle sensor theory. Asked the guy who normally looks after my car (he'd been ill, unavailable) who did the same diagnostic test and couldn't diagnose the problem. Seems my option is to take it to a Skoda dealer, but the nearest one is a 40-minute drive away. I live in the countryside, and I need my car as there's no public transport round here. How safe is it to drive to the Skoda dealer? Or even, I'm afraid, drive to another, nearer, car dealer and replace my dear Skoda? And - how do I get through to anyone that the problem is almost certainly the steering angle sensor (I know that in French) and that just because I'm female doesn't mean I might not be right. There are three other garages in the town I live in - should I try them all? I see that lots of people here have had this steering problem, but the posts don't seem recent so I don't know if you've all just given up! This is partly a people problem, I admit. The steering goes stiff but still driveable, though a bit like a bus, or back to the good old days before power steering. I saw on the site that someone had driven theirs for 3,000 miles, so maybe I should be braver and get around more, including to the Skoda dealer?

Nothing can happen if you drive it with no PAS apart from the steering being horribly heavy.

On 19/08/2021 at 12:51, KateinFrance said:

The steering goes stiff but still driveable, though a bit like a bus

Well, if you're happy you can handle the unassisted steering for trips you normally do, go for it.

 

You may well be right about the SAS, but you'll need VCDS, OBD11, or a dealership computer to "prove that" to non-VAG "vehicle technicians". Meantime, if you have a PAS fluid reservoir, check the level.

The main PAS fuse strip on top of the battery is worth a look, if it's cracked it would explain the intermittent nature, search on here for cracked fuse, look carefully and give it a little prod.

Edited 21 August, 20214 yr by sepulchrave