Before anyone comments. I have used the search fuction and read about it.

My 53 VRS Fabia has been playing up recently with the cold weather. Whenever I start the engine from cold, the steering light appears constant. I stop the engine and start it again, its goes away. Some times the steering feels heavy and other times it is normal. When the engine is warm it is fine. I will no doubt have to get it plugged into a comp to read the fault codes if any are logged. But is there anything that I can do to check first, to see what the problem is?

Any help is appreciated.

Matt

Diagnostic checks are thebest bet.

I'd say it was either the angle sensor or the pump has failed.

Also check your battery condition. Power steering is electrohydraulic in fabia, needing lots of juice. In other words a healthy battery is important. Batteries perform worse when cold, hence possibly causing your problems. Of course, a diagnostics check will tell you if the battery is the problem, still, might be easier to check battery first.

Thanks, I have got a new battery which puts out nearly 580 amps on wednesday. As I thought it might have been a cell failing in the old one. But it still does it.

Is the battery charging OK? I ask because I have a charging fault and I get the same symptom on a cold morning. The battery voltage is hit hard when you start from cold and that's why the light comes on first start but not second. If you still get heavy steering with the new battery, I'm stumped. Does the steering still turn heavy since the new battery went on?

I checked the voltage yesterday on start up. It drops to 10 volts when starting and after 3 or 4 seconds its back up to 14.4 volts. This problem only ever happens on the first start up after being left for a a few hours. Then its fine after that. I checked the battery too after 9 hours of being stood still and it showed 12.3 volts. It is def a weird one.

My steering still at times is heavy when first starting. Its like the car is not operating the steering pump or something similar when it first starts after being left for a while. I will pop it inro Rianworth Skoda to get a diagnostic done. I am just hoping a fault code is logged?:confused:

Just had my car plugged in and no fault codes appeared. Very wierd and it still does it!

Guess what? - mine's a 53 plate VRS and it does the same thing. Good old Skoda, reminds me of when I first discovered the door seals gem.....hang about....shall we get everyone with the same problem to convince them there's a fault?.....oh no, tried that once before and they took as much notice as Graham Norton would whlst visiting a photo shoot for Penthouse magazine.

Thanks, I have got a new battery which puts out nearly 580 amps on wednesday.

What's it put on on the other days of the week?

53 plate here, this happened once and never came back.

skoda said it was a switch/sensor on the ends of the steering rack

£140 dealer fix

What's it put on on the other days of the week?

The voltage and ampage is the same every time I check it. Unless it a sunday, then it has a lay in! Its just this annoying first start of the day problem it has. I am going to unplug the sensor at both ends and put some contact cleaner on it to see if it does any good? I think my next move then will be to change the sensor itself. Thank god its not too cold outside!

I am going to purchase a steering angle sensor from off ebay. It looks easy to fit. My question is how do you remove the fog light cover. Or would it be easier to remove the wheel arch liner and get at it from there?

when the light comes up try turning the steering all the way right, then all the way left and then straigthen it back up.

The Fabia is known for issues with the steering angle sensor, the symptoms you describe makes me think thats what it could be.

My steering light popped on the other day. Went out when I restarted. Alarm was messing about to. Turns out It was a loose battery terminal(fingers crossed any way)

I bought the sensor from the seller on ebay seller hootiemcboob1969. I have taken the old one out and went to fit the new one but it didnt seem to fit. Is there a different sensor for the VRS or are they all the same? The part number on the back of the sensor is 6Q2423291. There is 135 below that number and also 7B 19 stamped above it. Is this the correct sensor for the car please?

Anybody??:confused:

deleted pic

Edited 7 April, 200917 yr by 53FabiaVRS

Does it look similar to the one you removed?

The one I removed looked more like a plastic spade shape with a circular cut out. There was a circuit board underneath the edge of the circular cut out which I presume is how it senses what angle the steering is. The new sensor is the same physical shape, but it is more like a claw in appearance. It has the on the back the part number which is the same part number on the Fabia vrs webpage. It just wont go all the way in to the slot and stops about 1 cm short. The sensor was not held in with allen key screws wither. They were the star shaped ones.

the part probably will look slightly different as they have revised it. PM me your chassis number and I'll see if I can help.

Pm sent:thumbup:

That should be the one...(You rang earlier....HINT!)

I had exactly the same symptoms with a Y reg Fabia SDI (now sold)

The Skoda dealer ran the diagnostics and kept telling me it was the battery even though the battery was under a year old and tested elewhere as faultless.

When I had the battery replaced under guarantee the power steering problem remained.

The Skoda dealer then repeated the diagnosis and guess what..... the pump had failed and would cost me £600 to replace.

I then sold the car.

Hope you are lucky and the problem is a sensor, loose wire to the alternator etc

Hope this helps

Its not uncommon....