Intermittent Power Steering in '01 car
02-13-2011, 07:38 AM
#1
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Intermittent Power Steering in '01 car
My '01 car (with 130,000 miles) has had an intermittent power steering problem for the last couple of years, and I finally asked my dealership to check it out and see if it was a bad connection to the torque sensor or something simple.
The symptoms are these: sometimes, when I decelerate from a local road, to make a right or left turn into a parking lot, the power steering stops functioning. I may make two or three turns at low speed in the parking lot before the power steering comes back again. It then may be fine for the rest of the day, several days, or for another few minutes, before it goes away again. On occasion, as I make a left turn from one road to another road, the power steering stays off for about 30 seconds or more, and I can feel it not working even at speed, before it comes on again. Please note that the EPS light on the dashboard never comes on. I only got it checked out now, rather than earlier, because it is been only a mild annoyance, and is now becoming more frequent.
Yesterday, when the dealer took a look at it in their service area, they said that they got four bad electrical codes, all pointing to the EPS unit: one was the steering failure code, one had to do with rapid changes in vehicle speed, one had to do with changes in speed from vehicle wheels at different points on the car, and I can't remember what the fourth error code was. The bottom line was that they told me that the EPS unit would cost about $1000 to replace, and they recommended that I leave the car for them to communicate with Honda techline, and possibly even send my EPS unit out to California to be tested, before sinking the money on replacing it in my older car that is long out of warranty.
1) does anybody have any experience with this type of problem in this type of car?
2) is there any harm to me just continuing to drive with an intermittently functioning power steering, as long as I don't mind hauling the wheel around every once in a while?
3) if the problem really is the EPS unit, is there a way to get an EPS for less than $1000 (EPS unit number 39980–S2A–A02)?
David
The symptoms are these: sometimes, when I decelerate from a local road, to make a right or left turn into a parking lot, the power steering stops functioning. I may make two or three turns at low speed in the parking lot before the power steering comes back again. It then may be fine for the rest of the day, several days, or for another few minutes, before it goes away again. On occasion, as I make a left turn from one road to another road, the power steering stays off for about 30 seconds or more, and I can feel it not working even at speed, before it comes on again. Please note that the EPS light on the dashboard never comes on. I only got it checked out now, rather than earlier, because it is been only a mild annoyance, and is now becoming more frequent.
Yesterday, when the dealer took a look at it in their service area, they said that they got four bad electrical codes, all pointing to the EPS unit: one was the steering failure code, one had to do with rapid changes in vehicle speed, one had to do with changes in speed from vehicle wheels at different points on the car, and I can't remember what the fourth error code was. The bottom line was that they told me that the EPS unit would cost about $1000 to replace, and they recommended that I leave the car for them to communicate with Honda techline, and possibly even send my EPS unit out to California to be tested, before sinking the money on replacing it in my older car that is long out of warranty.
1) does anybody have any experience with this type of problem in this type of car?
2) is there any harm to me just continuing to drive with an intermittently functioning power steering, as long as I don't mind hauling the wheel around every once in a while?
3) if the problem really is the EPS unit, is there a way to get an EPS for less than $1000 (EPS unit number 39980–S2A–A02)?
David
02-14-2011, 02:54 PM
#2
Registered User
The eps unit is right next to the battery and is two bolts and three connectors. You can replace it yourself. Find a part-out on here and get one for ~$100. It shouldn't take more than 45 minutes to swap.
That may not be your problem though. The older cars just have weird racks. Many of us have twitchy steering, that seems to get worse in the cold. It's %100 perfect on warm days. Your symptoms are a little different though. If you buy the part, I will show you how to change it on here. Just PM me.
That may not be your problem though. The older cars just have weird racks. Many of us have twitchy steering, that seems to get worse in the cold. It's %100 perfect on warm days. Your symptoms are a little different though. If you buy the part, I will show you how to change it on here. Just PM me.
02-14-2011, 06:15 PM
#3
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My steering had that exact same intermittent feeling. When it got cold about 2 months ago, if I would run over the sharp gate track at my apt at an angle, the steering would act funny or throw one of the positioning sensors off until I restarted it.
In warm weather, I never noticed a problem. I just try to take it easy if I'm going over a bump and always try to line up the steering wheel, and I've managed to avoid it.
But yeah, you're definitely not the only one.
In warm weather, I never noticed a problem. I just try to take it easy if I'm going over a bump and always try to line up the steering wheel, and I've managed to avoid it.
But yeah, you're definitely not the only one.
02-15-2011, 04:29 AM
#5
My steering is all whacked out until the car fully warms up and goes through a few lock to lock turns. Never really looked into what causes it but its done it for the last 4 years or so
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