Power Steering Weirdness (not working, then working)

Feb 28, 2022
9
0
Hi, I've had a weird issue with the power steeering on the wife's 2010 Ibiza 6J SE that has me completely stumped.

Last week the drivers side front coil spring snapped when she was reversing off the drive, massive clunk and a bit of the spring fell out. She drove it back onto the drive and when I had a look I could see the spring had come right out and the sharp end of the spring had dug itself into the rubber bit of the top mount. I went to move into a better position and it felt like it had no power steering, she said it did have power steering when reversing initially. I didn't think much of it as I thought the spring digging into the top mount might have jammed the steeering a bit.

So I changed both front coil springs and top mounts while I was there, got it all back together and dropped it to the ground, started it up and car felt perfect, power steeering working as expected, or at least it was until I switched it off. When I came back to it later to take it for a test drive the power steeering had stopped completely again, but no warning light on the dash, just no assistance and no noise from the pump. I scanned it with OBDeleven, no fault codes. Live data in module 44 showed voltage at terminal 30 to be 9.9V, pump motor status: off, pump current draw: 0A, steering angle: 0. And moving the steering wheel didn't change any figures. Took it for a drive any way but it never woke up and then steering warning light came up on the dash once the speed picked up. Still no fault code though.

I checked the wiring, fuses etc, I had 12.7v on the main pump feed, the earth was bit corroded so i gave that a cleanup but still no joy. Several hours messing around and reading through this forum and ross tech etc but still not getting anywhere and was about to condemn the pump and buy another. As a last resort I thought I would try changing the coding on the pump, pump has never been changed so all factory. I changed the coding from 10111 to 11211 and low and behold the pump fired up and the power steering came back and has stayed back and is currently working perfectly as before! Live data shows pump voltage at 14.4V when engine running, angles and velocities change, current draw goes up when wheel is moved.

Thing is that now it's bugging me why this happened, is that code what it should be using or have a bypassed a fault by using that code. The pump has 3 connectors plugged in, and it looks like it has the g250 sensor on the steering rack. Yet, as I undertsand it, changing the coding the way I have means I am now not using the G250 and using the G85 sensor instead. And if that code is right for the car, why had the code changed. I hate unexplained problems like this, any input would be most welcome.

Cheers
 

dm222

Active Member
Dec 7, 2013
1,468
46
there is a wire that goes from the pump to the steering rack, check if the spring didnt cut that wire.

01 uses a sensor in the rack, to assess when you turn the steering wheel
12 uses a sensor in the steering column

some cars have both sensors (like yours), other cars have only one sensor.

so that makes perfect sense
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
I think that the reason why the steering column sensor was added to these cars was to control the fog lights when driving slowly and turning the steering wheel so that they acted as additional lighting when the headlights are on.

As dm222 said, the pump coding was and should be set to use the rack sensor, so something is wrong.
 
Feb 28, 2022
9
0
there is a wire that goes from the pump to the steering rack, check if the spring didnt cut that wire.
Yeah good shout, don't think there's any wires up in the the shock turret area but I haven't checked that wire along it's route.
 
Feb 28, 2022
9
0
I think that the reason why the steering column sensor was added to these cars was to control the fog lights when driving slowly and turning the steering wheel so that they acted as additional lighting when the headlights are on.

As dm222 said, the pump coding was and should be set to use the rack sensor, so something is wrong.

Yeah, it's got the fog lights that come on when you steer. But also it's got the later ABS which also suggests it should be using 12 in the coding or at least that whats the OBDeleven says in the code screen. Says to use "01" for Bosch 5.7 ABS and use "12" for Bosch 8.2 ABS, this car has got the Bosch 8.2 ABS. The description in the coding screen gave me the idea to change the coding of the pump to see what would happen.

If the G250 sensor was bad or missing wouldn't I have a fault code though?

Could the coding of the pump reset itself to a default setting? Is there anythign that would do that.
 

dm222

Active Member
Dec 7, 2013
1,468
46
The wire I mention is connection between pump and sensor g250 in the rack

Either that wire is bad, the sensor is bad (big coincidence) or the pump went bad because of the extra strain put on it.

I myself had that problem (stopping working with g250 but still working with g85 after recoding) a day before a full failure of the pump. I suspect in my case water entered the pump and messed electronics and that was the first thing to stop working.
My pump either broke from that or stopping and starting the car many times on a row.
And yes I had a fault saying short to plus on sensor G250

Check the wire first
 
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RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
While I remember, the Steering Assist coding that was in my daughter's previous car, a late 2009 Ibiza 1.4 6J SC SE, was 10121 and its ABS system was 8.2.

Obviously it also used its front fog light for giving extra illumination while turning at slow speeds.
 
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Feb 28, 2022
9
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The wire I mention is connection between pump and sensor g250 in the rack

Either that wire is bad, the sensor is bad (big coincidence) or the pump went bad because of the extra strain put on it.
I suspect that is the explanation, I'm just loathed to buy a new pump until I really have to! :) Pump motor itself is obviously working but the electronics are breaking down hence the weird voltage reading from the live data when in "01" mode although there's definitely battery voltage reaching the pump.

I've got continuity on each wire in the g250 loom I just haven't dug deeper yet into where it goes and if there's any damage to it along it's route.

Is there a way to test the g250 sensor? I don't have a scope but I guess that would be the way to test it for certain.
 
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