Power Steering Light On

[jayt_2k]

Hi,

I have been having some strange problems with my Power Steering light coming on so will start from the begginging and hopefully someone will be able to point me in the right direction.

About two months ago I went into hosptial for a few days and didnt drive my car, when I came out the car started fine and I drove it for about 30 miles, I then went to start the car shortly after driving it and it was totally dead. Jumping the car sorted it and I was away.

This happended several times, I then went to start the car and my power steering light was on and beeped twice. I had no power steering at all.

I tested the battery and voltage, ampage etc and everything seemed fine. I decdided to buy a new battery just in case and mine was 6 years old.

Installed a new battery and the power steering light was still on. I decided to use my AA recovery and get toed to a VAG specialist. He stuck it on the diagnostics and it was reporting a low voltage fault. The AA man and the mechanic couldnt find an issue so cleared it and thought it was from the old battery issue. The car then reported a fault with the power steering and they tested the power steering fully and could not see a fault.

They reset the car and everything was fine for 3 weeks.

Today I hve started my car and the power steering light has beeped twice and stayed on.

Has anyone got any ideas to what could be causing this? and how to fix this?

Also short term anyone know how to reset the car so I can drive it to a garage? (not very easy with no power steering!)

Hope someone can help

[Crasher]

The power steering is electric and it is reacting to a low voltage, which could be a faulty battery or alternator, and from what you describe, I would think it is the battery.

[jayt_2k]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I thought it could be the battery so I replaced the battery which has not helped.

I have a custom head unit which was put in 6 months ago, could that be an issue? Only recently I have started to have the power steering fault light though.

Do you know how I can reset the light it without a diagnostics unit?

[Crasher]

There is nothing you can do without a diagnostic computer. If the battery is new it may be the alternator or a drain on the battery causing it to go flat. Do you own a multimeter with a 10amp current range and know how to use it to read current consumption?

[jayt_2k]

Yeah the battery is fine, car starting perfectly. The garage tested amps and voltage and said nothing was unusually high or low, so we just put it down to my old battery being the problem.

But obviosuly not as its started again today.

[Crasher]

You have to start with a code read then.

[jayt_2k]

Looks like ill call the AA out again to toe me to the garage.

Thanks for your help, will follow up how I get on.