Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

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1polo2
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Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by 1polo2 »

On multiple occasions now, all of which seem to have been on colder days, when going around a roundabout or performing a sharper turn in which the power steering has a high demand on it, the power steering warning light has come on and the power assisted steering stops working and goes heavy. Changing gear, turning the ignition on and off or just turning the wheel a bit, all seem to have led to the warning light turning off and the power steering working again.

I have never experienced an issue with this during the summer months where it is hotter and seems to only occur occasionally during the much colder days in the winter months. This leads me to feel like it is unlikely to be a issue with the power steering fluid but rather some sort of electrical issue related to a high strain on the battery possibly?

Has anyone has any similar experience or able to suggest any solutions?

Thanks!
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Re: Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by RUM4MO »

First thing to do could be to check the battery health, if you cannot do this, take the car to a proper battery place and get them to check it.

The car's systems will always prioritise critical electrical power users, and that can mean disabling the power steering as the car is safe to use without it - though many people might not consider that to be true, but car maker do.

Edit:- also check the charging system, does the charge warning light come on when only the ignition is switched on prior to starting the car? Also, does that light go out as soon as the engine starts running?
1polo2
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Re: Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by 1polo2 »

Thanks for the reply, having the battery health looked at today.

“Edit:- also check the charging system, does the charge warning light come on when only the ignition is switched on prior to starting the car? Also, does that light go out as soon as the engine starts running?
[/quote]”

With regards to the charge warning light, it comes on when only ignition is switched on, then goes off as soon as the engine starts running. What should this tell me?
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iichel
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Re: Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by iichel »

1polo2 wrote: Tue Dec 06, 2022 11:33 am With regards to the charge warning light, it comes on when only ignition is switched on, then goes off as soon as the engine starts running. What should this tell me?
That the light works and that the car is happy with the output of the alternator. It doesn't necessarily mean all is well, a failing alternator doesn't always show a red light.
But it's a good sign.
1polo2
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Re: Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by 1polo2 »



So results from the battery health test suggests the battery health is fine and is at 100%. However, I noticed the battery I have in is a 46Ah and 425 CCA (probably cheapest Halfords one). I have seen there are Bosch batteries available for my car with 60-63Ah and 540-610 CCA, could getting a battery with a higher cold cranking amps potentially be the resolution?
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Re: Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by RUM4MO »

I'd think that the original battery would have been a 60AHr 480+CCA, so that battery is not quite the right one for that car, replacing it with the correct battery could solve your problem.

Is this the first winter that you have run this car with that smaller than it should be battery?

Why I asked about the charge warning light was, on some cars, though usually TDI engined ones, the excitation lead and/or the load lead end up being chopped off due to engine movement, but your car seems to be okay.

Any other issues with the battery charging and alternator could only ever get proved by getting the charging system checked over, which typically means just measuring the voltage across the battery under various engine speeds and load conditions.

Just to make sure that you know, the electro-hydraulic steering system pump is the biggest electrical load on the cars electrics system once the engine is running, so it is the one that will always show up any weakness in the battery and/or charging system.
1polo2
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Re: Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by 1polo2 »

No this is probably the 2nd or 3rd winter now actually, I have been a bit lazy with getting it sorted because as soon as the coldest couples months have past the car seems fine again for the remainder of the year.

I’m taking it into a vw specialist this week, will highlight the battery to them and see whether they think upgrading could be the resolution, if not hopefully they may be able to spot the issue elsewhere hopefully.

Thanks again for the reply!
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Re: Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by 1polo2 »

No this is probably the 2nd or 3rd winter now actually, I have been a bit lazy with getting it sorted because as soon as the coldest couples months have past the car seems fine again for the remainder of the year.

I’m taking it into a vw specialist this week, will highlight the battery to them and see whether they think upgrading could be the resolution, if not hopefully they may be able to spot the issue elsewhere hopefully.

Thanks again for the reply!
1polo2
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Re: Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by 1polo2 »

The garage I had taken it to reckon that swapping the power steering pump would solve the issue. However, if the issue was the pump would it make sense that the power steering only seems to fault briefly in the coldest of weather and not all the time?
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Re: Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by RUM4MO »

Hummm, the VW specialist should know an awful lot more than me and other members on here, but maybe even it is a case that the power steering pump assembly is slightly faulty, as in it has trouble working at the reduced power available from that smaller than original battery, in winter (batteries are chemical factories, and work less well in colder weather), but is fault free in warmer weather, or that battery is limiting it or any other properly working power steering pump in winter.

Lots of us will probably have been here before, in my case it was with older Fords, with pre-engaged starter motors, the starter motor shaft would wear at a single point, so in winter the extra frictional forces needing overcome could defeat a older battery offering only its reduced winter output, spending big money of the starter motor would work, but buying a new battery would also work, and at that time most people changed their older cars every few years, so either solution worked for the owner, just that the battery option was cheaper.

Edit:- but maybe they have checked it using a bigger healthy battery and it still did not work.
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Re: Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by johntheo2 »

Unlikely to be a battery problem IMO since the alternator does the heavy lifting once the engine is running, can you plug in a multimeter or voltage meter into the cigarette lighter socket and monitor the voltage with engine idling while turning the steering wheel fully right and left (parked up, obviously) and monitor it.

This is how it works!!. http://www.volkspage.net/technik/ssp/ssp/SSP_259.pdf
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Re: Power Steering Failing Intermittently in Cold

Post by amer6R »

Well the highest load on the battery via power steering system should be stationary and full lock to lock. You can see this when you face the wall with headlight on, and then you turn lock to lock and the leadlight will dim and go bright again.
This is not just with VAG, all brands are affected by this.

Well you can load your alternator and battery via turning on your power consumers. Like rear defroster, stereo, interior fan, ac, headlights. Turn something on a this will put strain on the battery and alternator.
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