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MG MGF Technical - Power Steering

Woke my TF this AM, to take it for its recall checks. It was COLD here and the car was HEAVILY frosted up (we were home late last night and the SunMate didn't go on...holds head in shame!!)

Anyway, when I finally started to back out of my drivelet, I appeared to have no power steering assistance, the steering being VERY heavy. This continued for several seconds until I had started moving forwards, when it started to lighten up and it's remained OK since.

Anyone else had anything like this??
SimonKE

Simon. Funny you mention this!! I have had the same feeling a coupla times recently& I've even got out the car to see if a tyre was flat!
But you are right in what you say, it seems to 'free' up within a few seconds.
Thought it was just me going daft!
quikstu

Low voltage may be.
EPAS cuts out if there is to less power.
Dieter K.

SimponKE - I notice that you were reversing with heavy steering which corrected when he went forward.

Quickstu - were you reversing at the time?

Dieter - is there any connection between the EPAS and forward motion?

JohnP

(Why I am being referred to as a Non-Member???)

Dieter....I had been warming the engine up for several minutes before moving off....the windows were VERY icy!!! Would've expected the voltage to have regularised by then?????

JohnP...As I reversed off the drive steering = very heavy; As I drove forward a few yards to where Annie was chiselling the Polo into life, steering = heavy; After telling her about the problem I drove off, steering = becoming normal.

Curious.....
SimonKE

No EPAS related connection to reverse ride known.

>had been warming the engine up for several minutes before moving off.

Hmm, could be two reasons then ..
As said already, low input voltage to EPAS ECU due to the battery condition if the engine ran in idle mode, heater fan full off etc.

Or....
If you ran of the engine without driving then the well known security mode of EPAS came off.
Was 30 seconds above any higher rev count (25002500 rev/min).

All around I would not worry if the failure doesn't get back.
Keep an eye on the battery though.

Dieter K.

Cheers Dieter

>> the well known security mode of EPAS

What is this?? (Good grief...SOOO much to learn!!)

Must admit, I'm a tad concerned that several of my "glitches" have steered you guys to the battery/electrics (BTW the heater was only on 2 at the time and I was blipping the throttle, whilst I shivered!!).

The car drives 15 miles to work each morning and (obviously) 15 miles back in the evening, with the middle section on the Thanet Way at 70/90 mph, and all temperatures reach normal. Surely these journeys are sufficiently long to keep the battery fully charged??


SimonKE

(Why I am being referred to as a Non-Member???) Maybe "they" know who you are? Actually a newish security measure on the BBS - you need to register/join the BBS and the bookmark the startpage amd non-member should disappear. Also gives access to the full archive. Registration is free.

Well done Dieter - I had read about this EPAS safety thingie but forgotten all about it. Not sure exactly what it is for but sit still for too long at too high a tickover does turn off EPAS for some reason. Resets of its own accord after short period of driving.

Try the archive SimonKE or plague your dealer. If you get a sensible answer from a dealer post it on here for the rest of us.

As you say - so much to learn and remmber. Only had mine for 12 months and sometimes yearn for the simple days of Mondeo ownership - get up in the morning, start the car, drive it, stay dry when it rains, see where I'm going at night etc etc but never found how to remove the roof on a sunny day :-)
JohnP

>Not sure exactly what it is for but...
It's so if the sensor for the speed comes disconnected it fails in a safe way (rather than making the car super twitchey at high speed)

Will
Will Munns

Seems so obvious when it comes from you Will - Cheers
JohnP

>>...and the bookmark the startpage amd non-member should disappear....

>>...If you get a sensible answer from a dealer...

JohnP...You been drinkin' again??? ;-)

BTW, I "joined" the BBS on my first visit in September, but haven't bothered to log in, as such, since then!!

Will...don't know if you read my post re my engine warning light, but I wondered if you had any view on the MGR Techie's comment about the exhaust flap operation being ROAD speed related, rather than ENGINE speed. His words were that "the factory told us it stayed closed until you got over 19 mph" ???

SimonKE

>His words were that "the factory told us it stayed closed until you got over 19 mph" ???
The flap is opened by a signal from the ECU, anything could be used to pick the trigger point (I would try playing with the throttle and seeing if the flap opened at standstill, then place a piece of pape over the pipe, rolled into a tube (open ended) and drive calmly over 19mph and see if it gets sooty.
Will Munns

Hi SimonKE. I can only blame the flu bug which attyacked me over the weekend and has left me with a bad case of the 'who moved the letters on the keyboard'
JohnP

Hey, John, hope you're feeling better soon!!

BTW, where North of Watford are you?? Annie and I are travelling (M1/A5/M6) to Morecambe on thursday AM for a weekend music fest...silver TF160 HOPEFULLY with the grey ragtop DOWN.

Give us a wave if you see us!!
S R Kenyon-Edwards

Only just - Welwyn Garden City just off A1 but would wave if I saw you
JohnP

...yeah, but how many fingers John?? ;-D
SimonKE

This thread was discussed between 22/02/2003 and 25/02/2003

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