How To Fix Power Steering Assist Fault Ford Mustang

Power steering is a modern marvel that many of us accept for granted. Notwithstanding, this advanced organisation isn't free of defects, especially as it gets older. If you notice a dashboard warning light or you are having trouble controlling your vehicle, y'all desire to know how to ready a power steering assist mistake because you don't want to drive with these problems.

In this guide, nosotros explicate the power steering assist system and await at what could exist causing the trouble. We also show you how to repair it once yous figure out what's wrong. At the end of our guide, we encompass the estimate costs of repairing the system based on what must exist dealt with.

What does the Power Steering Aid Fault Bulletin mean?

The Power Steering Assist Mistake message means that at that place is an issue with your electrical or mechanical power steering organization. The set might include just calculation power steering fluid or repairing an electric fault, only it could as well be due to a more than serious upshot.

These days near cars apply electrical ability steering, and in most cases when you lot see this warning message, there is something wrong with this unit or its sensors. Allow'due south take a closer wait into the system.

RELATED: Hydraulic vs Electric Power Steering – Differences, Pros & Cons

What Is Power Steering Assist?

In the eye of the 20^th century, y'all had to muscle the steering bicycle of a motorcar to get it to go where you lot wanted. It wasn't until 1951 that power steering first showed up in domestic automobiles. The first model to receive it was the Chrysler Imperial.

Since its first introduction, the ability steering organisation has get more avant-garde. Today, nosotros have electric ability-assisted steering systems. While it even so has a hydraulic pump to button fluid, information technology doesn't blot the free energy created by the engine every bit the older types did. Instead, an electrical pump is used to pressurize the fluid, and then steering is made easier.

Hydraulic fluid is establish in the reservoir. As you move the steering wheel, the fluid transfers and creates a forcefulness that works to turn the wheels. Older systems have a belt that connects to the engine to draw free energy. Today's vehicles, especially those that are hybrid, have an electric pump instead that runs off of the battery.

Today's avant-garde safety features run off of the ability steering, which is why the system is and then important. If your vehicle uses parallel parking assist, lane assist or other avant-garde applied science, the EPAS system might play a role in the performance.

RELATED: Steering Wheel Difficult to Turn? (Hither's What Causes it)

Causes of Power Steering Assist Fault

ane. Low Fluid

Both the hydraulic and electric power steering systems contain fluid to operate correctly. If the steering fluid isn't topped off completely, you could start running into trouble. Typically, when the fluid is low, you volition accept to work harder to turn your vehicle.

Information technology'southward of import to know why the fluid is low and then there aren't whatsoever other problems downwardly the road. If there'southward a leak, you demand to repair this trouble before you refill the organization. Otherwise, the aforementioned thing is going to happen or you lot could lose power steering completely.

You should besides be changing the power steering fluid at regular intervals. Cheque the owner's transmission to figure out how often this should be.

RELATED: Ability Steering Fluid Colors – What Do They Mean?

2. Bad steering bending sensor

In order for the power steering aid to function properly, information technology needs to know how much your steering cycle is turned or if information technology's straight. To know this, the automobile uses a steering angle sensor that sits backside your steering wheel.

If this sensor goes bad and shows the incorrect angle, it volition cause the power steering assist error bulletin to appear. You may experience other problems with traction control or other important systems when this sensor is also bad.

RELATED: 4 Signs of a Bad Steering Angle Sensor

3. Bad Cycle alignment

If your wheel alignment is very bad information technology can trick the computer into thinking the steering angle sensor is the problem and this will cause the power steering assist fault message to announced.

If you lot discover that your steering wheel is non straight, fifty-fifty when driving your car straight at higher speeds, or if your car pulls to one side, y'all may accept a wheel alignment problem.

RELATED: five Symptoms of a Bad Wheel Alignment (Why you should fix information technology)

4. Blown fuse

In some cases, the trouble could be something as simple equally a blown fuse for the power steering pump or some other ability steering system. Usually, a fuse should not blow if there is zilch wrong, merely it may actually be simply a sudden voltage spike.

Check your possessor's transmission to find the location of the power steering organisation fuses in your car.

5. Electrical Fault

Electric problems can e'er be to blame, particularly if you have a newer power steering system. If the fluid is full and you lot checked the other things, this would be your next stride.

It could be due to a low battery. If the light is on the dashboard, you can utilize your code scanner for hunting downwardly the problem. You lot should likewise inspect the wiring and connectors making upward the steering system, as anything could go wrong later many years of use.

6. Failing Belt

If you lot take a traditional power steering setup, there's a belt running from the engine. It harnesses the power to operate the power steering.

Nevertheless, this chugalug is known for causing bug. If you hear a foreign sound while turning, the problem could be a bad belt.

RELATED: vii Symptoms of a Bad Serpentine Belt (& Replacement Cost)

vii. Bad Ability Steering Pump

Both the traditional and electrical power steering systems accept pumps, fifty-fifty though they operate differently. If the pump starts to fail, the fluid can't flow through the organisation.

In both instances, the pump is the to the lowest degree likely function to fail, but it'due south not impossible. If your troubleshooting hasn't led to any other causes, it might be fourth dimension to evaluate the pump.

How to Gear up a Ability Steering Help Fault

1. Add Fluid

It'southward important to cheque the power steering fluid ofttimes and you should summit information technology off whenever necessary. While the system shouldn't lose fluid, it's ever wise to double-check. If you are noticing a drop in fluid, you want to fill it dorsum up and effigy out what'due south causing the sudden drop. Whatsoever leaks should be dealt with promptly.

Most automakers also recommend replacing the ability steering fluid every four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes starting time. Non changing the fluid can cause contamination, making it less constructive at completing its job.

2. Cheque trouble codes

Before you offset troubleshooting anything electrical with your automobile, you should e'er read the fault codes with an OBD2 scanner. This can give yous very valuable information then you don't take to waste your money.

If the power steering assistance mistake message appears on your dashboard, there is a fault code stored that tells why the light is on. You can either become to a car repair workshop to have them read the fault codes for you, or yous tin can get your ain OBD2 scanner. However, it'southward important to become a scanner uniform with the ability steering help system in your car model.

4. Go a wheel alignment

If you scan the trouble codes and notice that there is a problem with the steering angle sensor, you may want to accept a wait at the wheel alignment first. If you have your owner's OBD2 scanner, you can check the steering angle values from the sensor.

If it seems to show the correct readings and your steering bicycle is not directly when driving at college speeds, you may want to get a wheel alignment.

3. Replace Steering bending sensor

If the wheel alignment seems fine, merely the mistake codes still say at that place is a problem with the steering angle sensor, you lot may need to replace information technology. To replace the steering angle sensor, you must remove the steering cycle in most models to admission it.

Unfortunately, in some machine models, yous need to program the new steering angle sensor, which tin oft only be done past the dealer.

four. Repair Electrical Fault

Troubleshooting an electrical fault isn't always simple. There's a lot of wiring and connectors to audit if you want to hunt down the problem. We recommend starting with the fuse considering it's possible that it has blown.

If that's not the problem, it's time to move on to everything electrical in the arrangement. If you find whatever connectors or wiring that is frayed or damaged, information technology'south time to replace information technology.

5. Supervene upon Failing Chugalug

With a chugalug-driven system, you might demand a replacement to fix the consequence. In some models, this isn't that difficult to do.

Withal, there are many models that make it hard to change the chugalug. If you aren't sure what you are doing, information technology's all-time to visit a professional earlier anything else gets messed upward.

six. Supplant Power Steering Pump

Most people don't desire to deal with replacing a power steering pump, but this part tin can fail too. If your diagnostic evaluation leads yous to the pump, you will demand to put a new one on.

Read through the service manual to figure out the steps for your vehicle. Otherwise, take it to a local auto repair shop for additional help.

Price to Set a Power Steering Assist Fault

The repair toll to prepare your power steering assistance fault could be anywhere from $5 to $550 or more, depending on what the diagnosis shows. If you only need to put a lilliputian fluid in the organization or you must replace a fuse, your repair price will be minimal.

Repairing leaks, electrical problems or major components tin crusade the beak to become upwards much higher. Additionally, luxury cars are usually e'er more expensive to fix, not but because of the pricey parts only also considering you need a special mechanic to work on the organization.

If y'all can perform the repairs on your own, it volition be much easier to keep the bill to a minimum. Nevertheless, you should never piece of work on the hydraulic or electric power steering organisation if you aren't sure what you are dealing with. I modest mistake can quickly create larger issues that will quickly crusade the repair bill to skyrocket.

Power Steering Assist FAQs

How much does information technology cost to fix the power steering assist fault?

You can expect to pay between $0 and $thousand to prepare the power steering assist fault, but there is no fixed price. If you lot're lucky, you lot can set it by replacing a fuse or adding power steering fluid which can toll y'all nether $10. If you lot're unlucky, information technology'south caused past a bad power steering pump that could cost you $1000 or more.

Can you lot drive with a power steering fault?

Although you can drive with a power steering failure, information technology is definitely not recommended. It becomes much more difficult to handle your car and it can even result in an accident if you are non able to maneuver the car fast plenty.

What is the benefit of power assistant steering?

Power assistant steering, or power steering, is a organization designed to make it easier for the commuter to steer a car. It does this by using a hydraulic pump to create a force on the steering cycle that assists in turning the machine. This makes information technology easier for the driver to plough the wheel, which can exist helpful when trying to maneuver a car.

How do I know if my power assisted steering is working?

If yous don't see whatsoever alert lights or messages on your dashboard related to the ability steering and the steering cycle is easy to turn and operate, your power steering is most likely working fine.

Source: https://mechanicbase.com/driving/power-steering-assist-fault/