What Steering Wheel Warning Light Means
Power steering wheel warning light is an indication OBD2 monitoring has found a fault in power steering system. Hydraulic power steering has been utilized in cars for over 100 years. Power steering was optional until not long ago.
You had to pay extra for power steering when you bought a new car. However, last few decades power steering has become standard equipment on all volume production vehicles.
There are two types of power steering: Hydraulic power steering and Electrical power steering. Hydraulic power steering uses a hydraulic pump and fluid to create hydraulic pressure. Electrical power steering uses an electrical motor to provide steering aid, electrical power steering is simpler, cheaper and quieter.
Hydraulic Power Steering: Steering wheel light with exclamation mark
Usually a steering wheel warning light in hydraulic operated power steering comes down to low hydraulic fluid. Low fluid level is mostly caused by leaks in power steering lines, power steering pump or steering rack. Check fluid reservoir under the hood and top up as necessary.
Some hydraulic power steering systems use ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid), same fluid utilized in automatic transmissions. Make sure to buy right type of fluid, power steering fluid type is specified on vehicle manual booklet or you can find it online.
If hydraulic power steering fails completely, steering will be operable but heavier to steer without assistance of power steering.
Refilling power steering fluid reservoir is only a temporary solution. Diagnose hydraulic power steering system for leaks and repaired it to prevent future malfunctions.
Electric Power Steering: Steering light with exclamation point
Electric power steering warning light might appear as ”Steering wheel with exclamation point” or “EPS light” (Electric power steering). Electrical power steering is operated electrically and controlled electronically.
Involvement of electrical motors, steering angle sensors and electronic controls make electrical power steering problems harder to diagnose.
Sometimes electric steering problems might be a simple electronic glitch of steering electronic control or steering angle sensor. Turning off your car and restarting it again might restart steering system and fix the problem.
If that doesn’t help, remove battery negative terminal post and leave it disconnected for 10 minutes. Otherwise, you need an OBD2 scanner to check trouble codes. Either way, electrical power steering problems are typically complicated and need professional diagnosing and repairs.
If electrical power steering malfunctions, your car will still be drivable but with “hard to steer” manual steering mode.
In case you are in the market for a used car:
– How to Negotiate When Buying a Used Car
– What to Check When Buying a Used Car
(If you are looking for a fast and easy solution to sell your car, more here on “How To Sell Your Car Fast In Ontario”. )
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