4 THE UP-TO-DATE TECHNICAL INSIGHT IN AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATIONS

edition 4 / APRIL 2015

STEERING
one of the vehicle’s active safety elements

5
ELECTRIC
POWER STEERING
 IN THIS ISSUE

INTRODUCTION
2 STEERABLE
REAR AXLES 10
HYDRAULIC
POWER STEERING 3 COMMON
FAILURES 12
TECHNICAL
NOTES 14

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 The steering system is made up of a set of mechanisms that orient the front wheels by the turning
of the steering wheel located inside the vehicle.
Today, steering is one of the vehicle’s active safety elements. It affects the stability of motion
because it is designed to prevent any one wheel from being dragged by the others. This is achieved
thanks to the alignment in combination with the geometry of the front and rear drive trains.
The direct consequences of stable movement are improved comfort and safety.

In regard to assistance systems during vehicle manoeuvers, evolution has been significant, with
hydraulic technology giving way, logically, to electro-mechanical technology.
Steering systems have evolved to improve driving safety and above all, driving comfort. Today
there are compact steering systems in which the rear wheels also direct the motion.

Types of Steering

the rotational movement generated by the steering wheel into a

linear movement on the tie rods, which drive the swivel joints to
orient the wheels in the direction desired by the driver.The steering
The main elements that are involved in a rack and pinion steering system rack is the ideal mechanism for automobiles because of its simple
can be represented, from the action of the driver to the directional maintenance and low production cost. To reduce the effort required,
movement of the wheels, as the ones described below. assistance systems were introduced, and they may now be hydraulic
or electro-mechanical, in order to improve driving comfort and safety.
1. Steering Wheel. The steering wheel is connected to the The functioning of the steering rack takes into account different
steering column. The rotational movement by the driver allows factors, such as the reduction ratio and the vehicle’s turning radius.
the rotation of the column on the steering rack to in turn transmit
a linear movement to the directional wheels of the vehicle. Reduction involves having to turn the steering wheel more or less
to achieve an adequate angle. The smaller the turning radius of
2. Steering column. This is the bar that connects the steering the vehicle, the better it will drive in cities or on winding roads. In this
wheel and the steering box, which transmits the rotational torque case, the size of the chassis, wheelbase, is a very influential factor.
generated by the driver. It has a structure with a safety configuration
to minimize injuries to driver in the case of a head-on collision. There are currently two different types of assistance that can be
installed in vehicles. The technology that is applied will vary depending
3. Steering rack or box. The steering rack is the most significant on the type of vehicle and its use.
element in the assembly because it is responsible for transforming

HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING

Mechanically driven hydraulic pump

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 H
Y
This steering system D
incorporates hydraulic R
power steering. It uses A
an oil pump mechanically U
driven by an auxiliary en- L
gine belt that transmits the I
torque to the pump, which C
creates an oil flow and
pressure proportional to P
the engine speed. O
W
This assistance improves E
driver comfort during park- R
ing manoeuvres and when travelling at low speed. The hydraulic pump
incorporates internal pressure control valves, giving more assistance at S
low engine rpm and reducing it at higher engine speeds when assistance T
is not required. E
E
The hydraulic system is made up of a series of common elements which R
are: the hydraulic pump, a cooling circuit, a distributor or rotary valve and Hydraulic power assistance by mechanical pump drive I
a hydraulic cylinder. N
The fluid from the hydraulic pump G
The purpose of the hydraulic pump is to generate and supply the oil flow is conducted to the distributor or
and pressure necessary to provide assistance to the steering rack. The rotary valve located on top of the
most commonly used pumps are the vane or gear type. rack.

Main Components The purpose of this valve is to

distribute the fluid to the hydraulic
Rotary vane pump cylinder that is normally found in-
side the rack.
Driving the pump causes the vane to open internally by centrifu-
gal force, adapting to the oval shape of the oil chamber. The cham- When assistance is not required, the fluid returns to the reservoir.
ber normally has inlet and outlet ducts. The vanes draw the oil
from the suction duct and make it pass through the chamber hav- Operation
ing different volumes, thus increasing the oil pressure for its use.
The pistons move axially depending on the flow and pressure of the
fluid received due to the required assistance demand.

Gear pump

The operating principle is based on

two meshed gears, one of them is
the drive gear and the other the idler
gear. The intermeshing of both gears
creates a volume variation and in-
creases the oil pressure.
When the steering wheel is at rest, the oil pressure is divided equally
The fluid is pumped and distributed in both pistons, cancelling the potential difference so that there is no
to the hydraulic system in order to assistance and the unused fluid returns to the reservoir.
provide the necessary assistance to
the steering rack.

There are various hydraulic regulators inside the pump whose purpose
is to regulate the oil pressure and maintain it at a constant so there is no
loss of assistance, especially during parking manoeuvres.

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When the steering wheel moves, the torsion bar twists
in accordance with the force applied to the steer-
ing wheel and the resistance of the wheels to turning.

Nowadays, there are pressure control systems for power assisted

steering that consist of a solenoid valve located next to the rotary valve
body.

The distributor valve uncovers the fluid paths between the two cylinder
chambers causing the pistons to move in accordance with the turn re-
quested by the driver

The distributor valve sends the fluid pressure to the piston that is op-
posite to the applied turn direction, this causes a hydraulic potential
difference in the chambers and thus provides assistance to the torque
applied to the steering wheel.

The fluid is constantly recirculating inside the hydraulic circuit in order

to conserve the chemical properties of the oil, in order to best ensure Its purpose is basically to reduce the pressure in one of the cham-
steering assistance. bers by causing an escape of fluid to the circuit return. This allows the
pressure to be adjusted to each circumstance depending on other data
obtained by the steering control unit.

Electrically driven hydraulic pump

The structure of this power steering system is similar to conventional pow- • It simplifies and reduces the size of the system, as the majority of
er assisted steering. In this system, the oil pressure and flow necessary to components are
drive the hydraulic power steering is generated by an electric pump that grouped together in
operates independently from the engine. the electrohydraulic
assembly, making it
This system currently has a control unit that receives signals from different easier to position in
sensors, as well as information from the Multiplexing Network. It will regu- the engine compart-
late the power signal to the electric pump depending on this information. ment.
• Fuel saving, the
The advantages of electrohydraulic power steering are as follows: electrohydraulic as-
sembly operates
• Greater comfort and easy handling during repeated manoeuvres. independently from the engine and there is no belt drive.
• It improves active safety, as variation in the assistance increases the • The electronic management system allows maximum flow at idle,
handling accuracy. thus increasing assistance during parking manoeuvres.
• It optimises the number of components as it uses signals from other
systems through the Multiplexing Network.

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 E
L
Main components drawn through a chamber directly from the reservoir and is pumped to the E
hydraulic circuit. C
The electrohydraulic power steering T
is made up of three different actuation The oil outlet pressure is controlled and limited by a valve in order to pre- R
units: electrical, hydraulic and mechan- vent damage that could be caused by excess pressure. I
ical. C
The purpose of the rotary valve is to distribute the oil from the hydraulic
Electric unit block to the assistance cylinder chambers or to the reservoir depending P
on the driver’s demand. O
The main components in this unit are W
the electric motor, the coantrol unit and Mechanical unit E
the various sensors, which normally R
form a compact block. The design and operation of the rack’s mechanical components is similar
to that of power steering with a hydraulic pump. S
Hydraulic unit T
E
The purpose of the hydraulic unit com- E
ponents is to generate the oil flow and R
pressure at all times to provide the as- I
sistance requested by the driver. The N
unit is made up of the hydraulic pump, G
the pressure limiter valve and the oil
reservoir, which together form a single
assembly.

The operating principle of a hydraulic

gear pump is based on an electric mo-
tor, the rotor of which is the drive gear
which moves the idler gear. The oil is

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING

Power assistance on the steering rack

Technologically, power steering systems have evolved continuously and

hydraulic circuits are slowly being phased out due to the evolution of elec-
tro-mechanical systems managed by control units.

The use of electric power steering reduces environmental impact be-

cause, in addition to saving fuel, it does not use hydraulic oil as the

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electric motor only runs when the driver turns the steering wheel. effort generated by the turning manoeuvre, precisely transferring the
movement to the steering wheel during driving.
The electrical system is activated automatically depending on the driv-
er’s needs while driving the vehicle or during parking manoeuvres; in The advantages of electrically-driven power steering with respect to
other words, it is only activated when additional assistance is required. hydraulic power steering are obvious because it eliminates the need
The magnitude of this assistance will depend on the speed of the vehi- for the components that generate hydraulic pressure and the network
cle and the steering angle. of tubing. It also reduces the environmental impact because it does not
require hydraulic fluid.
The assistance is generated by an electric motor located in the steering The system as a whole occupies a smaller space because all of the
rack itself. The motor transfers the assistance torque to the steering components are coupled directly on the steering rack itself. The noise
rack through a geared drive pinion on the steering rack bar. generated by the operation of the system is reduced considerably,
along with fuel consumption, because the electric motor only operates
The control unit excites the electric motor depending on the assistance when the driver needs it.
needs requested by the driver at any given time, so that it reduces the

Management of electro-mechanical assistance, components and functions

The steering control unit determines the assistance torque based on

different magnitudes, such as:
• The signal of the torque applied to the steering wheel
• The signal of steering angle
• The vehicle’s speed
• The speed of the internal combustion engine
• The set of characteristics adapted by the control unit

Based on these parameters, the management of the assistance

adjusts the excitation of the electric motor at any given time, assisting
the driver to ensure that the manoeuvre is executed as correctly as
possible.
For the system to function properly, the steering control unit uses the multiplexed network with other control units to provide or exchange
signals from the steering torque sensor, steering angle sensor, rotor data required for management of the system.
speed sensor, and the thermal sensor. It also communicates via the

Synoptic diagram of the power steering

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 E
L
Steering torque sensor This sensor is installed on the steering column and the signal that it E
generates is managed by the steering column control unit to calculate C
This is normally housed the angle and turning speed of the steering wheel. T
inside the steering rack, R
mounted on the column, It is a goniometric sensor that operates based on light barrier principles. I
along with the steering The sensor is made up of two coded rings, seven light sources, and C
pinion gear. seven optical sensors, and control electronics.
P
These functions based on Each position of the steering wheel corresponds to an angular sector of O
magnetic-resistive prin- the rings, which will allow the beam of light emitted by each light source W
ciples and consists of a to be detected by the corresponding optical sensor, which generate a E
magnetic ring made up of current voltage. R
24 magnets with alternat-
ing polarities and an angle The steering column’s control unit transforms the signal into binary mes- S
of 5° per pole. It also in- sages, which are sent over the multiplexed network to be used by the T
cludes a dual sensor that steering control unit for the power steering as corrective signals. E
is sensitive to variations in E
the magnetic field. Steering control unit R
I
Mechanically, the pinion gear consists of three parts: shaft, spiral bevel It is normally secured to the steering rack block, forming a unit with the N
gear, and torsion bar. electric motor. It has two sensors inside: a thermal sensor and another G
sensor for rotor revolutions. The thermal sensor constantly verifies the
(1) The magnetic ring temperature of the final power stage to protect it in case of excessive
of the sensor is located temperature.
on the shaft.

(2) The spiral bevel

gear is mounted on
the top of the shaft and
meshes with the steer-
ing rack at the bottom.

(3) The dual sensor is

located at the top end
of the gear.

The sensor detects the

offset angle of the tor-
sion bar with respect to
the intermediate shaft.

The offset determines

the torsion deforma-
tion, creating a torque The revolutions sensor knows the actual revolutions of the rotor at any
signal that is propor- given time. This parameter is important to allow the control unit to de-
tional to the generated torsion, which is then sent to the steering control termine the excitation of the
unit. electric motor with greater
precision.
Steering angle sensor
The steering control unit
communicates via CAN-
BUS with the other units that
are involved in the proper
functioning of the steering
assistance. It evaluates and
corrects each situation of the
vehicle’s movement, adjust-
ing the user’s demands with
the maximum degree of pre-
cision.

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In the case of malfunctions or failures in the power steering system, the Straight driving correction
user will be alerted to the severity of the malfunction by an indicator light.
In the case of minor malfunctions, the indicator will be yellow, and red if
the malfunction is more serious and the user should go immediately to a
repair shop.

Active return

When the user stops applying force to the steering wheel, the torsion bar
relaxes proportionally and the assistance magnitude decreases. To carry
out this function, the control unit recognizes the parameters applied in the
degree of assistance.

Depending on the steering return speed applied by the user and the speed
of the vehicle, the return torque that the electric motor must contribute to
allow the wheels to return to their original position in the straight driving
position is calculated. In order for the wheels to recover the straight driving position automatically,
servo-assisted torque is applied provided that there are no moments of
force applied to the steering wheel, restoring the initial position.

To avoid breakage or malfunctions in the steering system caused by the

“mechanical end stop”, the control unit limits the assistance in the 5 de-
grees before the end of the steering rack’s range of movement.

Assistance on the steering column

In this case, the The system is grouped into a com-

steering assistance pact unit, which contains all of the
is located on the components, such as the control
steering column unit, electric motor, torque, steering,
and is generated by and thermal sensors required for
an electric motor. management. This eliminates wiring.
This power steer-
ing system assists The gears of the electric motor are
the steering move- coupled to the steering column and
ments of the driver are made of steel, as opposed to the
of the vehicle. crown gear on the steering column,
which is usually made of co-stamped
The functional prin- plastic. Both gears offer reduction
ciple of the system with a turning ratio of 22:1.
is similar to that of the system with assistance on the driving rack. It works
based on the speed of the vehicle and transmits a sensation of direct
steering to the user, without the influences generated by the pavement.

Synoptic diagram of management for electric assistance on the steering column

Management is controlled by input and output signals that the steering signal. Based on this data, the control unit regulates the excitation of the
control unit receives. This control unit constantly evaluates the data re- electric motor, according to the level of assistance demanded by the driver.
corded by the sensors, whether it is the torque signal or steering angle

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 E
L
The steering unit communicates via the CAN network with the motor con- If the system malfunctions, the vehicle user is informed of the malfunction E
trol unit and the ABS control unit to adjust the steering assistance with and its severity by indicator lights on the dashboard. C
greater precision. T
R
I
C

P
O
W
E
R

S
T
E
E
R
I
N
G

Functioning of the system

When the driver turns the steering wheel in the desired direction, an offset
is generated in the torsion bar, providing the steering control unit with the
signals for the magnitude of the force, the direction of the turn, and the
speed applied to the steering wheel.

The sum of the torque applied to the steering wheel and the assistance
torque is the effective torque that acts on the steering rack.

Because of the geometry of the front drive train, the wheels tend to return
to the straight-line position. If the return torque is greater than the sum of
When the user increases the force applied to the steering wheel, the as- the torque applied to the steering wheel and the assistance torque, the
sistance torque supplied in the electric motor is intensified, which allows power steering system initiates the return to the straight position.
the smooth turning on the steering rack control.
Some automobile makes provide a switch called “CITY”, which is also
In the opposite case, the offset on the torsion bar decreases and the unit identified by a pictogram with a figure of a steering wheel. Its function is
corrects the excitation applied to the motor, reducing the assistance on to make the assistance smoother by applying less effort on the steering
the column. wheel in order to facilitate manoeuvres in the most demanding situations.

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 STEERABLE REAR AXLES
Operating principle
In a vehicle steering system, it is advisable that assistance to the steering
wheel reduces as the vehicle’s speed increases, but the reduction ratio
and turning radius are also
very important factors.
The system can operate together with other safety systems by activating
For example, vehicles with a the rear wheel steering to stabilise the vehicle in low grip conditions. In
small reduction ratio favour these situations, the stability control system control unit delays its activa-
low speed manoeuvres but tion and only intervenes when required, while the driver does not need to
are unsafe when travelling move the steering wheel to maintain the trajectory.
at speed. As regards the
turning radius, vehicles with Renault 4Control system
a small turning radius are
best for city driving or wind- One of the newest four wheel steering systems is that used by the French
ing roads and are easier to park, but are also not very safe at high speeds.

Some manufacturers opt for

installing variable steering
systems, where it is possi-
ble to change the reduction
ratio of the rack or the turn-
ing radius. Nevertheless,
none of these systems has
allowed the turning radius
to be reduced at the same
time as improving the dy-
namic safety of the vehicle.
This is due to the steering being mounted on the front axle, which produces
more body roll due to inertial movement and means that suspension must
be very stiff if stability is required, and the level of comfort will also be lost.

To largely solve this problem, some models are equipped with four wheel
steering trains, in which the steerable rear axle assists in the driving of the brand Renault, called 4Control. For its operation, there is an electric motor
vehicle, provides reliability and safety and allows a more flexible suspen- located next to the rear axle which actuates, through a joint, the partial
sion system to be installed to increase ride comfort. turning of the rear wheel steering knuckles.

In this system, the turning angle of the rear wheels varies depending on The rear steering system control unit is responsible for actuating the steer-
the speed of the vehicle, assisting the driver in taking the correct trajectory ing on the rear axle in accordance with the different data that it receives
instantaneously. At high speeds, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as well as specific mapping that it has available. It has three connections:
as the front wheels, reducing roll on curves and improving safety without
the need to use very stiff suspension. Conversely, at low speed, the rear 1. Connection with the vehicle installation. Power and communication is
wheels steer in the opposite direction to the front wheels, reducing the received through the vehicle’s multiplexing network.
turning angle and helping manoeuvres on closed curves.

In either case, the turning movement of the rear wheels is small in order to
prevent, in case of a defect in the system, possible losses of traction that
could cause an accident, but sufficient to clearly improve the behaviour of
the vehicle in curves.

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 S
T
2. Connection with the actuator for sensor information. E
E
3. Connection with the actuator for operation of the electric motor. R
A
The steering direction and angle basically depend on the turning of the B
steering wheel and speed of the vehicle. This latter data is vital, as the L
turning of the rear wheels is actuated in one direction or another depend- E
ing on the vehicle’s speed. The instantaneous dynamic data is also very
important. This involves comparing and memorising successive move- R
ments of the steering wheel over time, so that the style of driving or the E
type of curves in the road can be determined, or even if a movement is A
made to avoid an obstacle. R

Once the necessary direction and angle are determined, the 4Control con- A
trol unit activates the actuator located on the rear axle. This is attached by X
one side by means of a tie rod to one end of the suspension axle, while the running, it turns a worm drive which extends or withdraws the actuator in L
other end is attached to a tilt system at the centre of the suspension axle. order to move the tilt system and, consequently, transmit the turning angle E
This component is attached by the other side to the two steering arms that to the wheels through the steering knuckles. S
go to the steering knuckles.

The fastening of the actuator to the end of the axle is achieved by means
of a rubber bushing, while on the tilt system side it is fastened with a dou-
ble ball joint. A rubber bushing joint is fitted to the top of the steering knuck-
les with a ball joint at the bottom.

The actuator is made up of an electric motor, an absolute position sensor

that provides information on the initial position of the system, and three
Hall effect relative position sensors that the control unit uses to determine
the position of the motor when it is in operation. When the electric motor is

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 COMMON FAILURES
All steering system components and parts are constantly subjected to even break, causing it to fail.
different loads due to pressures and temperatures produced while the The most frequent failures depend on the type of power assistance
vehicle is being driven. After the vehicle has driven many kilometres, used in the steering system.
the mechanical parts of the steering system may loosen, tighten, or

Hydraulic power steering with mechanical action

Rotary-vane pumps have a tendency to tighten or seize up due to high tempera-

tures inside the pump. These high temperatures are caused by friction between
parts, causing them to wear. Using the wrong type of oil when maintaining the
system can produce this problem.

When this type of failure occurs, the pump transmission parts must be checked,
as well as the engine auxiliary belt mechanisms, i.e. the idler pulleys, rollers,
and even the tensioners.

Check that the fluid pressure at the pump outlet is as indicated by the manu-
facturer. If the pressure is too high, the fault originates in the internal pressure regulator, which is not correctly regulating the
working pressure. If the pressure is low, the fault originates in the pressure adjuster, which is not creating the correct internal
pressure due to it being too loose or too tight. In some pumps, the pressure regulator is an external adjuster and is controlled
electronically.

Hydraulic pumps can be repaired. Manufacturers can supply the necessary replacement parts. If the type of failure means that
repair is not possible, the whole pump must be replaced.

Electrically powered hydraulic steering

The electric motor that drives the hydraulic pump may cause problems in the long term. The pump may stop functioning, or
it may function, but provide insufficient power, or it may function sporadically.
In addition, noise coming from inside the electric pump can alert us to a fault.

Firstly, the condition of the battery should be checked, as this type of system
consumes a large amount of electricity and a low battery level may cause the
system to function incorrectly.

Communication between the steering control unit and the engine control
unit must be stable. The steering control unit needs to communicate with
the sensors used in the engine management system. To check that these
components are communicating correctly, a test is performed using a diag-
nosis machine.

Sometimes, the sensors in the electric pump/unit assembly may cause in-
stable functioning as they have been incorrectly read. They are checked
using a diagnosis machine.

In many cases the electric pump assembly cannot be repaired and has to be replaced. There may be local specialist com-
panies which repair faults in electric pump assemblies.

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 C
O
Electric power steering with rack and pinion M
M
O
The most common failures are: stiff steering due to a failure N
of the power steering system, a power steering system that
functions when steering in one direction but not in the other,
and a system that only functions sporadically. F
A
An electric motor located in the steering rack and pinion may I
lose power if it does not have a sufficient power supply, if L
there are connection faults, or if the sensors are not being U
read correctly (either the steering angle sensor or one of R
the pair located on the torsion bar). Other failures produce E
internal noise in the rack and pinion due to looseness of the S
mechanical elements.

It is important to first check the battery and the system con-

nections and to ensure that they have the correct voltage. If
the voltage is lower than the specified limits, the electric motor will not supply sufficient power during the turning manoeuvre.

It is necessary to check using diagnosis that the sensors’ readings are within the parameters specified by the manufacturer.
It is also important to check that communication between the steering unit and the motor unit is stable.

Lastly, check that noise is not produced inside the steering rack and pinion when the steering system is operating.

If the battery has a charge lower than that specified, it should be replaced with a new battery.

Specialised technicians can repair these systems, either by repairing the control unit at an electronic level, or using comput-
erized updates.er steering in the column

Electric power steering in the column

The failures in these systems are similar to those of electric pow-

er steering with rack and pinion. Common failures are: sporad-
ic power steering while the vehicle is being driven, stiffer steer-
ing in one direction than the other, and that the power steering
stops functioning, but works again when the vehicle is restarted.

Check that the power supplied to the system is as indicated by the manu-
facturer and there that are no falls in voltage during power steering.

Diagnosis is performed using a diagnosis machine, which checks that the

data recorded by the sensors is within the parameters established by the
manufacturer.

Communication between the steering control unit and the engine control unit is carried out by the multiplexing circuit. It is
important to check there is good communication between them.

Lastly, check that noise is not produced inside the steering rack and pinion when the steering system is operating.

If the voltage levels are low, check the battery and replace it if necessary. Also check the voltage produced by the alternator.
If it is not at the correct level, there is a problem with the battery charging system which must be rectified.

These power steering systems can be repaired by specialists. The most common solutions are often repairs to control units,
i.e. repair of an electronic component or software updating.

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 TECHNICAL NOTES
The technology applied in today’s steering systems is growing increasingly malfunctions that occur in steering systems.
complex. When repair shops receive cars with malfunctions, they are un-
able to resolve or even diagnose them due to lack of resources, especially These malfunctions were selected from the online platform: www.einavts.
technological ones. Multi-make auto repair shops often send the vehicles com. This platform contains a series of sections that specify: make, model,
to the official service centres to solve the problem. line, system affected and subsystem, which can be selected independent-
ly depending on the desired search.
Depending on the group or make, the number of malfunctions over the
years can be considerable. The following are some of the most common

VAG GROUP
AUDI, SEAT, SKODA, VW
Symptoms 03375 - Steering motor.
16352 - Control unit.
00003 - Control unit.
03375 - Steering motor. Mechanical failure.
00573 - Steering moment sensor. - G269. Electric steering system warning light lit.
00566 - Steering assistant. Mechanical failure. Fault codes recorded in the electronic power steering module (EML). Yellow
warning light for power steering lit. Red warning light for power steering lit. Steering is stiff.

Cause Defective configuration of the software of the electronic power steering (EML) control module - J500.
Solution Reprogram the electronic power-steering control module (EML) - J500 with updated software.

Replace the control module of the electric steering. Enter the correct parameters that are indicated on the CD included in the
electric steering control module pack, using the proper diagnostic tool.

VAG GROUP
AUDI, SEAT, SKODA, VW
01309 - Power-steering control unit. -J500. Fault code recorded in the control module of ESP/ABS brakes after the power-
Symptoms
steering control module is replaced.

Cause Internal fault in the power-steering control module software.

Solution Reprogram the power-steering control module with updated software.

HYUNDAI
HYUNDAI ACCENT III (MC), ELANTRA Sedan (HD), GETZ (TB), i10/i20/i30
Symptoms C1603 - Reduction of thermal protection of the EPS. Steering is rigid or very stiff. Power steering sys-
tem (EPS) warning light lit.
Cause Possible causes: - Overheating of the electric motor of the power-steering box. - Overheating of the
power supply relay of the power-steering electric motor. - Failure in the power-steering motor control
module (ECU). - Excessive wear of the carbon brushes, which generates a paste that adheres to the
walls of the contact part with the induced (copper material) causing deficient performance of the elec-
tronic power-steering motor
Solution Replace the electric motor of the power-steering box with a modified new one. Replace the control
module of the power-steering motor (ECU). See images: A - Electric power-steering motor. B - ECU.
Steering control module. C - The entire carriage, in addition to the steering bar and electric motor, must
be disassembled. D - Steering motor control unit. IMPORTANT: Due to the cost of disassembly and as-
sembly of the repair, it is advisable to prepare an estimate first if only the brushes need to be replaced
or if there is some type of incorrect wiring or connection.

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E
C
PSA GROUP H
N
CITROËN C4 (LC_), C4 Picasso (UD_), PEUGEOT 307 (3A/C) I
Symptoms C1210 - Functional failure of the electric motor. Incorrect functioning of the steering system, steering becomes stiff sporadically. C
A
L
Cause Possible causes: Rust on connectors. Electro-pump malfunction. Defect in installation.
Solution Repair procedure: Check the electro-pump connectors for signs of rust or sulphate. - Verify whether or not there is power to N
the steering electro-pump at the moment of the malfunction. - Install (temporarily) 2 LEDs or bulbs in view of the driver. - 1st O
LED: On the black two-lead connector.- Take the positive of pin n° 1 and the negative of pin n° 2 (pin n° 1 is a battery positive T
from the motor service box (BSM) through the maxi-fuse MF8). - 2nd LED: On the black nine-lead connector.- Take the posi- E
tive of pin n° 5 and use the negative of LED n° 1 (pin n° 5 is a contact positive from the motor service box (BSM) through an S
integrated micro-relay R6 and protected by fuse F7. - At the moment of the malfunction, verify whether the LEDs have been
lit continually, in which case, replace the electro-pump. - At the time of the malfunction, verify whether any of the LEDs turn
off; in this case, examine the installation or the motor service box (BSM) until the malfunction is located. NOTE: If the vehicle
is equipped with an ABS - ESP system, make a diagnosis. For more information, contact your normal technical assistance
provider. See image 1: - Location of the motor of the power steering electronics set. See image 2: - Diagram of tracking of
the previous application. - BB00.- Battery. - PSF1. - Motor relay and fuse box (BSM). - 7122. - Power steering electro-pump
set. - 7130. - Steering angle sensor (steering wheel). Multiplexed. - C001. - Diagnostic tool connector. - ESP. - Electronic Motor
Control Unit for the braking control system.

PSA GROUP
PEUGEOT 308 (4A_, 4C_)
Symptoms P0602 - Motor control unit, programming error. Inoperative function of steering assistance. NOTE: This error appears after a
procedure in the workshop to replace the piloted electric steering set.

Cause Fault in the software of the control unit of the piloted electric steering.
Solution Repair procedure: - Use the diagnostic tool to take a reading of the fault codes recorded by the control unit of the piloted
electric steering. - Use the diagnostic tool to delete the fault codes recorded by the control unit of the piloted electric steering. -
Reprogram the control unit of the piloted electric steering with updated software.

PSA GROUP
PEUGEOT 308 (4A_, 4C_)
C1301 - Brake pressure sensor.
Symptoms C1388 - Learning of steering wheel angle value.
U1105 - Lack of communication with steering wheel angle sensor. Error codes recorded in the ABS-ESP control unit. Malfunc-
tion indicator of the ESP system lit. Inoperative function of the ESP system.
Cause The cable bundle from the brake pedal switch is rubbing against the steering column.
Solution Repair procedure. - Repair or replace the brake switch installation. - Correctly position the cable bundle so that it is as far as
possible from the steering column. - For more information, contact your normal technical assistance provider.

OPEL
CORSA C (F08, F68), MERIVA, TIGRA
Clicking noise in steering while driving.
Symptoms
Cause Excessive play in the steering box bushing.
Solution Replace the “A” bushing with a new one, located where the axle exits the steering box “B” (see image). The manufacturer
provides a repair kit. For spare parts, consult your normal distributor. For more information, contact your normal technical as-
sistance provider.

The most common solutions in the repair of the steering system are based on updating of software, replacement of the electric motor, replace-
ment of the entire electric motor/unit module.

www.eurecar.org — 15
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