Power steering

[gromlog]

Hello,

I recently became the owner of audi a3 8P, and at first I had issues with car battery (battery not staying alive longer than few days, radio occasionally asking to re-enter audi concert password ), and I dealt with it, replaced it and it solved those problems, then after a week my power steering died in such way:

 After driving it and parking it, I went to get the take out food, returned to the car and heard 3 beeps, then saw red power steering light and as You can expect power steering was no more.

The only dashboard lights I have is red power steering and yellow ESP triangle (ESP light was on from the very beginning)

Any thoughts ? should I try to disconnect battery, and see if it resets anything ? maybe ask for someone to clear the codes ? because problem to me looks more like electrical than mechanical, yup read a lot today, but perhaps exact process on how it happened might help me narrow down the issue with Your help 🙂 

[cliffcoggin]

Getting rid of the warnings and resetting the codes is pointless unless you cure the fault that is causing them. If the yellow ESP light has been on since you bought the car that is the first thing to investigate. It is not something that can be diagnosed on a forum unfortunately because so many circuits are linked to it. You need professional help to solve the problem.

[gromlog]

Update: power steering worked fine this morning, but for 1 turn over only, after I turned it off my next ignition greeted me with 3 beeps and red power steering light, once again power steering said no to me.

 

Tried disconnecting battery to see, if it would set me up for at least 1 more run, but nah.

[gromlog]

Fault: 01309 - No signal/communication

 

Any wiring I could check ? There also were some "calibration" issues, but those got resolved quick.

 

Btw ESP light, that was on from the very beginning now is also fine - callibration

[gromlog]

So no one had an issue where electric power steering sometimes works / sometimes doesn't ? and not for some amount of drive, but from startup till the engine is shut off ?

[Magnet]

Apologies vdm. Doesn’t seem like anyone else has had the same issue as you, and unfortunately it unfortunately looks like the forum isn’t going to be of any help on this occasion - unless someone comes up with something at the last minute.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[TEC_DESIGNS_8PA]

Normally when you reconnect the battery a lot of the warning lights come on until the car moves. Air bag, seat belt etc. Did you only get the esp and steering wheel? 

When you disconnected the battery to reset the system did you completely disconnect or just the earth? 

[gromlog]

Hi,

1. When I reconnected the battery I've noticed almost no change except, that radio asked for a password.

And at first I had a very weak battery, that I'm guessing was randomly disconnecting itself (1-2 days on park and it won't have enough power to turn over) what's more interesting, that without any hand disconnects, that weak battery would cause the radio to ask for a password quite often.

And no with that battery I haven't noticed any changes on the dash or when I've changed the battery or when I've disconnected the new battery.

2. Last time I've disconnected just the ground and waited for around 10 min~

3. Friend had VCDS we've cleared the codes and did required calibrations, but the steering wheel managed to fix itself on my way to him when I went to him and shut off the engine then met him and he showed me where to park I've turned it over and it worked fine, that day we've dealt with what was left of "calibrations and other things"

Of course we had multiple ignitions multiple turn overs, since You know we've been doing VCDS type of things, but that day my steering wheel worked fine till the very end, but the next day my steering assist once again was gone, and now I'm stuck with just 1 dash error - steering

[cliffcoggin]

You mentioned at the start that you had a faulty battery which you dealt with. Did you fit a new battery or a secondhand one? Old batteries can cause a variety of apparently unrelated faults even when the alternator is putting out a good charge.

[gromlog]

Relatively new...

Varta 2 year and 2 month old battery from my older car, but it's technical parameters are identical to the recommended for 8P, and it's condition is still great.

I've charged it fully, before switching, and considering, that previous battery was barely able to turn over most of the time, and still provide steering assist even tho it's parameters were off the recommended I somehow doubt it.

Perhaps this frequent battery disconnect ruined a sensor somewhere, and now it's sort of kind of maybe working ?  as I've mentioned I did had a code for steering wheel not communicating.

[TEC_DESIGNS_8PA]

It's an odd one. I'd only suggest a brand new battery. Try Euro when they have a sale on? 

[cliffcoggin]

The point about old batteries is not so much their remaining capacity in terms of ampere-hours; it is more to do with internal faults that can interfere with the car's ECU. I am no electrician so I can not explain it in any more detail, but I am aware that batteries can suffer internal short circuits, sulphating of the electrodes in lead/acid cells, sediment at the bottom, and other faults that are not apparent to the ordinary user without special test equipment. Can you get the battery tested by an auto electrician? When I last had a new battery fitted as a result of similar false warning lights, loss of turbo, and loss of cruise control, I was told it had to be "coded" to the car. Being a natural cynic, that phrase instantly made me suspicious that I was being told BS. Even though the new battery cured all the problems with the car I still don't know whether to believe this coding story.

[TEC_DESIGNS_8PA]

It's even worse if you have stop start 

[gromlog]

I don't

[TEC_DESIGNS_8PA]

I think you'll have to try a new battery Tbh. As I said euro do some good deals on bank hols currently 40 percent off. 

[gromlog]

I don't know... how come, that ESP / ABS and the rest of electronics are fine with my battery solution, but electric power steering is the only one that's not happy about it.

[TEC_DESIGNS_8PA]

The only other thing you could try is running Vagcom on it? 

[gromlog]

Now that You mention it:

00778 - Steering Angle Sensor (G85): No or Incorrect Basic Setting / Adaptation (solved)

02546 - Steering Limit Stop: No or Incorrect Basic Setting / Adaptation (solved)

01309 - Power Steering Control Module (J500): No Communication (send help)

18107 -P1699 008 Missing Message from Steering Wheel Electronics (I have no cruise control)

17443 - Sensor for Nox (G295): Signal too low

01423 - Lateral Acceleration Sensor (G200): No or Incorrect Basic Setting / Adaptation (can't remember, I think it's solved)

00810 - Sensor 1/2 for Brake Pressure: No or Incorrect Basic Setting / Adaptation 

[gromlog]

New battery - no change, same crap

[Magnet]

Hello Vdm,

Batteries can be the source of all sorts of issues, but surely in your case, where you have fault codes for steering angle sensors etc, that is where you should be looking. 
ECPare still attracting buyers then due to their continual discount codes. Good, isn’t it? Discount codes are fine, and up to 60% off may sound great, but 60% off what so called retail price. It’s what you eventually pay is the only important point, not the supposed x% off. In fact, it is not uncommon to be able to buy the same component cheaper via. their associate - Car parts for Less - even when C4L are discounting at a much lower %! Great marketing. 

[cliffcoggin]

4 hours ago, gromlog said:

New battery - no change, same crap

That's unfortunate, but there is a limit to what can be diagnosed through the necessarily brief written descriptions in a forum like this. This leaves you little choice but to get a proper diagnosis done by a competent mechanic, unless you enjoy throwing good money after bad by renewing one component after another.

[gromlog]

Yeah, I know, I mean I was fine with it, because it was a car upgrade anyway, and upgrading battery at the same time is not the worst idea, might save some headache in the future...

The only reason why I keep updating this whole thing is to let others know what the problem is what's the syptoms what I'm doing and what to do or not to do xdddd.

At least the way I see it:

If Your EPS works for the day only, after a decent drive then most likely VCDS will not help, but recalibrating lost data can give hope, and if all the rest electronics are ok, but EPS is doing who the !Removed! knows what then it's probably not the battery either, .

I can give this much context: on ignition either EPS shows up in red "it's being checked" and goes away with working EPS afterwards, or on ignition You don't see EPS light, but ~5 seconds later get ready to see red steering light with 3 beeps, and no power steering.

Considering, that VCDS showed, before 

01309 - Power Steering Control Module (J500): No Communication (send help)

It's likely where the issue is, except I don't know exact cause. Well, find out on the next episode Gromlog goes to a mechanic. Unless You know some grounds or something, that I could check. regarding exclusively this, and if I'm not mistaken 01309 is a module,that's built inside a steering wheel perhaps there is a connector or something, that goes to the engine bay and I could at least check if it's corroded or a connector is visually busted.

And hey it's a learning experience, and at least I won't go empty handed to a mechanic, context should help to not waste precious time on procedures, that won't do jack !Removed!.