Power steering constantly on?

24th December 2011, 14:27

Had an S conversion done about a week ago and i don't know if it's always been like this since the but today i realised that my power steering pump was on constantly past the second ignition click?
Here's a video but not sure if you can hear it very well (you can kind of hear it best around 18-20 secs)

24th December 2011, 15:08

The power steering wiring should not have been toached so doubt it related, BUT i am only saying that due to when i did my conversion 3 pin to 1 pin, iirc i didnt toach power steering pump wiring.

24th December 2011, 15:16

Does the battery light work ok?
As far as I can remember the battery light is used as an engine running signal to switch a relay to run the blower motor, power steering etc
Shouldn't have been roughed on an engine conversion?

24th December 2011, 15:31

I dunno but when we did the swap it was happening but we sorted it before the car left the garage. Im pretty sure its only just started doing it.

24th December 2011, 15:34

Looking at the picture/video it looks like your battery light isn't on with the ignition which means the relay will be in engine running position.
Check the small terminal on the back of the alternator (the 8mm one)

24th December 2011, 15:36

Ah okay, what am i looking for? I wont get the chance to do it until tomorrow

24th December 2011, 15:43

Check there is a small wire going onto the alternator, check it hasn't fallen off or broken or rubbed through on the alternator belt!
If its still on and you know your way round a muiltimeter you could check the continuity to the plug on the inner wing using the pin outs I posted up.
If you need I guess I could come and help you out between christmas and new year if you have no luck?

24th December 2011, 15:45

Ill have a check tomorrow afternoon bud. You're in MK arent you?

24th December 2011, 15:47

Yeah I'm in mk : )

24th December 2011, 15:50

Ill give it a try and if no luck i might have to pop up to you mate.

24th December 2011, 15:57

Not a problem, happy to help!
Tools are stuck at work till work opens again

24th December 2011, 16:39

Well now the car isnt starting so im guessing the batterys dead? Ower steering pump struggles to keep going now its onp

24th December 2011, 23:22

Well the power steering pump must be draining the battery or something. The car's dead for now and i've had to jump start it to get to the girlfriends and home. When i was outside hers and trying to push start it i could still hear the power steering pump whining but was slowly dying (guessing the battery was draining from that).

Moo i had a look at the alternator wiring, do you mean the wiring on the right of the alternator as you look at it?

25th December 2011, 01:28

Moo i had a look at the alternator wiring, do you mean the wiring on the right of the alternator as you look at it?
If there's other wiring i'll jack the car up in the morning and look but that's all i could get to from top of the engine bay? and that wiring seems to be fine..

25th December 2011, 04:05

worth a shot but have you tried another relay for the power steering?

the day before i stripped my vts, the heaters were on without engine running, and power steering was having a hissy fit under the bonnet and draining my battery. (that was due to broken power steering pump)

25th December 2011, 04:08

Nope havent tried anything yet mate. Did it have anything to do with your loom? Because i went to mandyslover and im pretty sure he said ive got one of your old looms..

25th December 2011, 14:14

Also worth adding that the heaters cna now come on withjout the engine on (before i had to have the engine on to have them on and there is a small crackling/buzzing from behind the heater controls in the cengre console? Charged the battery up and the PAS pump and heaters etc still come on with the second ignition click.

25th December 2011, 14:29

I had this when i did my S conversion becuase i was a retard and solderd a live the wrong way around when i was doing the loom. Has it been doing it since you got it done?

25th December 2011, 14:30

Not that i know if, only since yesterday. The crackling/buzzing behind the centre console has been happening the whole time..

25th December 2011, 16:50

As the battery light is not working I'm 99% sure that is causing the problem as the car would appear to constantly running as far as the relay is concerned.
There should be 2x wires on the back (right) of the alternator, one big wire for charging and a small wire which is the engine running signal

25th December 2011, 19:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karlb1

Nope havent tried anything yet mate. Did it have anything to do with your loom? Because i went to mandyslover and im pretty sure he said ive got one of your old looms..

not sure if it had anything to do with the loom, all i know is that the p/steering pump was knackered, buzzing, leaking fluid everywhere and having a hissy fit when engine was turned off.
never got to bottom of it as the next day car got completely stripped and shell crushed.

25th December 2011, 23:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beaniemoo

As the battery light is not working I'm 99% sure that is causing the problem as the car would appear to constantly running as far as the relay is concerned.
There should be 2x wires on the back (right) of the alternator, one big wire for charging and a small wire which is the engine running signal

Checked both those wires, both seem fine to me. Here's some pics of the wires.

26th December 2011, 13:19

another possibilty is to check all the connections on the fuse box on the inner wing as it sounds to me as if the circuits that are meant only to be live when the engine is running are picking a live up somewhere, and as the fuse box is the last electrical part to be worked on,it'd be the first place i'd look as thats where all the feeds come from, maybe 2 wires accidently touching? just a thought....

26th December 2011, 13:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandyslover70

another possibilty is to check all the connections on the fuse box on the inner wing as it sounds to me as if the circuits that are meant only to be live when the engine is running are picking a live up somewhere, and as the fuse box is the last electrical part to be worked on,it'd be the first place i'd look as thats where all the feeds come from, maybe 2 wires accidently touching? just a thought....

Jason Dom seemed pretty convinced the problems lies in the fuse box. What am i looking at? the wiring under the fuses?

26th December 2011, 13:40

yes mate, thats really the only piece of wiring that gets touched during a conversion. Not saying it is but when ever i'm looking for an electrical problem i look at the last part that was worked on. I have had this problem before,not with a conversion just came in as a job, and turned out to be something on the back of the fuse box. Only other possibility could be ignition switch??? I assume as the the heaters and power steering and heated rear window go faulty together when the switch develops a fault, it only takes 2 contacts or wires to be touching on the switch? just a random think

26th December 2011, 13:42

I'll pop out in a minute and have a look before it's dark. Rear screen seems to be normal, i've seen the fix for the ignition switch, something about putting a bit of wire on the plug for the main loom instgead of to the ignition barrel?

26th December 2011, 14:15

Jason im not very bright when it comes to this stuff but i cant see anything wrong in the fusebox since all the wires are going into their plugs? Noticed that all 3 (pas, heater, heated rear) all come on with the second ignition click now..so the opposite of everyones usual problem?

26th December 2011, 14:55

Why dont you disconected the power steering pump for now and see if its a faulty pump then go from there?

26th December 2011, 15:32

Ll the pump works fine, and im guessing its a relay since the heated rear screen, pas and blows come on before the engine turns over, which they shouldnt.

30th December 2011, 10:26

Mines just started doing this it kills the battery, did you fix it?

30th December 2011, 14:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by coleman258

Mines just started doing this it kills the battery, did you fix it?

I think all that was wrong with mine was the battery was dead itself and the cells were knackered, picked up a battery off a mate that just needed charging and was brand new and it's worked fine ever since.

If you wanna buy a new battery than Europarts have 15% off all batteries online atm