Electric Power Steering fail leads to other issues

[bgrett]

Hey Guys,

I apologize in advance if this issue has been discussed.

Yesterday as I went to park my car it felt like my power steering went out. I read my manuel and it stated i had "electric power steering" and that if it goes out momentarily it should come back soon. So after my car was off for 30 minutes, I started it up and went around the block and everything felt fine until i went to parallel park again.

The electric power steering went out and i continued to drive my car around the block until all warning lights came on in my dash. Right away i pull over and turn off my car. I read the manuel to see if it suggests anything (i couldnt find anything). So I decide to drive my car 1 block to get it back to my house, but now it doesnt start.

I walk back to my house and dive deep into forums. I found a similar issue here http://www.pontiacforum.com/pontiac/arc ... 23876.html. Im at the bottom.

About 2 hours later my car starts and i get back in front of my house. I check fuze 17 (electrical power steering) and it seems fine. Now radio doesnt turn on.

I have a 09 pontiac vibe. As soon as i am done with work today i will have the battery checked.

I hope some of you might have suggestions.

Thanks in advance. I hope it made it somewhat clear on what the issue is.

[trb]

Welcome and sorry to hear about your problem. Now when you say it won't start, does it just crank and not turn over, or does it do nothing when you turn the key? It is possible a dead battery could contribute to your issues, so I would certainly check it out first. Have you tried the other accessories like the lights and stuff? Might try to jump start it if you can when you get back to it if it does not start on it's own battery. If you get it running, I would see if there are any codes in the computer. Many auto parts stores like Autozone and such have code readers and can let you know if there are any codes and what they mean.

[bgrett]

Hey TRB,

Thanks for the quick reply. When it wasn't starting it wasn't turning over at all. So thats why i thought it could be the battery. However when I came back 2 hours later it did turn over and started right away. I would assume that a dead battery is dead, I dont know that if it sits for a while it gets back a quick burst.

All lights turned on and off but the windows rolled up very slowly last night. Once I saw that i didn't want to mess with it anymore for fear that they wouldn't roll back up and I live in a bussy neighborhood.

I didn't notice any codes but i didn't look at the digital mileage gauge. I will have to check that out later today.

Thanks for your help.
-Brent

[trb]

Yes, if the windows are working slowly, and the car was not even turning over, or just turning over slowly, the battery would be my first thought. Next would be the alternator to see if it is charging the battery properly. I'm assuming it is the original battery? Batteries usually last about 3 years or so on the average, maybe less in the south. I know I'm lucky if I get 3 years from one.

You won't get any codes on the dash, but maybe a Check Engine light will show. You have to plug in a code reader in the OBDII port to get any codes.

[joatmon]

In viewtopic.php?f=18&t=38742" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; bigdaddyjosh fixed his by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes
in viewtopic.php?f=17&t=35180" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; airmotive had it go out, and then come back by itself, but only months later

If you are in the USA, then file a safety complaint with NHTSA


also, no need to create two independent threads for the same issue, that usually just confuses things

[bgrett]

Hey joatmon,

Sorry about the double posts. I didn't know which one to post under ill delete the other thread.

Last night I did disconnect the battery but this didn't seem to achieve anything. All warning lights on dash stayed on and thats when I noticed the stereo wasn't turning on.

[bgrett]

Yes, if the windows are working slowly, and the car was not even turning over, or just turning over slowly, the battery would be my first thought. Next would be the alternator to see if it is charging the battery properly. I'm assuming it is the original battery? Batteries usually last about 3 years or so on the average, maybe less in the south. I know I'm lucky if I get 3 years from one.

You won't get any codes on the dash, but maybe a Check Engine light will show. You have to plug in a code reader in the OBDII port to get any codes.

I just switched out the battery with my girlfriends car battery. Seemed to be okay, but the battery light or "charging system light" came on. I still plan on getting the battery tested but now it looks like it could be the alternator?

Thanks
-brent

[BahamaTodd]

Just a heads up, I took my 09 Vibe GT in for an unrelated issue but mentioned to them that a few months back the steering went out. I had disconnected the battery and its been fine since. They found that the battery was leaking acid and had eaten through the cable. The computer had a steering code that showed insufficient power to the electric steering. They replaced the battery and engine harness. You might not have the same exact issue but it could still be an issue with power distribution.