I have a strange problem one of our fleet cars. It's an Astra 1.7 DTI estate on an '03' plate and has 101k miles on it. A couple of weeks ago i started it up first thing in the morning and the battery warning light was on and as i moved away i noticed there was no power steering either, so i thought the drive belt had snapped, and drove it like this about 5 miles to our depot. When i got there i opened the bonnet, only to find the drive belt was fine and the alternator was spinning fine. I left it there for the day with the intention of looking at it later in the day, but when i went back to it the next morning i started it up and all was fine again, no battery light and power steering back as normal. It was fine until this morning when it done the same again, but when i stopped it and started it again it was fine!
To me this is a weird problem that i can't get my head round. Am i right in thinking these cars do not have a belt driven power steering pump?
Anyone that knows of a similar problem with an Astra or other Vauxhall of the same sort of age, or anyone that can let me know the likely cause, i'd love to hear from you!!!
Thanks, Jonathan
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Lot of cars these days have electric power steering. The symptoms suggest yours has, and you may have an electrical fault - Battery and or alternator could be on the way out or electric power steering mech could be having problems.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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As above, Astra-G/H (mk4/5) from '98 onwards have electro-hydraulic power steering which automatically cuts out the assistance when the alternator isn't charging the battery - sort the charging problem and the steering assistance will return.
It's all in the owners' manual.
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As TVM says. Electric PAS pump on this model. From reading other forums, the alternator is quite a common failure on the Astra.
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Hi
had the same fault on my brother new alternator was the fix
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Thanks everyone, your advice is much appreciated. A new alternator it is then...
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Thanks everyone your advice is much appreciated. A new alternator it is then...
NO NO NO
What people are saying is its usually the alternator" NOT definately"
it could still be a faulty motor in the rack mechanism
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The OP says that the PAS works when the alternator warning light is out;sounds more like a fault in the control system for the alternator-don't know the internal details of this alternator but someone else on here will.
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bell boy - steering rack problems won't put the "battery" light on
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bell boy - steering rack problems won't put the "battery" light on
fairy snuff ,im still practising at being perfect but obviously still got a bit to go ;-o
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