Mrs Gti’s Ibiza 1.2 D has been on Ebay for a month and at last a buyer came along this morning to test drive it, very interested because it’s perfect for them. Lovely young couple with a wee baby who have driven 60 miles. So we jump in and…. no flippin’ power steering! Red faces all round.

Took it quickly to a bloke with a plug in computer thingy and he cleared the fault but still no PAS. He thought the problem might be a voltage drop as the car has been unused for over a month. Even driving it ten miles to charge the battery didn’t help and anyway it’s giving 12.8 volts.

Taking it to a dealer Monday but meanwhile has the STW communal mind got any ideas?

Is there a fluid reservoir that might need topping up?

Driving 10 miles will do sweet F. A. if the battery or alternator has packed in.

If the battery is still good it might just need a good run, an Italian tune up, if you will. Like 200 miles ragging it.

Is it electric assistance?
Checked the fuses, etc?

as the car has been unused for over a month.

Thats not very long in the grand scheme of things. Presumably it starts so the battery and alternator can’t be that bad. I’ve only ever lost power to the steering when the engine has cut out completely – ropey battery/alternator issues on their own haven’t been enough to stop it from functioning.

That what I think TBH but the bloke with the plug-in computer thingy thought there may have been a voltage drop, which may have beggared one of the sensors on the steering rack as the system is electro-hydraulic. Recently the fuel pump conked out and blew its fuse so I guess at 5 years old and 34,000 miles the car is beginning to show its age.

5 years old and 34,000 miles the car is beginning to show its age.

thats not even run in

This is the Ibiza that’s in “great shape with low mileage” as I recall?

Naughty globalti 😉

I sold an ex’s car on ebay once, agreed to meet them half way as they were 300miles away… before we left I checked the oil levels, was a little low, so topped it up.
Drove about 70 miles, noticed an olly burning smell.. pulled in to a garage, popped up the bonnet, oil everywhere – I’d forgot to put the cap back on! Amazingly it was still on the engine block.
Even more amazingly the people who bought agreed to pay full price & still buy it!

12.8v when?
From memory you want about 13.2 at ~3000 rpm

I guess at 5 years old and 34,000 miles the car is beginning to show its age.

WHAT?

I guess at 5 years old and 34,000 miles the car is beginning to show its age.

At that age and mileage you’re probably better just scrapping it.

Great Scott! Is the flux capacitor burned out?

Our Ibiza ST is 5 years and 54k in. I have every expectation of it doing three times that.

Our Ibiza is 12 years old and 120k miles and still chips along nicely despite being not well looked after at all!

Isn’t it hydraulic?

The alternator should be producing somewhere between 13.8 – 14.2v

* Removes Seat Ibiza from list of possible car purchases…. ever

Have you leafleted all the local mechanics and garages yet?

It’s lasted 3 years longer than my Citroen dispatch. I’d settle for that.

The battery is knocking out 12.8 volts, engine off. Seems right to me.

What is if at with the engine running?

5 years old and 34,000 miles the car is beginning to show its age.

Joking…right?

Dads 2.4l Transit 11yrs old – 286,000m

My 1.6tdi Caddy 3yrs old 110,000m

My previous 13yr old Ford Connect 189,000m but rust n’ rot killed it, otherwise mechanically very decent

I think i’ve read that some cars need power steering systems re-calibrating following a battery fail (or voltage drop?), turning lock-to-lock a few times or similar. I think my old Clio needed something similar.
Perhaps Ibizas need something similar?

Yes the bloke with the computer thingy advised that so we took it to a big empty car park and did it a few times with no result. I’ll take it to a WV or SEAT dealer on Monday but I’m fearful of them telling us it needs a complete new steering rack or something; just throwing parts at it at our expense instead of trying to diagnose the problem.

Put the battery on charge, if nothing else it’ll save some dealer time. Low battery can cause signal problems
Calibration is a left-right thing rather than a working-not working thing
As you’ll have gathered from my description, IANAE

There must be an independent VAG specialist nearby.

I guess at 5 years old and 34,000 miles the car is beginning to show its age.

If you scrap it, can I have first dibs?

5 years old and 34,000 miles the car is beginning to show its age.

A guy I know has a 03 plate Yaris with 350,000 on it, another has just scrapped his 55 plate Micra with 250,000 on it as the interior was falling apart and the MOT needed loads of bushes etc and the car was worth £100.

My Fiesta is 4 year old with 113,000 on it.

Going back to your problems, like has been said, check the battery is correct. If I remember rightly from the Days I was massively into Car Stereo, the battery should be reading about 13-14 volts when the engine is running. If the power steering has any kind of hydraulic it will have a resivour somewhere, if it’s power steering on a motor the voltage could be affecting it.

Don’t take it to a dealer, take it to decent mechanic, pref a VAG specialist.

That car is good for 100k miles and 10 years at least with minimal bills.

A voltage “drop” won’t harm anything, a voltage spike would.

Check the alternator function and battery.

What was the code that was read?

Thanks for the advice, all. Our regular independent VW specialist is convalescing from an operation to its going to have to be the VW or the SEAT dealer. I’ll get them to check battery and alternator, fluid level (though I think the res is underneath the battery tray) and assess what’s wrong before they ring me up and tell me it needs a new steering rack or something.

There was a variety of fault codes including the steering wheel symbol, which does point to a voltage problem. The car has been unused for about two months now.

I’ll get them to check battery and alternator

Any motor factor, (even Halfords) would do that bit for free before you take it to the garage.

5 years old and 34,000 miles the car is beginning to show its age.

*snigger*
Not even close! You don’t even MOT a car until it’s three years old, my ’51- plate Octavia has about 125,000 on it, it rattles a bit here and there, and one of the rear locks has given up the ghost, a known problem which will cost £125 to get it through its next MOT, the other one needed doing last year, but it still runs ok.
Casting my eyes around lots of cars for a possible replacement in a couple of years now, though.

Not that helpful but I had a TDI Passat for ten years and 90k without a single starting issue and regularly serviced. When I went to sell it for £600 and the first buyer turned up having driven 60 miles it would not start – mortified. Replaced the accelerator box with a good second hand one for £15 and they came back and bought it. Still miss it now tbh…..

5yrs and 35,000 miles is virtually new these days

‘My’ car is just 12 months old, nearly on 19,000 miles, second set of front tyres and I’d bet most suspension bushes are about knackered now. Your car should be like new at that age/mileage.