Power steering failure

Skoda fabia diesel…..sudden failure of power steering a few days ago on start up…no power steering warning light which was odd. Today still the same, I was hoping it would magically fix itself. Lifted bonnet waggle a few things around near the battery at random and it started working again!

Anyone got any suggestions. I guess at least now I can drive it to a garage!

I think they are electric assisted systems so you may just have had a bad earth?

only thing I know (that could be of any use on this occasion) is that a lot of cars have electric power steering pumps and all sorts of different things can stop them from running.  Loose connections, low battery, poor alternator output. Your wiggling obviously did something, check your battery condition and connectors and work outwards?

This won’t help but I once had a Fiat that was so prone to impromptu power steering failures on tight left turns that the reset procedure was in the handbook.

Going off your diagnosis abilities I’d ring your local Skoda independent specialist and get it booked in!

If its electric assist check the battery terminals are tight.

On other cars with this sort of assistance, loss of the power can be sign of a degrading or degraded battery.

Get it checked out sharpish.

I had an old mk3 golf gti, that on right hand corners of a particular radius in the wet the steering would suddenly get really heavy.

there was a gap in the wheel arch lining that would allow spray through at a particular wheel angle and onto the power steering pump belt which would then slip.

Thanks for the ideas.Stopped working again now whilst sat on drive doing nowt…..will have to call AA I think, get it dragged to a garage.

will have to call AA I think

I thought you were AA – iz confused.

Don’t call me about cars I haven’t a clue 😄😄😄

I thought you were AA – iz confused.

Clever 🤣

Thanks for the ideas.Stopped working again now whilst sat on drive doing nowt…..will have to call AA I think, get it dragged to a garage.

Why?  The steering will be VERY heavy at low speeds, but when moving it will be fine.  If you plan carefully and drive carefully, you should be able to get it to a garage under its own power.

I drove from Cumbria to Bath with a failed power steering pump.  Pulling into the services and parking to allow my daughter to go to the bathroom was a bit a wrestle, but it was fine.

Put a new new battery in.

We had this issues on my wife’s fabia a few times; mostly on cold mornings in the winter when she head the heated seats turned on before she started the car. Both times the battery was on the way out and a new one got the power steering working properly as soon as it was fitted.

Why?  The steering will be VERY heavy at low speeds, but when moving it will be fine.  If you plan carefully and drive carefully, you should be able to get it to a garage under its own power.

Not good generic advice especially on modern vehicles

AA man said it is the hydroelectric pump……oh….garage man rubbed his hands and looked pleased.

I had a power steering failure on my Skoda roomster (2008) 1.9tdi. under a 1yr warranty so it was fixed by replacing a hose that I think has some sort of valve in it 🤔. No issues since it was replaced 9yrs ago.

We had an older Fabia – cracked link fuse in housing on top of battery gave similar symptoms – fuse not blown but metal fatigue cracked – check  showed a black line on the thin bit cheap fix, the steering angle sensor also failed but that just put warning light on.

As above battery on way out will also give random symptoms

We survived without power steering for many years-.it just wasn’t the greatest fun

I had an AstraVan once that used to lose power steering randomly mid corner. Turning it off and on again reset it.
It was under warranty, Vauxhall refused to fix it as it was always working when I took it there. Eventually I kerbed it badly when I didn’t quite make a corner. left it running so the fault remained and dragged to the dealer. They fitted a bigger alternator apparently.

It then started happening on startup, rather than mid corner. I found the Alternator connections were loose.

Was fine after that.

For those that haven’t experienced it, broken power steering is  usually way worse and notchy compared to a manual rack.

We survived without power steering for many years-.it just wasn’t the greatest fun

Many modern systems don’t work well or for long without the pumps operating.