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MG MGF Technical - Power steering intermittent

I've had the power steering light on my dash stay on longer than usual and on a couple of occasions if I start up and move off quickly my power steering fails to work. Very concerning....dangerous too. If I start the engine and leave the car for a minute the light will go out and the power steering will work fine....so far.... I'm just concerned that it may cut out while I am driving.
I've checked the fluid levels ...fine and the connector. Do you think it could be a loose or dirty connector causing this. I can sometimes hear a clicking which sounds like it is coming from where the passenger airbag section is on the dash....near the power steering control??

Any ideas
a b

Hi a b, Strathclyde,

There is no particular danger with the power steering not working. The steering will feel heaver to use, but that's the way it used to be years ago when front wheel drive cars came out without power steering anyway.

Check out the clicking , could be a faulty relay. If you find it, remove it and see if you can clean the contacts.

Cheers,
Branko
Branko

Is the speedo working properly. The speedo cable effects the power steering as its speed sensitive. When minine packed up I drove it for a couple of weeks without any assistance and only when parking in very tight places was it a pain.
Andrew W Regens

Hi ab

as said likely cause is speedo cable, lots on archives. It uses this to workout what power assist to apply and as a failsafe will disconnect if it doesn't recieve speedo signal

You say you have checked the fluids and I assume you mean the power assist fluid reservoir. Unfortunately there isn't on on an MG its an electric device .

Mike
Mike King

Picking up what Andrew said, the car is perfectly OK to drive without power steering. My speedo cable broke when I was 200 miles from home, disabling the PAS. It was no problem at all, just a bit heavy on corners in town. And as Mike King said, there is no PAS hydraulic fluid.
Mike Howlett

Hi All, thanks for the advice, I realise the system is electric now ...oops ....and the speedo is working just fine. It was just the clicking and the light staying on longer when I started the car. If I leave the car for a minute after I start up it is ok.
I'ts not been bad the past couple of days. I just like having the power steering.. so much easier to manoeuvre

I'm, going to clean up the contacts anyway...and let you know how I get on....
a b

I have had the same problem. I haven't found a solution, but after about a year with this intermittant problem, it gradually failed more and more frequently, and now doesn't work at all.
Chris Hall

This thread was discussed between 01/10/2007 and 10/10/2007

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