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anyone know anything about astras electric power steering pumps?

ari666

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Not that it will help much, but I'm fairly sure some series of MR2s ran electric pumps too. They're really popular for when people do EV conversions on their cars.

Info might be a bit more widespread as I think they're a Bosch item (not sure), but the principal/design could be similar.

This was the first result in Google though, has some links to wiring diagrams etc... - Toyota MR2 Power Steering System
 

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I dont think they are ecu controlled or variable pressure. A mate of mine has done the conversion to his vs he hasnt mentioned anything about the ecu etc
 

ari666

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i ask cos' there is no need to run the pump when it isnt being used, so was hoping there was some kind of pressure sensor or perhaps an angle sensor on the column i could adapt to become an on/off switch or maybe high/low RPM switch for the pump.

also the reason i ask about the astra is cos' its fkn cheap. heaps of wrecked astra out there, electric MR2's not so much.
 

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Ari

I could well be wrong, but I thought the electrically assisted power steering used gearing driven by an electric motor driving either the steering shaft or the rack, not a pump.
 

ari666

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the astra's run an electric pump that delivers pressure rather than mechanically like normal. the idea would be to fit a commodore rack with an electric pump (or even just use my steering box, but id prefer a rack for spare parts/repairs later) but i dont want a pump running 24/7. you dont need power on the freeway, parked up, or stationary at lights, so in these instances id figure out either an on/off switch, or a potentiometer for variable rates. i.e. full lock=full pressure, small turns=low pressure, straight=off.
 

Calaber

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OK. Does the Astra have some sort of variable pressure set-up that reduces pump pressure at road speeds? As one reason for adopting electric p/a steering was to improve fuel economy, it would make sense to include variable pressure to further assist in that area.
 

Calaber

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switching it off and on would be to extend the pumps life.

and this doesnt have anything to do with fuel economy.

No, not in your case. I was referring the reason why the Astra was fitted with the electric pump in the first place.
 

ari666

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ah see. there is no info online that i have managed to dig up, so its either a case of biting the bullet and paying 60 bucks for a manual that probably wont have the answer in it either way, or just buying a pump and seeing if there is a way of running variable wattage into it to change the pump speed.

anyway, its a pretty long way off, still not been able to fix my tranmission selection problem, so, yeah.
 
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