Sudden Loss of Power Steering WHEN DRIVING

[sgo]

Had the rack recall done over a year ago and all good until this weekend.
After a few hours drive stopped for lunch then on resuming the trip the steering felt weird.
Strange bit of free play in the dead ahead position, had to correct as car wondered to one side then correct again from opposite side to stay dead ahead, all with free play and short delay as steering corrected. Didn't feel safe going over 80 k. Stopped at Bendigo holden dealer who took it for a test drive, put car on hoist for inspection and checked tyre pressures and error codes.
Didn't find any problems, car drove as it should!
In that half hour stop the car had fixed itself and been ok since then for about 500km.
Something intermittent, but what?
Anyone else experience this problem?

 

[Skylarking]

Had the rack recall done over a year ago and all good until this weekend.
After a few hours drive stopped for lunch then on resuming the trip the steering felt weird.
Strange bit of free play in the dead ahead position, had to correct as car wondered to one side then correct again from opposite side to stay dead ahead, all with free play and short delay as steering corrected. Didn't feel safe going over 80 k. Stopped at Bendigo holden dealer who took it for a test drive, put car on hoist for inspection and checked tyre pressures and error codes.
Didn't find any problems, car drove as it should!
In that half hour stop the car had fixed itself and been ok since then for about 500km.
Something intermittent, but what?
Anyone else experience this problem?

That’s a worrying development...

The EPS system is rather complex and who knows how robustly GM/H has designed it and whether any self test system is robust enough to capture all issues.

To me, an intermittent issue with EPS should be addressed by adding some data logging electronics within the vehicle and driving it for a few weeks. That way odd behaviour from the EPS module, steering wheel torque sensor, etc could possibly be identified... but such a data logging feature needed to be coded within the system during development and who knows if it is...

To me, a mechanic siting in the drivers seat and going for a drive around the block is hardly a worthy shakedown of a potentially serious safety issue.

I‘d consider video taping all drives in that vehicle... and if any reoccurrence occurs you’d have some evidence (even if it’s just expletives from the driver as a minimum) that a problem has occurred with EPS. At that point, I’d consider the vehicle has a major fault under ACL and give the selling dealer the keys to the car back and ask for a full refund as a chosen remedy as defined under ACL..

 

[Stroppy]

That’s a worrying development...

The EPS system is rather complex and who knows how robustly GM/H has designed it and whether any self test system is robust enough to capture all issues.

To me, an intermittent issue with EPS should be addressed by adding some data logging electronics within the vehicle and driving it for a few weeks. That way odd behaviour from the EPS module, steering wheel torque sensor, etc could possibly be identified... but such a data logging feature needed to be coded within the system during development and who knows if it is...

To me, a mechanic siting in the drivers seat and going for a drive around the block is hardly a worthy shakedown of a potentially serious safety issue.

I‘d consider video taping all drives in that vehicle... and if any reoccurrence occurs you’d have some evidence (even if it’s just expletives from the driver as a minimum) that a problem has occurred with EPS. At that point, I’d consider the vehicle has a major fault under ACL and give the selling dealer the keys to the car back and ask for a full refund as a chosen remedy as defined under ACL..

I have to agree with you here. There should be a more robust and in-depth testing system. I am still suspicious of just what was done when my car underwent the recall process. I dropped it off in the morning and went back at around 2.30pm. The odometer had only travelled two km and I couldn't see where anything was done under the bonnet. I strongly suspect the car was simply run through some OBD checks, declared good, and given back to me. I suspect that bugger-all was actually done to the car. Weren't they supposed to change the rack, etc?

 

[Skylarking]

... Weren't they supposed to change the rack, etc?

I posted a link to a GM doc which lists the time line for this EPS issue. It’s somewhere within this thread... This doc listed what was tried... can’t remember the dates but the first solution was to apply epoxy to the connector to fix it to the case so tje problem vibration would be reduced and fretting corrosion wouldn’t occur... But that didnt solve the problem and in fact made it worse in some cases. Then they tried filling the connector with dielectric grease but the problem persisted. The final solution was to design a new rack and install it on the PPV and later the Chevy SS. The new rack that had gold contacts and pins on the connector.

Holden did the same to cars and used the updated rack after a certain build date and on in service cars that had the problem occur. But rack replacement was expensive so they developed a kit of parts that allowed them to just replace bits of the EPS system. That way they could avoid an expensive whole rack replacement. You’d end up with some new bits and those connectors with gold plated contacts and pins. Such was the basis of the recall down under but the documentation outlining the technical aspects of the work and the parts required is elusive down under...

But in the USA, GM must provide certain docs related to recalls to the government which makes them available to the public. So GM provides docs on cars Holden built... However, our Aussie Gov doesn’t know which way is up and doesn’t place the same requirements on what info car manufacturers must provide (or if it’s provided it’s “proprietary” so our secretive government doesn’t make it available). End result is that Americans have more info about recalls on cars built down under than we do

Im sure there is detailed docs associated with this recall that dealers have access to and such would list what must be replaced, how its replaced, what part numbers need to be ordered, etc... But we can’t see them... the irony is we can see such docs for the LHD Chevy SS.

As to what was actually done on your car, ask the dealer that did the work. They’d have the job sheet and should provide it to you as it will list all work done and parts used. It’s exactly like the doc they provide you you’ve had a service... and should have provided you when doing the recall work...

 

[Delmar]

Hi all, sorry if this is repetitive, but I don't have time to trawl the whole thread! Situation: vf sv6 2014. 85000kms. I have owned for a year. Steering started playing up last week, as per everyone else here. Assist dropping out when driving along. Thanks to this forum had recall notice and spreadsheet with my vin on it (legends!) and a video showing the fault occurring.

Upshot: my car has been fixed a couple of years ago in the recall. Scan tool, no code. Visual check of part, no corrosion. Battery was stuffed however. Suggestion was that battery low voltage might be 'stuffing up' (their words) system while driving. I'm a basic home mechanic but no sparky - I would have thought battery pretty irrelevant when driving, as alternator does the work. No issue since, but have only driven for 20 mins.

Anyone with enough expertise to reassure me that the battery could have been the issue? Cheers.

 

[Forg]

I don’t have enough expertise to do that … however, low battery voltage does seem to cause odd behaviours in VF’s.

 

[dassaur]

Hi all, sorry if this is repetitive, but I don't have time to trawl the whole thread! Situation: vf sv6 2014. 85000kms. I have owned for a year. Steering started playing up last week, as per everyone else here. Assist dropping out when driving along. Thanks to this forum had recall notice and spreadsheet with my vin on it (legends!) and a video showing the fault occurring.

Upshot: my car has been fixed a couple of years ago in the recall. Scan tool, no code. Visual check of part, no corrosion. Battery was stuffed however. Suggestion was that battery low voltage might be 'stuffing up' (their words) system while driving. I'm a basic home mechanic but no sparky - I would have thought battery pretty irrelevant when driving, as alternator does the work. No issue since, but have only driven for 20 mins.

Anyone with enough expertise to reassure me that the battery could have been the issue? Cheers.

Yes they can cause canbus communication issues, fault codes beginning with U. Check for historic canbus codes too on the BCM if you can.

 

[Delmar]

Yes they can cause canbus communication issues, fault codes beginning with U. Check for historic canbus codes too on the BCM if you can.

Just to follow up - car seems good now. Fingers crossed battery was the problem. Thanks for the comments.

 

[kirkc]

Hi Gents,

I need to pump this topic up. Does any one driving a VF2 MY16 manufactured in 2016 with experiencing this problem. My VF2 are not among the affected VIN numbers

I have a VF2 MY16 manufactured in 2015 and this problem has occurred twice in the past week. Also not listed in the affected VIN numbers. It's done about 75,000km.

Any thoughts would be welcome. I'm slowly reading the 60 odd pages in this thread

 

[bluejam001]

http://australiancar.reviews/reviews.php#!content=recalls&make=Holden&model=Commodore&gen=1142 - plenty of "ammo" I found in here thanks to the posters here - thanks!