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Vf wiring diagram for steering rack

malcolmk

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Hi hoping someone can help with a wiring diagram for the VF Electric rack, l am putting into my project car and not sure on trigger wires.
Cheers Mal
 

Lex

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Skylarking

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The VF workshop manual has some info about the power steering system… It’s not just an electric motor and needs a number of components and also integrates to the cluster and ABS… I’ve clipped the following description is from the manual so you can read it here:

The belt driven electronic power steering system consists of the following components:
• The integrated electromechanical power steering unit, containing the power steering control module, its sensors, the power steering motor, a belt drive and a ball nut mechanism
• The steering gear (rack and pinion)
The belt driven electric power steering system reduces the amount of effort needed to steer the vehicle utilizing the power steering control module to control the power steering motor to maneuver the steering gear. The power steering control module also uses a combination of the torque sensor, motor rotational sensor, battery voltage circuit and GMLAN serial data circuit to perform the system functions. The power steering control module monitors vehicle speed and engine speed from the engine control module via the GMLAN serial data circuit to determine the amount of steering assist needed to steer the vehicle. At low speeds more assist is provided for easy turning during parking maneuvers. At higher speeds less assist is provided for improved road feel and directional stability.
The power steering control module uses a combination of the torque sensor, motor rotational sensor, vehicle speed, and calculated system temperature inputs to determine the amount of assist needed. The power steering control module continuously monitors the digital torque sensor's torque and index current signals. As the steering wheel is turned and torsional twist is applied to the steering shaft, the steering input and output shafts are monitored via the torque signal circuit and then processed by the power steering control module to calculate the steering torque. The voltage signals of the motor position sensor and the digital torque sensor's index current signal are both
processed by the power steering control module to detect and calculate the steering wheel angle.

The power steering control module responds to the change in the digital torque sensor signals as well as the motor rotational sensor's voltage signals by commanding current to the power steering motor. The power steering control module controls the motor drive circuit to drive the alternating current motor. The power steering control module & motor assembly is attached to the base of the steering gear housing and applies power assist directly to the rack with a belt drive and a ball nut mechanism to maneuver the rack laterally depending on the direction the steering wheel is turned.
The power steering control module has the ability to calculate an internal system temperature to protect the power steering system from damage caused by high temperature. To reduce a high system temperature, the power steering control module will reduce the amount of current commanded to the power steering motor, which reduces the amount of steering assist. The power steering control module has the ability to detect malfunctions within the electric power steering system. Any malfunction detected that disables steering assist will cause the SERVICE POWER STEERING message to be displayed on the driver information center.
 

malcolmk

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The VF workshop manual has some info about the power steering system… It’s not just an electric motor and needs a number of components and also integrates to the cluster and ABS… I’ve clipped the following description is from the manual so you can read it here:

The belt driven electronic power steering system consists of the following components:
• The integrated electromechanical power steering unit, containing the power steering control module, its sensors, the power steering motor, a belt drive and a ball nut mechanism
• The steering gear (rack and pinion)
The belt driven electric power steering system reduces the amount of effort needed to steer the vehicle utilizing the power steering control module to control the power steering motor to maneuver the steering gear. The power steering control module also uses a combination of the torque sensor, motor rotational sensor, battery voltage circuit and GMLAN serial data circuit to perform the system functions. The power steering control module monitors vehicle speed and engine speed from the engine control module via the GMLAN serial data circuit to determine the amount of steering assist needed to steer the vehicle. At low speeds more assist is provided for easy turning during parking maneuvers. At higher speeds less assist is provided for improved road feel and directional stability.
The power steering control module uses a combination of the torque sensor, motor rotational sensor, vehicle speed, and calculated system temperature inputs to determine the amount of assist needed. The power steering control module continuously monitors the digital torque sensor's torque and index current signals. As the steering wheel is turned and torsional twist is applied to the steering shaft, the steering input and output shafts are monitored via the torque signal circuit and then processed by the power steering control module to calculate the steering torque. The voltage signals of the motor position sensor and the digital torque sensor's index current signal are both
processed by the power steering control module to detect and calculate the steering wheel angle.

The power steering control module responds to the change in the digital torque sensor signals as well as the motor rotational sensor's voltage signals by commanding current to the power steering motor. The power steering control module controls the motor drive circuit to drive the alternating current motor. The power steering control module & motor assembly is attached to the base of the steering gear housing and applies power assist directly to the rack with a belt drive and a ball nut mechanism to maneuver the rack laterally depending on the direction the steering wheel is turned.
The power steering control module has the ability to calculate an internal system temperature to protect the power steering system from damage caused by high temperature. To reduce a high system temperature, the power steering control module will reduce the amount of current commanded to the power steering motor, which reduces the amount of steering assist. The power steering control module has the ability to detect malfunctions within the electric power steering system. Any malfunction detected that disables steering assist will cause the SERVICE POWER STEERING message to be displayed on the driver information center.
Thanks l understand all this but if l can get the wiring diagrams l am sure l can make it work.
 

Smitty

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Thanks l understand all this but if l can get the wiring diagrams l am sure l can make it work.
you need a wired in VF BCM to make it work properly
it does not work on its on
 

lmoengnr

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you need a wired in VF BCM to make it work properly
it does not work on its on
Would it also need a steering angle sensor for input as well?
 

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you need a wired in VF BCM to make it work properly
it does not work on its on
Haven’t looked into it in any detail but the VF’s workshop manual shows within the block diagram the following:
  • Power steering control module
  • Power steering motor
  • Power steering shaft torque sensor
  • Instrument cluster
  • Electronic brake control module
There is no mention of Body Control Module within the above but from the extract I added in previous post:

The power steering control module also uses a combination of the torque sensor, motor rotational sensor, battery voltage circuit and GMLAN serial data circuit to perform the system functions. The power steering control module monitors vehicle speed and engine speed from the engine control module via the GMLAN serial data circuit to determine the amount of steering assist needed to steer the vehicle.

And I’m sure there are other parameters that may be needed but aren’t elaborated in the workshop manual… You may need the data provided by ecu, tcm, bc, cluster, abs even though only cluster and brake module are mentioned… It’s the problem of GMLAN carries lots of data that some modules simply rely on being there…

It could be a real interesting project but definitely not play and play… you may need much of the VF system in place or ways to inject the data you’ll need.
 

Skylarking

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Thanks l understand all this but if l can get the wiring diagrams l am sure l can make it work.
Get a copy of the workshop manual that can be found within the forum…

It contains functional detail, connector pinout and physical wire routing… some wiring diagrams as well but not many as they weren’t captured in the PDF.

You’ll need to do lots of sleuthing…
 

Derek450SLC

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Hello Malcolmk,

Did you ever get anywhere with the electric power rack? These racks are quite easy to get atm and would be great to replace a steering box and all the linkages while removing the losses of a hydraulics system in my car. Alot of the systems people use particularly the ones mounted on the steering colums seem to just need power and a accessory wire to run as a closed loop system with like 50% assistance all the time which is fine as could setup like that and then above speeds of 80km/h have it turn off for direct feel.
 
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