Power steering died when I was on the Freeway

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by mav1178

... so basically your power steering ASSIST went out. You can still turn but it's harder to turn.

Again, if it's not a lock issue then it's not a true safety issue.

-alex

Or "isolated" issue would be a better descriptor.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tomking

1: When the problem occurred, the steering just stiff but not pulling either left or right.

2. No, it does not resist to pull it back to the center. It was just extremely hard to turn and only went inch by inch when I tried to steer it. It feels as hard and resisting as if you have your car park in the garage with the engine off.

3. It happened twice in that one drive but after I rest it overnight, it does not happen again.

Thanks. I think we can consider this resolved. Whether it was a true overtemp condition or if it was a false positive, this was as we first, albeit harshly, concluded - a loss of P/S.

This was not a lockup or an otherwise hazardous condition.

The possibility of P/S loss is clearly stated in the owner's manual. We should all be aware of it.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Thanks. I think we can consider this resolved. Whether it was a true overtemp condition or if it was a false positive, this was as we first, albeit harshly, concluded - a loss of P/S.

This was not a lockup or an otherwise hazardous condition.

The possibility of P/S loss is clearly stated in the owner's manual. We should all be aware of it.

I still stand by my original armchair diagnosis of an over temp cut out!
OP said was "hot" that day. I have never experienced it but understand that in most of Australia if a native says it is "hot" that means "freakn' hot" to many of us. ( @Captain Snooze ?).
Steering hits thermal overload and cuts out.
OP pulls over waits a few seconds and tries again. Still in overload.
Waits a little longer. Has come down enough to work.
Drives a few more minutes. Heats up again and goes to overload.
Waits and cools enough to keep going until reaches home.
Car sits overnight and cools completely. Works fine.
Does not drive under the same conditions (ambient air temp, location/angle of sun striking dash and creating radiant heat, same amount of time spent in conditions, etc) and symptoms do not repeat.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I still stand by my original armchair diagnosis of an over temp cut out!
OP said was "hot" that day. I have never experienced it but understand that in most of Australia if a native says it is "hot" that means "freakn' hot" to many of us. (@CaptainSnooze ?).
Steering hits thermal overload and cuts out.
OP pulls over waits a few seconds and tries again. Still in overload.
Waits a little longer. Has come down enough to work.
Drives a few more minutes. Heats up again and goes to overload.
Waits and cools enough to keep going until reaches home.
Car sits overnight and cools completely. Works fine.
Does not drive under the same conditions (ambient air temp, location/angle of sun striking dash and creating radiant heat, same amount of time spent in conditions, etc) and symptoms do not repeat.

I agree with you. Just trying to be diplomatic.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Just trying to be diplomatic.

Well stop it! You know how easily I get confused!!!!

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Well stop it! You know how easily I get confused!!!!

Duuuude, my bad.

[Tomking]

The power steering unit should be working normally under that temperature (was about 38-40C) because that is the normal temperature in Australia's summer.

I think we all agree that the Power steering is faulty and should be replacing under new car warranty which it did...

Thank you all for participating, this case can now be closed,

[themadscientist]

Can the assist be removed to convert to full manual steering?

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by themadscientist

Can the assist be removed to convert to full manual steering?

Anything's possible but I just flipped through the relevant pages in the service manual and hory sheet, electronically, everything runs through everything else.

BTW, @Sarlacc, tons of trouble codes dedicated to P/S control.

[themadscientist]

Welcome to the modern automobile. Don't forget your car can now be hacked and taken over wirelessly. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...king/23094215/

Think about turning off the TCS, I mean really turning it off. Kind of remind you of a Playstation game?

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by themadscientist

Welcome to the modern automobile. Don't forget your car can now be hacked and taken over wirelessly. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...king/23094215/

Think about turning off the TCS, I mean really turning it off. Kind of remind you of a Playstation game?

In the worst ways. I'd be in nirvana if I could just rip out all that shit.

Without the pedal dance, pushing the throttle is literally asking the computer for permission to go faster. Fuck that noise.

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by Tomking

I think we all agree that the Power steering is faulty and should be replacing under new car warranty which it did...

No, I think YOUR power steering is faulty and it was replaced under warranty.

Mine works fine.

-alex

[Tomking]

Originally Posted by mav1178

No, I think YOUR power steering is faulty and it was replaced under warranty.

Mine works fine.

-alex

Yes, I am only talking about mine!

[Sarlacc]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I still stand by my original armchair diagnosis of an over temp cut out!
OP said was "hot" that day. I have never experienced it but understand that in most of Australia if a native says it is "hot" that means "freakn' hot" to many of us. ( @Captain Snooze ?).
Steering hits thermal overload and cuts out.
OP pulls over waits a few seconds and tries again. Still in overload.
Waits a little longer. Has come down enough to work.
Drives a few more minutes. Heats up again and goes to overload.
Waits and cools enough to keep going until reaches home.
Car sits overnight and cools completely. Works fine.
Does not drive under the same conditions (ambient air temp, location/angle of sun striking dash and creating radiant heat, same amount of time spent in conditions, etc) and symptoms do not repeat.

I disagree. And I'm not very diplomatic :-)
OP says he's in his 50's and have driven lots of cars w/o PS, just like you and me. Granted, a car designed for PS will feel a lot harder than old cars with big wheels and higher gear ratio on the steering, but he should be able to steer with no problem at speed.
Toyota doesn't replace the PS unit and PS ECU just to please a customer, there was obviously something wrong. And this fault caused the steering to almost freeze up, to a degree where OP (a sensible guy in his 50's with lots of driving experience) were not in control of where his car was pointed.
This all suggests there is a possible error condition where the power steering does more than stop working, it actively resists steering.

But I will agree that further debate on the subject is futile. I just hope this is not the way the PS unit fails by design, but rather an isolated issue.

Thanks for sharing your experience, @Tomking.