Power Steering not Engaging/Shutting off While Driving
 

A little info. This all started last week. I noticed that a couple times when I'd drive somewhere and turn the car off, I'd come back to turn the car back on and the power steering didn't engage. After letting it sit or idle long enough it would finally engage.

Then yesterday I noticed that sparatically while I was driving the dash and radio would flicker and go out. On top of that the power steering would engage and disengage sporadically. The cars engine sounds and drives fine outside of 2 times I caught it going straight limp for a split second. It's actually kind of scary to have all this happen while on the highway.

I've heard there was a power steering recall for RHD vehicles. No idea if this is related. I'm assuming not.

Anyone have any ideas? It sounds like an electrical issue. But those are my least favorite. Haha

In the image below I am driving 30 mph. And things do not look as they should....

That's scary .....:eyebulge:

Have you checked to see if it has any codes for you....??

Has the battery been starting the car OK .. ??

Have you checked the fuse (#46), under the hood .. ??

Come back.


humfrz

It is indeed an electrical issue if affecting several systems. Not a power steering issue. Did you change anything on the car lately? No light mods or such?

There is a worldwide recall on power steering control unit I believe. Talk to dealer, get that done, it may well sort your problem.


http://www.toyota.com.au/news/toyota...to-be-recalled

That is so, but ......the OP is in Washington.

"The recall impacts right-hand drive vehicles that are equipped with driver’s knee airbags.

Due to an improper wire harness layout, there is a possibility that the electric power steering harness may interfere with the instrumental panel lower cover which contains the driver’s knee airbag on Australian specification vehicles."


humfrz

haha,


yeah that correct forgot you guys drive on wrong side of the road :-)

Well, that reminds be of a story.

Back in the young 70s, one of my field men was needing some help putting on some stored grain insecticide trials, so, looking for an excuse to get out of the office, I flew to Montana to help him.

It was a cold, snowy winter day (no, it really was) and we headed up this mountain to an old grain elevator in a small town. We should have worn our respirators (spraying an experimental insecticide) but the lenses kept fogging up, so we didn't.

As we were finishing up, my buddy had breathed in a bit too much of the organophosphate pesticide and had a bad stomach. So, we stopped in at the local bar on the way out of town and had a couple of shots of whisky.

We then noticed that the patrons were starring at us because we were starring at them ..... because they all looked alike ........ in-bred no doubt.

I drove, coming down off that mountain, (in a two wheel drive pick-up truck) while my buddy uneasily dozed off.

I had ran out of smokes so when I saw this ma & pa store off to the right, I turned off (actually I slid off) the road...... just at that time my buddy woke up and yelled "keep it to the left ...... keep it to the left" and grabbed at the wheel.......thinking I was going off the side of the mountain........:eyebulge:


humfrz