heavy steering

[sparky Paul]

My wife is learning in hers & has told me that her steering gets heavy after 4 or 5 goes at parking.
Going by the comment about the electrical current drain, would it be fair to assume that this is because the battery is struggling a bit after that many times steering & not going anywhere? When I then use it later it seems fine.

The power steering motor can shut itself down due to overheating, but I don't think some parking shuffling should be a problem. I've never had that happen anyway.

Conventional thought on these electric steering (EPS) problems is usually to suspect the car battery first. Have you noticed any other problems with starting, etc.?

[Jocko]

I have never felt my steering heavy, but there again, I have driven cars with "heavy" steering. Perhaps you steer with the wheels turning and your good lady ends up trying to turn the wheel with the car stationary. Maybe after 4 or 5 goes she is just wabit!

[culzean]

Jazz EPS can draw 40 amps from battery,  also I notice many people turn the steering when car is stopped - which is brutal on power steering and tyres - when manoeuvring  car in tight areas I am already turning wheel the opposite way to set up for next bit as the car is finishing one turn to set up to go the other way - means the wheels only ever twist when wheel is rolling.  You will have to watch her indoors when she is parking, 3 point turns etc.

[Waue1978]

The power steering motor can shut itself down due to overheating, but I don't think some parking shuffling should be a problem. I've never had that happen anyway.

Conventional thought on these electric steering (EPS) problems is usually to suspect the car battery first. Have you noticed any other problems with starting, etc.?

Starts on the button every time, but it has had a couple of weeks where it's only been used once a week so may be draining a bit.

I have never felt my steering heavy, but there again, I have driven cars with "heavy" steering. Perhaps you steer with the wheels turning and your good lady ends up trying to turn the wheel with the car stationary. Maybe after 4 or 5 goes she is just wabit!

Reckon you've got the nail on the head there as that's exactly what she does. Unfortunately getting her out of that habit will have to wait until she doesn't have to stop & think which way to turn the wheel when reversing...

[richardfrost]

Jazz EPS can draw 40 amps from battery,  also I notice many people turn the steering when car is stopped - which is brutal on power steering and tyres

and loose surfaces, poor tarmac and badly fitted block paving.

[Barryl]

Our Jazz's steering has been heavy since it was new in 2006.  I took it back to the dealer then but they said it was normal.  I thought it was because I'm used to "proper" power steering i.e. hydraulic.

The electric power steering on the Jazz loses assistance just after low speeds.  I find it very tiring on a longer journey and it has never self-centred, unlike my Land-Rovers do/did, but also my 2006 Civic Diesel, which is only 2 turns lock-to-lock and you just think it around a corner, however this is electric too, so I think it's a design thing ?  The wife think's it's fine, but she has no mechanical knowledge, or sympathy ! 

Anyway, it is now an MoT failure, with a rusted sill, knocking/clicking gearbox in 1st and second, and makes a scraping noise on LH bends (possibly brakes ?).  The handbrake is awful despite new rear callipers a year ago and being adjusted properly, also the discs are shot again at the back.  Oh, and also, the clutch is slipping again after replacement just 30,000 miles ago.   The car has done 135,000 now.  We live 20ft from the sea btw.

I think it may be time ......

[Jocko]

My 2006 Jazz has done 130,000 miles on the original clutch and brake components (pads have been changed but not during my 35,000 miles). I too live by the sea and my car has a little rust, but nothing to fail an MOT. I had my gearbox bearings replaced for £324. Power steering isn't light but I am 72 and have never felt it tiring.
Sounds like your one has just been driven into the ground. What are you thinking of replacing it with?

[springswood]

When I first got my Mk1 I noticed occasionally when doing a three point turn out of my street the steering would be heavy. I know now that's down to low charge and revs when the battery couldn't find the 40 amps needed. Presumably it had been standing a while before I got it. It passed as I used the car regularly. It only happened again during lockdown. Again 'fixed' by 100 mile round trips to my bubble brother's new house.
The moral of this tale is don't be too quick to think heavy steering means your battery is done for, there was 18 months between buying it and lockdown. And I give the battery a hard time doing stop-start as often as I can. I suppose it's a matter of attitude. I am penny pinching and would hate to throw away a battery with some life in it so I'll take the risk 

[bus_ter]

Isn't it odd how we all seem to have different experiences with the steering?

My 2006 doesn't have particularly heavy steering. I'm fully aware of the power steering working.

I have two issues with mine:

1) Weak self centering, I have to assist it the steering to straighten up (I can'r just let go of the steering wheel and have it spin itself back).

2)Notchy steering. This doesn't happen when I first start the car, but comes on at some point later in the drive (15-20mins or so). The sensation is that the power steering is turned off and you have to push it with a certain amount of resistance until it 'turns on' and the steering becomes light. So the feeling is you have to push through a notch everytime. Very annoying on a motorway when you want to make small corrections.

[Barryl]

My 2006 Jazz has done 130,000 miles on the original clutch and brake components (pads have been changed but not during my 35,000 miles). I too live by the sea and my car has a little rust, but nothing to fail an MOT. I had my gearbox bearings replaced for £324. Power steering isn't light but I am 72 and have never felt it tiring.
Sounds like your one has just been driven into the ground. What are you thinking of replacing it with?

Yes, it has effectively been driven into the ground, but not necessarily by us - we're on about the 5th set of pads and several discs each end, from new.  Incidentally, the first rear discs ware replaced at an early service, back in Hampshire in 2007, under warranty as they were corroded then.  We moved here in 2009.  The rear door frames are holed in the thin (black) area of the pillar just behind the B posts, such that if I hadn't filled them it would be possible to see through one side and out the other !  The rear arches are rusty, but this is fairly common.  The lower slam panel under the front bumper is perforated, you can't see this unless you drop the undertray.  The n/s rear window lifter failed recently.  When I took the door panel off, the rail fell out as it had lost the bottom 2 inches with rust. My Land-Rover has exactly the same problem and the door frame tops are shot.  Fortunately, they, can just be pulled out and new ones slotted in though.  Like another has said, the power steering doesn't self-centre and I find this annoying and uncomfortable, I am 67 btw. On all the cars, we have three, it is a constant battle to keep the callipers free as they seize up regularly.  We don't put handbrakes on at home as they won't come off after a few days.  The real problem is where we live : We are in the 2nd-most southerly house in the mainland.  80mph winds are fairly common here, the highest I recorded was 108, with a peak of 128, before we retreated to the back of the house as the front windows were bowing 1" in the middles.  Overnight, the rear view mirrors become opaque with salt, despite the fact that the cars are 200ft from the cliff top, the house is just 20ft, with a 100ft drop.  There is nothing between us and America, the view however, is fantastic !   I will probably replace it with another Jazz