slinky

Anybody have a clue why my power steering is completely out? Cant turn at all?
only code was DTC B1206 P/W master switch communication stop....
Has the dash light with steering wheel and ! on
Would like to take to dealer ( I think) but would need a tow!

Thanks

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

The P/S is electric. Did you check the fuse?

slinky

yes, that was one of the first things I checked. Curious if this code would have anything to do with it or not?

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

I googled DTC B1206 and nothing that came up directly related to the P/S - all related to the ECU.

bezee

Did you ever figure this out? I'm dealing with the same exact thing right now. HELP!!

213374U

Reset codes and go from there.

bezee

Excuse my ignorance but when you say reset codes what do you mean? I didnt have the codes pulled on the car yet.

Right now, when i hit the start button i hear a single thump noise and receive the "Check power steering system" message and the steering is completely stiff. Last night i think i located the fuse labeled "EPS" which was in tact.

jmcraney

It's hard for me to understand what this is about. Are you saying that the car starts and the engine runs, but the steering is locked?

213374U

If you're power steering is locked up, there is certainly an error code being stored in your ECU. Have someone check that, clear them, and see where you are. If the code comes back and the steering is locked immediately after clearing the code something is definitely wrong.

BTW... did you do any work to your vehicle prior to this happening?

bezee

No work was done before this occurred. It was out of the blue. I was sitting idling waiting on my kid to come outside and the exclamation light popped up and the power steering system light and message came on. From that point i lost power steering and it became hard as hell to turn the wheel when driving.

jmcraney

I believe that this is an indication that the car's battery has a low SOC. The low SOC may be the result of a defective charging system or a defective battery.

bezee

I guess checking the level of the battery alone wont tell me this? The battery is only about a year old.

jmcraney

I expect that if you measure the battery's SOC you will find that it is low. You should take your battery to a battery dealer and have it checked. The battery dealer will be able to tell you if the SOC is low and if it is low, whether that is related to a defect in the battery. Batteries do fail prematurely, for a variety of reasons. There are two common ways to determine the battery's SOC. The gold standard method is with a battery hydrometer that you can buy at an auto parts store for just a few dollars. The other method is to measure the open circuit voltage of the battery with a voltmeter and determine the SOC from a temperature compensated lookup table. If you are not familiar with these techniques, the best thing to do is take your battery to a battery dealer. If you look at your battery, you will be able to determine who the manufacturer is. Then if you take it to a dealer for that manufacturer and it is bad you will be able to get a replacement under the conditions of the warranty.

bezee

Thanks. I'll go that route before consulting with the stealer.

bezee

Well I got a warranty replacement of the battery just in case, and still have the thump noise followed by the power steering indicator and message I guess now i'll have to see what the dealer says.