EPS Power steering column, what ACTUALLY goes wrong?

[cstuart1310]

Hi, I'm having a similar issue if anyone can advise how much a replacement EPS is/where to get one from since they're hard to source now please? I have a 2003 k12 Micra with no power steering and a red PS light on the dash. MOT is coming up so any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[cstuart1310]

Located in Telford btw

 

[2003Micra]

Sorry, been a crazy few months and haven’t logged on here for a few months. My wife’s Nan was living with us as she was on End Of Life care and she has now sadly passed. This means my life is getting back to some sort of normality. Just catched up with many DMs I had. Will try and get on here more regularly but the EPS system is now so hard to source and very expensive due to that, it’s just not the economically viable to replace anymore on the older Nissan Micras. Unless you are very attached to the car,.. it maybe not worth it.

Hi Jason, sorry to hear. Could you drop me a pm. I have some questions related to EPS system. Thank you,

 

[Volodymyr]

Yeah, at some point the eps will become a hard fault and you won’t be able to reset. Obviously it’s currently an intermittent fault. If you’re keeping the car it maybe worth changing. Otherwise the car is becoming more less economical to repair these days so maybe not worth it!
Let me know if you need an eps, I’ll be able to help you out so it’s a straight swap without getting the NATs issue, but I would advise to sort your engine light out first though.

Hi Jason. My name is Volodymyr, I am from Warsaw. I also have a Micra k12 with faulty power steering. Would you like to repair my module? If so, write your shipping address. I replaced the communication relay, cleaned the contacts in the engine relay. But it helped only for 30 km. Then error c1606 occurs again which cannot be reversed. I'm in despair, I don't know what to do next. The transistors are working. Write to me in PM or to [email protected]. Please help me. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you..

 

[RHUBARB]

Can have a look and have a few replacements if needed. Pm me.

Can you sort my micra I'm in Birmingham

 

[LOVE MY CAR]

Can have a look and have a few replacements if needed. Pm me.

Hi I have an essenza done 22300 miles intermittent PS ISSUE… not in 2 weeks think I need to replace the car…. But wondering about using old car as a donor… seen some companies do a refurb rack with ‘ lifetime’ guarantee? Also the boot has jammed lock not releasing how do you break into it ?

 

[FIRDOUS]

HI , HUTTOJB , i AM HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH MY MICRA AND WOULD LIKE TO BRING MY CAR TO YOU , MINE STARTS BUT MECHANIC CANT FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET POWER STEERING WORKIN [email protected] IS MY EMAIL , I WILL APPRECIATE IF YOU EMAIL ME THANKS

 

[Oakie72]

Another looking for huttojb. Your very popular

 

[Volodymyr]

Привіт Джейсон. Мене звуть Володимир, я з Варшави. Також маю Micra k12 з несправним гідропідсилювачем. Хочете відремонтувати мій модуль? Якщо так, напишіть свою адресу доставки. Замінив реле зв'язку, почистив контакти в реле двигуна. Але допомогло лише на 30 км. Потім знову виникає помилка c1606, яку неможливо скасувати. Я в розпачі, не знаю, що робити далі. Транзистори працюють. Пишіть мені в личку або на [email protected] . Будь ласка, допоможіть мені. Я з нетерпінням чекаю почути від вас. дякую..

Добрий день усім. Здається мені вдалось розвязати цю проблему. Я зарядив свій акумулятор до максимального рівня малим струмом, видалив помилку дешевим Delphi і все запрацювало. Я не мав проблем з підсилювачем керма протягом трьох місяців. Зараз стан мого акумулятора погіршився і тому я мушу заряджати його щотижня та інколи видаляти помилку. Отже маючи зарядний пристрій і діагностичний компютер можна їздити комфортно весь час. Планую замінити акумулятор на новий..

 

[jamaat]

Hi there can someone help me I have issues i have light on after few seconds car starts light comes on help please

 

[Chelm17]

thank you Cos216. Been a tough 10 months.

Hello there,
Firstly sorry about the rough 10 months you've been having and I do hope things pick up for you and your family !!
Is there any chance you could message me or phone me on 07592400651, I have a Micra that does not want to start once the battery has been flat, I've had the EPS changed and I believe the battery wasn't disconnected when it was changed out. If you could help solve this issue I'd be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[szeptyk]

I have the same problem with the PS light coming up occasionally.
@huttojb maybe you will know the answer?
If I buy a used steering column and replace just the motor with the ECU, would I need to program anything?
Like this one but that's out of stock at the moment: https://shop.westernpowersteering.co.uk/nissan/NISMIC.html

 

[tofskiboy]

Hi all, mainly after @huttojb on this one but one to have a head scratch on...

I've got a 2007 Z11 Cube that looks to basically share the same setup as the K12. I had to have the dashboard out for the dreaded heater box failure and upon putting it back together I managed to bash the EPS ECU casing causing a small dent and since then, upon starting the car I get the red PS light straight away every time and no power steering. I've plugged it in and it won't communicate with the EPS ECU and the only code it's throwing is C1606 for the motor so think I may have caused a short or something on the ECU all plugs seem to be in that I can remember taking out anyway!

I've got another ECU and motor on the way from Japan, would it be much like the process you described above to get the car to recognise it and if it comes to it, would you be able to program the replacement ECU using the above methods if I could post it to you? I've only just signed up for the forum upon finding your informative posts so can't DM you at the moment unfortunately!

 

[Bob Trust]

Hi @huttojb, I hope you're doing great. Thank you for the immense knowledge you've shared over these pages and the assistance you've rendered on and off the platform.

I'm quite interested in solving an "issue" with my Micra EPS. I previously drove a 2007 Micra k12 1.4 Elegance Auto LHD, which drove smoothly with very light steering. Now, I own a 2008 160SR LHD, The steering on the 160SR feels much heavier than the 1.4 and there are no fault codes. The system is clean and self centering, I have scanned with a CAN tool with no codes.

Can you help with the tuning data, I see you mentioned something about tuning and setting the EPS to match the car's trim. I really want that soft and light steering feel on the 1.4 Elegance I used previously.

Thanks Jason.

 

[magicolanda]

Hey all,

Now I am on my laptop I can reply properly.

I used to work at the manufactures of ther EPS System (TRW Automotive), where I worked in the Warranty Department analysising all UK and a percentage of international Warranty Returns to improve Manufacturing of the product. I also did some dealer visits and vehicle investigations in my time aswell.

So basically, I know everything there needs to know about the Nissan K12 EPS System.

You are correct, you cannot fit a second hand unit to a vehicle because the system handshakes with a dongle to the BCM and restricts ignition on if the dongle does not match. I know people who have fitted second hand units to their vehicle and it's worked, but not sure how they did this (I do have my opionions how you could possible do this but wouldn't want to broadcast on an open forum - becuase I am not total convinced and never tried it). I don't think TRW ever released the knowhow on clearing the dongle, when I visited Nissan Technical Centre to do some testing on a vehicle - not even Nissan had the ability to clear the dongle on the EPS System.

Next Subject, Fault Codes. The System has many internal fault codes which only display to a handful of DTC on the vehical. If the system identfies a failure it will generate a internal fault code and reduce the asssistance to 0% by disengaging the moter relay for safey. On ignition cycle the fault will be cleared unless it's a hard failure and the fault code will regenerate. If the fault code is generated 3 times in a row then the system latches and generates a System latch and can only be cleared by a diagnostics machine over CAN. These fault codes are Level A, Level B and Level C failures within the system. Level A Failures are normally CAN Issus (Communication Protacol), Level B are hardware failures and Level C are Latch Faults.

During the production there were known hardware and software issues within the system which was resolved during manufacturing. Earlier Systems are more common to fail then later systems. Software failure are normally intermittent and fails but when cleared would normally not fail again.

The system is designed in 3 blocks, ECU, Motor and Torque Sensor. The Motor was manufactured by Globe Motors and are very reliable apart from the Relay that is fitted. The Torque Sensor is an optical system produced in a clean room environment and the ECU was manufactured internally by a sister plant. I wouldn't recommend anyone trying to repair or opening the system without knowning what they are doing. I have questions a few of the re-manufacturing companies that state they repair the systems asking what exactly do they repair (just out of interest) but never got a reply. I would really question their intentions because I know TRW would never release the source Code or Database Files for any external site to repair the EPS. I was working in Prague for 1 year to estblish a Re-Manufacturing process for the EPS Systems and to be honest, it never hit off due to safety and the manufacturing plant didn't want to release the source code - it's agood job I had all what I needed! TRW always said that no system would ever be released if a Failure ever occured regardless of cause; I remember we had a production failure where the test machine was created internal fault codes into the system and all the systems were scrapped (over 200).

The system works on the CAN System of the vehicle and transmit and receives data to and from the ECM, BCM etc.. The system can be interigated with TRW mapped databases and internal parameters can be monitored and configurated over the CANbus. This was never released (as I'm aware) to the general public or Nissan.

Unforntunatly TRW lost the contract for the K12 system in 2009 (I think - if I remember correctly) which was unforntunaity becuase by 2006+ the system was really good and I would recommend the system to anyone. I beleive Delphi now produce the system for the K13 and also a retro fit for the K12 for the TRW replacement. I left TRW in 2010 and went on to bigger and better things.. but I do still know alot about the system and could really help someone if needed with reading the internal fault codes and resetting the dongle if required.

Another thing that I didn't talk about - The system has diffenrent Tune data for different Car configurations, without reading my old notes this was, Perol, Diesal, Sport and C+C Model Range. The system has boost curves, self steering centring and all the good stuff which can be configured with the right tools.

As someone said above, the system does have 2 relays, These are actually called a Link relay and Motor Relay. The Motor Relay is to activate the motor, and to disable the 3-phase motor on failure if required. The Link relay is on the ECU.

I'm trying to answer all the questions above with alittle of information, faults can be caued due to the relays but it's just as likely to be an internal hardware failure. a spec of dust in the torque sensor or a software issue. As I said previously, the system has many faults ( i think around 130ish) and these are assigned to about 5 DTCs so therefore the below DTC might have 100's of root causes. i.e DTC 5606 might be due to the Motor Relay, or the FET Drive for the Mototr the hall sensor which monitor the Motor or the motor feedback circuit. So basically could be either Motor or ECU Fault - in Warranty we barely looked at the DTC unless the system had no internal fault codes because it never helped!

DTC Number Description
5601 Battery Voltage Fault
D000 CAN Bus Fault
5609 CAN Vehicle Speed Fault
5611 CAN RearGearEngaged Invalid
5603 EPS Transient Fault
5604 EPS Operation Fault – Torque Sensor
5606 EPS Operation Fault – Motor
5607 EPS Operation Fault – NVM
5608 EPS Operation Fault – ECU
5604 EPS Internal Fault – Torque Sensor
5606 EPS Internal Fault – Motor
5607 EPS Internal Fault – NVM
5608 EPS Internal Fault – ECU

If someone needs specific details then private message me and I'll try and help.

The TRW System does get some negative feedback - but to be honest I like it. I like it that much I have fitted it to my kit car, this maybe because I can get it working and do some fancy stuff with it - but it's worked really well..

I think I have answered as much as I can - my wife is giving me that look to get off my laptop.

If I can post other helpful stuff I will.

P.S I live in Birmingham - UK so if anyone is around I'm sure I can help. I actually went to a scrap yard yesterday and got 2 EPS off a Micra for spares for my kit Car, knowing if it fails it easier to chnage it. Only takes 10 minutes to remove the EPS (from a scrap car) the bottom of the dash does get in the way and I break it on the scrap car!!!

Hope it made sense and everyone gets alittle information.

Jason

HI,
Also my wife's 2005 Micra K12 has been having problems with the steering becoming hard and the red PS light comes on for some time.
It started rarely at first and then disappeared when I turned the machine off and on again.
For some time it has been occurring more often, especially when it is cold and humid.
We took the Micra to the mechanic who, by connecting with the diagnostics via OBD, reset the C1608 control unit error.
The car ran well for a few weeks but then the PS light came back on with hard steering.
Is it possible to have some information on how to repair or replace the control unit without changing the entire steering column?
Thanks to anyone who can help.