Simple "how to" video showing you how to recalibrate the steering wheel sensor in your VW. This is shown on a Golf, but the fix will work on the majority of VW cars!
Saw your video, changed to a new battery and all the indicators gone! Old battery was last changed on 22 August 2022! Thanks for the video and keep up for good work!
Brilliant video, exactly what I had after changing the battery. Keep posting the videos you just saved me a probably expensive trip to the dealership 👍👍👍👍👍
Great to hear and thanks for the feedback… and yes - the dealership would have plugged you into their computer (typically about 90 quid) charged an hour for investigation (another 60 quid plus VAT) and then done the exact same thing!!
Great question - balance (mechanical balance issues like missing wheel weights and so on) no… ABS problems though, definitely yes! If one of your wheel sensors is telling the car that it is going faster than the cut off speed then the reset won’t work. Do you have an abs warning as well?
There are a number of possible causes - check your fluid level in the reservoir… also, as it is getting colder, it could be that your battery is on its way out and the draw from the starter motor is tipping it over the edge when you start up - all sorts of weird electrical gremlins show up at this time of year for exactly that reason
Hi Tim, i was driving in my polo and the same light came on and my power steering went stiff and hard to turn. I've since then checked the fuses under the steering wheel and on top of the battery. Checked fluid, none leaking. Any idea mate? Thanks👍
My first guess would have been low power steering fluid, but as you said you’ve checked that, I’d suspect the power steering pump or a bad auxiliary belt (the one that drives the power steering pump and alternator)… the belt is easy to check / replace, so maybe start with that - if you have an oil leak, the belt could be contaminated and slipping which would compromise your steering assist
PS. You didn’t mention which polo you have, but if it is a later one with an electric power steering pump, it could be an earth issue - check the earthing point where the negative terminal from the pump is bolted to the chassey/engine (all cars are negative earthed so the negative will always return to the body somewhere) believe that earth issues are kinda common with the ones with a stop start system and so on
Red power steering sign came up, car started tho, before i drove off i tried your method, and it worked,, the loght is off the dash board, sometimes by rear passenger door does not lock, i have to try 2 times to lock it, i also have the light bulb symbol on the dash, says corner light issue,, but the lights fine,, could the problems be linked? I have a passat cc diesel 10 plate, any help would be appreciated
Hi Mike! I don’t think these issues are related - the lights, steering assist and door locks are all on different circuits. If you get the red steering light it indicates a much more serious problem, so definitely get that checked out by an experienced mechanic…
It should light up when you start the car (all the warning lights do so that you know that they are working) but then go out again after a second or two… is yours staying on?
I got a little 1.2 polo ... I'm sure it's a 9n , I had no light up but very heavy steering so went thru a few things and finally found out it was my alternator so had that replaced, the steering went back to normal so I presumed it was fixed , now the steering warning light has come on and Iv lost power steering. Steering fluids fine , alternator is good and so is the battery ..... help me please
Honestly not sure - you appear to have covered most things in your investigation! I strongly recommend you get it checked out by a professional - steering you don’t take chances with!!
Ive got an 09 Tiguan that the steering went out...i looked for the bad fuse and found they were good (even the 80amp) but when I went to start it the key turned but no response from the dash, not key insert alarm (door open) . The dash will show the door open... I tried clearing the voltage after disconnecting the battery... still no luck. Plugged in the obII but it would not connect
Weird symptoms… kinda sounds like your car isn’t recognising the immobiliser chip in the key fob… might sound like a weird thing to try, but try turning you key the other way up; sometimes as they get older the chip can have difficulty communicating with the sensor that is usually on top of the ignition barrel - I had a similar issue with a replacement key in a clio recently
Hi , I have recently changed my starter motor in which the battery has been disconnected to do so.. Since connecting back up I have amber steering light same as yours, but also my power steering isn’t there, very heavy.. I do have Rear right wheel speed sensor down, Could this really be the reason my steering won’t ‘reset’ and continues to have no power steering and shows light ? Cheers
Hi mate is there a way to delete the steering warning light permanently? Doing an engine swap and easier to do a full loom swap, only I can’t use the oem steering rack, I’m fitting a Toyota electric / hydraulic pump for the existing hydraulic rack
Hi - not in so far as I am aware… as it is a basic safety feature, I can’t think of any standard equipment that would achieve that result; a tuning shop may be able to assist, but it is a fairly bad idea on safety grounds so they may not want to assist - steering and brakes are two things that you don’t want to take any chances with!
Hey tim mate 👋 i have the same problem while i'm driving first red steering wheel light comes up with tire balance and traction lights and the car stops moving and won't unlock transmission until i put the steering wheel in a certain direction .. do you know what could be the problem ?
I honestly don’t know, but I certainly wouldn’t drive it before getting that checked out! It sounds like a few circuits are affected, so it doesn’t sound like a single cause… I suspect a electrical fault - maybe an earthing issue for a satellite box (have seen similar groups of symptoms before) but definitely one for a professional
Great question and a good illustration of what I was saying in the vid… your sensor has probably lost calibration due to a low battery state, but the abs issue is stopping it from resetting - you will likely need to fix the abs issue, then repeat this procedure to get rid of the light
I have a 2013 Tiguan. Live in Florida, so not cold. Purchased it used about 6 months ago, with around 160K miles. In the recent 3-4 weeks, I have experiencing where the power steering does not engage “sometimes” when I START the car. It seems to happen after I drive the car for 20+ minutes, arrive at destination, and turn off the car, where subsequently upon starting the car “shortly” within 1-30 minutes, the power steering goes out/away and eventually the power steering light turns on. I phrased it this way, because the red power steering light does not always immediately turn on when the power steering is out. I have tested the battery with my multimeter and it shows 12.5V with the car off, and 13.9V when idling. So, I guess I can eliminate the alternator as a problem. The fuses have been checked. Because it has been intermittent, it just doesn't seem to indicate a problem with the steering column. No other indicator lights are on. I am looking for an OBD sensor that will work with my VW Tiguan, so no codes yet.
Ok… you’ve got me intrigued! Weird set of symptoms, so I usually open with looking for electrical gremlins… maybe not condensation from cold, but have you driven through any water recently?
My 09 Jetta steering light came on and the steering went stiff. All the lights came up and then went off and appears like no power while car still on then it flashes on any insight on what that may be?
Either your steering pump has failed, or you may have a hydraulic fluid leak. Check the level of power steering fluid first. After that (and forgive me… I can’t remember if a Jetta had an electric, or an auxiliary belt driven steering pump) check you auxiliary belt to make sure it isn’t slipping with oil contamination, or damaged, OR check that power is getting to and from the pump if you have an electric pump… don’t take any chances though - physical failure of power assisted steering is no joke!
My pleasure - I believe that low fluid is the most common cause of the symptoms you describe, but tough to know without seeing the vehicle - let us know how it goes, and thanks for watching!
Hi Kevin - if you have the same symptoms as oliviamo4490, my recommendation is that if you don’t have an obvious fluid leak (low fluid level in the reservoir being the giveaway) you get it checked out by a mechanic; you may have a leak in the steering rack that might not be obvious, but anything that affects steering should not be ignored. If you just have the warning light, the reset shown in this vid would help - it could just be a low voltage issue causing the calibration to be lost, but if feeling heavy, that suggests failure of a major component. Even a reconditioned steering rack would cost you about £250, so check carefully for split or leaking hoses, loose jubilee clips etc, and try topping up your pas fluid
I have a Suzuki Swift (2022) the battery went flat, I replaced with a brand new one. The steering fluid icone came up and it wouldn't let me start the car. Then after a few minutes it disappears and I can start the car again normally. What does it mean ?
All cars light the dashboard warning lights for a short time when you turn the ignition on - to let you know that they work! If you keep the ignition on, they don’t go out - until the engine turns on… I think your battery/starting issue was not connected to this light in your dash - I’m not an expert on Suzuki’s but what I will say, is that all makes and models of cars are different and you can’t really compare them… the age is important too - bottom line, issues in a elderly VW will be very different to a fairly young Suzi!
First thing I’d do is plug a diagnostic computer in, and clear the other diagnostic trouble codes… when your battery gets low, all sorts of weird messages pop up, and some stick… could be your lights are falsely reporting a problem for the same reason as the steering warning (forgotten calibration etc). Thanks for watching!
I’m pretty sure that if it was something serious the symbol would be red… worth trying this, but remember that it won’t work if you also have an abs problem. If your battery has run flat and you have had to be jump started, this would be where I’d start!
What happens if you get the red steering wheel like I did. From nothing to red wheel. Can't turn the wheel to calibrate and the battery is fine. Getting a DTC_00569 code. What are your thoughts on that. Thanks.
Great question… ok - 2 things. You say your battery is fine, but if it has a cell that is just about ok for now, but on the way out, the load under starting may be enough to tip the balance. Get it professionally tested - that’s the obvious one. On the error code, that relates to steering motor current. The rack itself rarely goes wrong on these cars, so it is probably the harness or “loom” - maybe a bad connector, that is further affected by morning condensation… I’d recommend going through the connectors one by one with some contact cleaner… if I was a betting man, I’d put my cash on it being the battery though
@@bigtalltim Thanks so much for your reply. I did get the battery tested, they said it was ok. I checked what I could re the power assist plug and wires coming in and out of them. I spoke to two mechanics, both of them said it was likely the steering rack, although as you said, these racks seldomly fail. My Mk5 has only done 142,000 k's. I'll ask the mechanics to test connectors and loom before doing the rack and hope that this is the issue. Thanks again for getting back to me. Much appreciated. PS:, The red wheel warning light came on two weeks ago. It was taken to a service centre. They said they couldn't find anything wrong with it. They could see the error code in the log, but the problem had seemingly fixed itself. I drove the car for another one and a half weeks with no issues whatsoever. That would suggest that, as you say, it's not the steering rack, and more likely to be electrical? Aside from that and what you have mentioned, is there anything you think I need to say to the mechanic? Thanks again, I just subscribed!
@joshjoshspangler Hi - no worries! A side question: have you driven through any deep water? (Again, this would point towards electrical if so…) Regarding talking to a mechanic about it, just keep to the known issues and hard facts and don’t be offended if the mechanic takes it with a pinch of salt! it is always easier to run with the symptoms and facts and methodically work through the troubleshooting list double checking everything that has been “ruled out” by someone else anyway. That said… The racks *are* pretty much bullet proof, and the job is super easy so if they come in with a quote for more than a couple of hours, they either don’t know VWs or they are being overly cautious - neither of which would fill me with confidence! Tell them you’d prefer a reconditioned rack to save the cost of a brand new unit too - they so rarely go wrong that it’s a pretty safe bet. Good luck!
@@bigtalltim Hello Thank you again! No, I haven't driven through any water and the car is parked in a garage every night so morning condensation is not a problem. Plugs/connectors look clean and dry. Battery has a built in "Good, not so good and replace" gauge which is in the green. Having said that I've put the trickle charger on it just to completely rule out the battery as the problem. Fuse box and connections are corrosion free, dry and tight. I'm going to have to flat bed it into a mechanic so I'll let you know what they find. Thank you so much for your advice and getting back to me. Amazing. :-)
@joshjoshspangler my pleasure! By the way - the thing with batteries is that one cell of the bank of cells that make up the battery (there is usually 6 each of which produces 2.1v at full charge) can be on its way out, but still have enough juice to report that the battery is healthy (over 12v)… the issues come when that same battery is under really heavy load - like when it is turning the starter motor; at that point the voltage can drop to a level that causes electrical gremlins - I’d be really interested to know what they find!
Brilliant video but sadly didn't work on my 2007 VW Touran 2.0 TDI.. Red light would illuminate intermittently and get heavy steering .. ( UPDATE ) I still havent an explanation why this hack seems to have worked and was only done purely out of frustration of being told i needed an expensive replacement rack,, I tapped the end of the steering rack at the track rod end with a heavy hammer it seems to have solved my problem.. the Amber steering light went out and hasn't come back on in over 18 month's ( touch wood ) . Can anyone explain how and why this might have solved my issue ? 73s
Wow - that’s a new one on me!! The only suggestion I have is possibly that there was an airlock in the steering rack, and the hefty bonk bubbled it out of the system… not an approach I’d recommend, but hey - if it works…
That indicates a real problem - you definitely need to get that checked out! Don’t drive if you can possibly avoid it, and if you have to drive to a mechanic, take care and really take your time! It could be as simple as the power steering fluid being low, so that is worth checking. Do you have a code reader?
You will need to fix the abs issue - most likely a sensor has failed… as with many of these calibrations, they only work if the system is in a good state of health
Ive got a light thats on since the car (2009 Passat) sat without a battery for 4 days! 😢 this doesnt seem to work for me but ive got no other lights and the steering doesnt seem effected at all. Anyone got any ideas where to go next with this?
Try repeating the process twice - right left right left. Also, hold for longer at the extremes of movement. Remember you also have to drive slowly in a straight line for this to set
The starting direction can make a difference with some models… it might be worth trying both rlrl and lrlr… the most important bit is the slow straight driving for about 10 to 20 metres. Good luck - let us know how it goes!
Must be a different cause then… Check the pas fluid level! ooor, try RLRL - sometimes that makes all the difference! Remember that an abs issue would cancel the reset, as would driving in the straight line at more than 20kph
I've got same problem, mine won't reset. I have code 00778. I had broken key cylinder so replaced cylinder and steering lock. Put back together reconnected battery and now fault still shows, tried this method several times but won't work. I've stripped again checked all connections. What you think? Faulty sensor? Wasn't present before cylinder change
Hi Wayne - is it possible that you accidentally disconnected the steering sensor? It would give this error if the resistance was out of range - that would be my starting point… especially if not an issue before you opened it up to fix the barrel! The steering sensor wire is a bit out of the way - failing that, possible just need to reset the Diagnostic Trouble Code - might be an old error!
Hi. I have a VW Sharan 2011. I got a red light for the steering system and after more check I had to replace it. But after 1 week and almost 1500 km, the red light is back. Which could be the problem? I don’t get it.
Hi - red lights are very different… a lot more serious - something has failed. Definitely get that checked - if I had to guess, possibly a fluid leak caused by the job a week ago?
@@bigtalltim I don’t know exactly. Also, just few days before it cracks, we had some very bad weather and the car went a little through water. It were some floods but not so big. Anyway, after that the red light for the steering system came on and in just 30 minutes the flywheel cracked also. So Idk if all these events are related. Anyway, we replaced the steering system, the clutch with the flywheel, we went into a small vacation whete we drove almost 1500 km. Now, it is back the red light for the steering system and I really don t know why.
I would take it back to the place that fixed the clutch and flywheel… many years ago I had a Sharan, and I seem to recall that the hydraulic fluid for the power steering also does the clutch… could well be related
Great question - that is much more serious and you should not drive it with that light on! It means that the electromechanical steering assist has failed, and the steering may be stiff… don’t take chances with that - you definitely need to get that checked out by a pro
@vusibaloyi1235 sounds like the abs issue is the only thing stopping the recalibration from working… it must be that one of your wheels is saying that it is going more than the cutoff speed for this procedure. I’d recommend that you get that sorted, then try this again! Thanks for watching!
Check for other trouble codes - it is most likely that you have an abs issue, or the fluid level is low… the yellow light does more than just lost callibration
