Improved power steering after fitting a new battery

Soldato
Joined
29 Jun 2004
Posts
12,957
I could be talking utter rubbish here (and I suspect I am!), but here goes...

I replaced the car battery and now the steering feels lighter and more responsive.

The rational me is saying it's rubbish and that I'm experiencing some sort of plecebo. However the irrational me is thinking that the power steering pump is an electrical item and therefore could benefit from a better power supply. So, what do you think?






 
Don
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
22,694
Location
Wargrave, UK
Depends on how your PAS is provided. If it's hydraulic then it will be powered from an auxiliary belt from the engine. If it's electric then yes, a new battery could indeed make the steering feel better.
 
Associate
Joined
5 Mar 2004
Posts
512
Location
Aylesbury
Again, could be talking utter rubbish, but if you've got a duff battery then the engine is working harder to power the alternator to top it up. WItha new battery , there's more engine power to the steering pump?
 
Caporegime
Joined
24 Oct 2012
Posts
25,020
Location
Godalming
A new battery will always affect a car. You don't realise how the performance deteriorates over time because it's so slow, but popping a new one in will bring out the best in an instant so it's really noticeable.

I also tend to replace batteries after the first few signs of wear, hate dealing with crap batteries.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Mar 2010
Posts
21,778
could indeed make the steering feel better.

but it's a safety critical system if the battery can't deliver the required current to power the steering electric motor, within spec, you'd expect it to throw a warning code ... limp mode ?
equally for a traditional hydraulic system (with feedback) too, I'd assumed there is a pressure detector; if there were a leak you could be pretty dead.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2004
Posts
20,929
Probably more likely that you have Electric Power Steering which is configurable and the battery change has cleared your setting. What car is it? By default my Nissan has light ePAS settings but can be changed to 'Sport' which makes the feel heavier.
 
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