has anyone else had this problem while driving and what action did you take to rectify it, please. It has happened to my daughter twice now? Fortunately she was driving slowly - car stalled and steering locked
Ford Fiesta y REG - STEERING LOCKING
- Thread starter janer311
- Start date
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Could you be a little more specific, do you think?
If the engine stalls, the power steering becomes very heavy as there is no assistance - so much so that the driver thinks that the car is impossible to steer.
On the other hand, if the steering becomes heavy but the engine is still running, then there is a mechanical fault.
John
If the engine stalls, the power steering becomes very heavy as there is no assistance - so much so that the driver thinks that the car is impossible to steer.
On the other hand, if the steering becomes heavy but the engine is still running, then there is a mechanical fault.
John
Hi John
Thanks for you response. My daughter says she was driving and she heard the steering wheel lock, she was going down a hill in third gear and the engine cut out. She managed to stop vehicle, restarted car and had to move steering wheel to take lock off. This is the 3rd time this has happened now in 12 months. It is going to be looked at tomorrow but our mechanic hasn'ty got a clue so is taking it to a Ford specialist.
Any bright ideas?
Thanks for you response. My daughter says she was driving and she heard the steering wheel lock, she was going down a hill in third gear and the engine cut out. She managed to stop vehicle, restarted car and had to move steering wheel to take lock off. This is the 3rd time this has happened now in 12 months. It is going to be looked at tomorrow but our mechanic hasn'ty got a clue so is taking it to a Ford specialist.
Any bright ideas?
The steering lock click isn't particularly loud, so to hear it over the noise of the engine, radio etc would be unusual.
My Fiesta didn't like going downhill quickly - how fast was she going in third? I found that hitting the rev limiter for a couple of minutes caused the engine to stall. If she turned the ignition off to restart the car, it's very easy to knock the wheel lock on, especially if you're in a state having had the car stall whilst bombing down a hill.
My thoughts are that the steering lock isn't at fault and something else is going on, however do you know if the car has ever been stolen? Does the same key operate the doors, the ignition and the fuel filler?
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Ignition locks are indeed designed to fail safe, and this is a most unusual situation.
Early Fiesta's did suffer from a steering column issue - at the bottom of the steering column there is a device called a universal joint, that transmits movement from the steering column down through the floor and into the steering rack. This component would tend to break up, and jam - not permanently but enough to give you a real fright. I don't know if your daughters car is affected, naturally but in a situation as potentially lethal as this it must be brought to Ford's attention.
John
Early Fiesta's did suffer from a steering column issue - at the bottom of the steering column there is a device called a universal joint, that transmits movement from the steering column down through the floor and into the steering rack. This component would tend to break up, and jam - not permanently but enough to give you a real fright. I don't know if your daughters car is affected, naturally but in a situation as potentially lethal as this it must be brought to Ford's attention.
John
It would also help to know what engine the car has. The Most likely are the 1.25 zetec, the 1.3 Endura or the 1.8 diesel.
I would go down the road of advice, check your keys are right, ignition needs a special look.
