What Causes the Steering Wheel to Become Heavier in Electric Power Steering Vehicles?
2 Answers
Reasons for heavier steering wheel in electric power steering vehicles: 1. For hydraulic power steering, the power steering fluid may be contaminated; 2. For electric power steering, check if any fuses are blown or if there are open/short circuits in wiring; 3. Repeatedly turning the steering wheel while stationary or at low speeds places extreme load on the power steering system, easily causing the steering gear to overheat and enter protection mode (resulting in heavy steering) - this will return to normal after cooling down and is a normal phenomenon; 4. If electric power steering becomes heavy, check whether the plane bearing above the shock absorber is functioning properly or if excessive wheel alignment deviation is causing the issue; 5. Insufficient tire pressure can make the steering wheel feel heavier - restoring to standard tire pressure will return it to normal.
Last time I took my wife's electric power-assisted car for an outing, halfway through the steering wheel became as heavy as lifting bricks, almost slipping from my grip. I immediately pulled over to check and found the left front tire pressure had dropped to 1.8. After refilling the air, it became much lighter. Actually, most cases of heavy electric power steering are simple issues: insufficient tire pressure increases friction resistance (check regularly even if the low-pressure warning light isn't on); weak battery affects power supply to the assist motor (especially in older cars with frequent start-stop cycles); dust accumulation on steering column sensors can misjudge force. A friend's car had a weirder case - post-rain steering felt stuck, which turned out to be water seepage causing short circuit in the steering motor connector. Monthly self-checks with a tire pressure gauge are most worry-free. If steering suddenly becomes heavy, remember to pull over first.
