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The power steering enables you to apply little effort when engaging the steering wheel. Therefore, the steering wheel will be hard to operate if it malfunctions.
The EPS light will also come on in such a situation. There are usually two types of EPS lights.
One is yellow, indicating that the power steering issue is not severe. The other one is red, and when it comes on, it implies that the problem with the power steering is severe.
But whichever the case, when you encounter an EPS light that comes on or stays on after driving the car for a short while, you should take immediate action to resolve it.
An issue usually causes this problem with one of the components that affect the performance of the power steering, as described below.
8 Causes Of Car EPS Light Coming On
1. Software Glitch
The EPS has software that controls its activities. If this software develops bugs, it will run into a glitch that can be resolved by updating or restarting the EPS.
So, if the EPS light comes on when you are on the road, stop the car and restart the EPS system. To do so, apply the following steps:
- Switch off the car
- Remove the car’s keys from its ignition
- Wait for about ten seconds
- Insert the key to the car’s ignition and drive off
If the problem were a software glitch, the EPS light would disappear when you drive the car for a short distance.
If it is still there, you have a more serious issue; hence, you must examine the following other features.
2. The Power Steering Is Broken
The power steering is designed to last for a long time. However, due to stretching or wear, it might break.
When the power steering breaks, you will hear noise coming from the steering. Also, the steering will be stiff, and the EPS light will come on.
If you run into these symptoms, you may want to check your car’s power steering.
Since the power steering comprises many parts, you will have to examine each part separately until you find the broken one.
Once you identify the one with an issue, repairing or replacing it will make the EPS light disappear.
However, diagnosing and fixing the power steering features is not a walk in the park; hence you may want to take your car to a mechanic.
But the only way to ensure that you don’t run into a broken power steering is by avoiding reckless driving, such as going over speed bumps at high speed.
3. Faulty Battery
The power steering relies on the voltage from the battery to function. If the voltage is low, it will not work correctly, and the EPS light will come on.
Therefore, you should also check the condition of your car’s battery when the EPS light doesn’t go away after a few seconds.
Your car’s battery can go bad due to wear or electrical issues such as short circuits. It can also go faulty when you leave your car’s lights to stay on overnight.
So, if the battery is causing the EPS light to come on, replacing it will sort out the issue.
But it will be best to safeguard the new battery to avoid reencountering the problem.
4. Bad Steering Angle Sensor
Your car is fitted with a steering sensor that monitors the wheel’s rotation and relays the information to the power steering ECU.
Although this sensor has been made to last many years, it can go faulty due to wear, faulty wiring, or harsh weather conditions.
Also, sometimes during maintenance, you may install it in the wrong position, thus making it defective.
A lousy steering angle sensor will not relay any information to the computer resulting in the EPS light coming on.
If uncontrolled movements of the car accompany this light, you may have a faulty angle sensor that needs to be fixed.
Unfortunately, it is hard to repair a damaged steering angle sensor; hence, you should buy and install a new one.
5. Faulty Fuse
The power steering has a fuse that protects it from electrical faults. It usually blows up when the voltage heading to the power steering exceeds a certain level.
But sometimes, it fails to blow up and instead completes the circuit. When this happens, the EPS light will tell you something is wrong with the power steering.
So, you should also check this fuse to make sure that it is in good condition. You can use your car manual to know where it is located.
Place the multimeter cables on their sides to know if the fuse completes the circuit.
If the multimeter reads a sufficient voltage, you have a defective fuse that you must replace to resolve the EPS light issue.
6. Wiring Issue
A wiring issue can also make the EPS light come on. If the wires that supply voltage to the power steering get bad, they will supply little to no voltage.
These wires can go bad due to corrosion by the battery fumes.
These fumes will increase the electrical resistance in the wires; hence small voltage will reach the power steering.
Luckily, you can quickly identify corroded wires by checking if they have a white substance, especially at the part where they connect to the battery.
If they do, you will have to replace them to resolve EPS light problem.
7. Bad Terminals
If the wires and the battery are still in good condition, the issue could be a bad battery or power steering terminals.
These terminals can go bad due to corrosion by rust or battery fumes. They won’t allow the current to leave the battery or reach the power steering when they do.
Thankfully, this issue you can quickly fix. You use a screwdriver to scrub off the rust or fumes on the terminals.
8. Low Tire Pressure
If you can’t identify what is causing the EPS light to come on, perhaps it is time to check the pressure in your car’s tires.
Low pressure in the tire will make the tire rotate at a speed that is not proportional to the steering movements.
The steering will feel stiff, and you will see the EPS light coming on. The good news is that this is a simple fix that only requires you to top up the tire pressure.
But it will also be good to identify and sort out what is causing the tire pressure to go low to prevent recurring problems.
To Conclude
When a car’s EPS light comes on, the power steering has malfunctioned. A faulty power steering can make the car lose control and even overturns.
It can be dangerous to you and other road users. Therefore, it is vital to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
It is best to stop the car and call a mechanic when you encounter it.
This issue is usually caused by a software glitch, broken power steering, faulty battery, faulty wires, bad terminals, and low tire pressure.
Therefore, you should check and repair them to resolve the EPS light issue.
Bear in mind that some of these issues are hard to resolve; hence you may need to consult a professional.
With comprehensive experience in writing exceptional quality articles and blogs about cars and related stuff, Daniel is one of the finest bloggers and a hardcore car lover we have. He is an ASE certified technician with an across-the-board experience of 10 years in the industry. He could not help tinkering with anything he got his hands on from a young age, which led to his remarkable career in the automotive repair industry.
When he is not under any hood, you can find him on the water or in the woods to pursue his passion for hunting and fishing. He has been writing for multiple sectors and is a regular contributor to several publications.
He currently owns a Nissan 300ZX TT and a Pearl Yellow but plans to upgrade it to 550 HP. His favorites include the Koenigsegg CCX and Lamborghini Diablo 6.0 VT, but for him, the Ferrari 360 Spider is one of the sexiest cars that exists to date.
Being an avid world traveler, he has spent most of his time analyzing the automotive markets, latest technology, and local favorites to enhance his knowledge base. He is currently living in North Caroline, where it’s all about food and coffee and, of course, cars.
