I've been experiencing what I thought was a failed steering torque sensor issue. For the past several months, when I start the car everything is fine--no indicator lights. If I start driving, get the car up to speed before I have to start turning, things work normally. If I turn the wheel before I start moving, the steering indicator light comes on and the power steering is disabled. The car is still drivable, you just have to muscle it at parking lot speeds.

So here's where it gets weird. I live in Maryland. Today I take the car for the bi-annual emissions check. The check is performed by plugging a cable into the OBD2 port. They check the computer, all is well, they send me on my way.
But the steering works fine for about 30 minutes. I drive around 5 miles from the emissions check station to a grocery store, go in, come out. Drive another 2 miles home, steering still working normally.
Go to back my car into the garage, turn the wheel and the indicator light comes on and the power steering is disabled.

What could the scan of the computer for an emissions check have to do with the steering?
I was prepared to buy a new torque sensor and have it installed, now I'm reconsidering that.
Thoughts?

 

Guessing correlation, not causation.

As in something else more logical about the emissions test experience was the cause, not the plugging into and scanning ecu. As in how long car was driven on way to test, how long it sat waiting for and during test, how long it was driven after, etc.

Or maybe how long it was left with key on but engine not on (something that happens during test, but probably doesn't happen often in normal life).

Those sorts of things.

 

Darn! An emissions check twice a year is a PITA!

-- Chuck

 

Doesn't "bi-annual" mean every two years? You may be thinking "semi-annual."

 

Nope. Biannual and semiannual both mean twice a year. Biennial is every two years or every other year. Your daily bit of trivia.

Biennial and biannual sound very much alike and accents can make it worse in speech. Best to just write or say "every two years." or "twice a year."

-- Chuck

 

Damn! Paying smog testing twice a year? Crazy!

 

Actually:(NOT biannually.)

-- Chuck

 

OK, so I was never going to win the National Spelling Bee. Learned a new word: Biennial.

Thinking of getting one of the OBD2 devices just to see if I can repeat the effect of having something plugged into the port.