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This post will be sort of long as I have spent weeks diagnosing my EPS issue and me coming from a background in IT, I know more information is always (well, usually) better. I have searched the HELL out of this and have referenced the helms manual like a pastor's bible. I have a 2002 which I've owned since 2012.
A couple months ago, my EPS would start cutting in/out many times a second, to almost where it felt like strong vibrations. This wasn't the typical 'full assist when turning left, then no assist turning right' issue I had dealt with years prior (replaced my rack with a rebuilt in 2015) but rather full assist to no assist probably 5-10 times a second. Now, the EPS light is stuck on and no power assist at all. In the beginning when the full failure started and the EPS light was on, I could turn the car off/back on and it would come back. Then after a couple days, no more luck. The EPS light stays on and no more can I get it to go away.
Diagnostics: I have tried the paperclip trick a few times as I have in the past but I am not at all able to get it to accept due to DTC's flagging. Instead now, I get a total of 7 error codes: 5, 14, 23, 32, 33, 36 and 37. Wow. Now to me, when a computer system thinks the whole house is on fire, it's usually the computer. With this in mind, a friend with a 2001 came over and I swapped the EPS computers. With his functioning computer in my car I still had no EPS but instead only received two error codes: 14 and 33. Now to me, I would think since both computers reporting these two codes would indicate a common point of failure. 14: Open or short to body ground in the torque sensor circuit. 33: A problem with the current sensor. I was unable to test the torque positioning sensor as I didn't want to remove the rack until I was relatively certain this was my problem. I should also add that when I put my EPS computer in my friend's car that no EPS light was on and his EPS functioned with no problems, leading me to believe my computer isn't the issue and that my rack or that torque sensor is my problem (rack was replaced with a rebuilt one in 2015).
I have measured continuity on only the most suspected harness connections (the two power harness connectors A and C on the EPS and a few on connector B) but I am breaching out of my element here as it doesn't seem to be a problem with cables shorting. I admit my lack of experience here so I am willing to retest whatever I need to be confident. I did bring it to Honda just so they could hook up their PGM tester and aside from wanting to replace BOTH the rack and EPS computer, they could only tell me the codes they pulled: 31, 32, and 33 which states on my invoice "EPS UNIT FAILURE". Considering my EPS swap, I don't know if this is accurate.
As I said before, I have no problems disassembling whatever is needed to repair the issue myself (because I really love this sort of stuff and my S will always be worth occasional headaches) but given the crazy symptoms, I am in need of some of your guys' expert advice. I've lurked a lot and always managed to fix my issues myself but I am at a loss here. I've heard of people re-greasing the torque sensor but I was hoping someone could give me a better way to identify if the torque sensor is really the culprit outside of measuring resistance between the sensor connectors @ 20-68 degrees F but I live in FL and that ain't happening without a lot of special precautions. Let me know any questions you have and can post pictures if you'd like!
I've had some similar issues to yours with my 2002, but my EPS hasn't completely gone out yet. It still cuts in and out mid turn and sometimes won't let me turn the wheel past about 20-30 degrees from center when turning right. I really wish there was more info on this issue.
I've had some similar issues to yours with my 2002, but my EPS hasn't completely gone out yet. It still cuts in and out mid turn and sometimes won't let me turn the wheel past about 20-30 degrees from center when turning right. I really wish there was more info on this issue.
I didn't expect to get a response to this lol.
To catch you up, I never figured this issue out. My car has been on blocks in my garage pretty much since aside from starting her up. I *believe* and have settled with my issue being with the rack itself and that it just needs replacing again. As far as your issue is concerned, what all have you done? Have you tried re-registering the neutral position? This issue has been a major headache for me and yeah, I wish there was more information on it but at the end of the day I think people just replace everything until shit works and that's it. If your issue begins with after you pass 20-30 degrees, to me that screams torque position sensor. Your system works until you move it not just a little, but to a decent extent. The only computerized item at play there that I know of is the torque sensor. I would focus your efforts there.
Keep at it! If you do find out what it is, remember to post it here so others can benefit.
Hi guys. I have been going thru the same issue. There is a you tube video on the reset of the EPS. Good vid and it may help with your issue. In my case the eps computer had shorted out and sent a full 12volt s to the rack & pinion and burnt outmy torgue sensor and motor. The eps computer reduces the 12 volts to 1.3 to 1.8 volts to the sensor.. My short fried everything. Have replace computer and will have to replace the rack & pinion. Part is on the way. As of now I am building upper body strength with the non power steering at low speeds. Drives fine at speed but is a bitch to park. unless you can drive straight in. LOL.
Hey everyone! Resurrecting my old thread to provide a hopefully helpful update.
Since COVID 2020 I went back into my garage to give the S some TLC and try and narrow down this issue again. I took out my old torque sensor and disassembled it. I got good at this, can essentially replace a torque sensor AND align it correctly <1 hour now... Since the torque sensor is basically just a potentiometer (a simple electric circuit which measures the position in which a shaft turns inside a sensor housing) I decided to take it completely apart and clean it. This did not solve my issue and I essentially still had zero power steering. Below is my old torque sensor disassembled and cleaned:
After cleaning the sensor, I got intermittent but still shaky power steering. Not convinced the torque sensor wasn't jacked, I bought a new one (Part number 53101-S2A-A03) and installed it. Same problems, guess I'll be returning this one to get my 400$ back. I now get two DTC codes for the EPS system. 5 which is Open In The Motor Wire Harness, and 33: Motor Current Sensor.
I am now convinced my rack needs replacement. ALSO! I made a video showing what the current is at the rack, I piggybacked off the connector to a voltmeter to show what I get when turning left (about negative 12-13v) and when turning right (about positive 12-13v).
This also leads me to believe my EPS system is functioning.... but as the new DTCs would indicate (DTC 5 and 33), looks like my EPS rack itself is faulty which was a rebuilt I purchased in 2016 from Indianapolis rack and axle. I guess i'm lucky it lasted that long? Pic below of a friend loaning me his lift to replace the rack myself:
Anyhow... I have spent years now diagnosing my s2000 EPS issues and have done all the major parts at some point (rack replacement, torque sensor rebuild/regreasing/replacement, tracing wires/grounds, replaced ECU, etc) so if any of you have questions please ask, let's share some common info and troubleshooting techniques to help make the s2k EPS system a little less mysterious. I'm resisting SO HARD not going through the hassle of just completely swapping an RX7 hydraulic rack in >.< I'm also including a wiring diagram for the S2K EPS system that I stitched together.
Again, if anyone has any thoughts, ideas or troubleshooting techniques to help narrow down what I've stated, please post. If you have questions regarding your own system please ask. At this point the least I could do would be to help get y'all in the right direction. At least all my troubleshooting efforts could potentially help someone else. I'll report back if the rack replacement doesn't solve my problems.
Our steering has basically only 3 parts... EPS computer, torque sensor and the rack itself... Your torque sensor isn't the problem so it probably either the rack or the EPS computer? Will your friend let you swap over his rack & EPS computer and see if that solves the problem.
Or plug your EPS computer into his car and see if it throws a fit. If it doesn't then it's your rack...Ebay has the rack for about $200.
Let us know how it goes...
Last edited by randomwalk101; 10-26-2020 at 06:31 AM.
I'm pretty sold on it being the rack now. I have two EPS computers and both have shown the same erratic behavior so I think I have ruled them out. Haha I don't think I would want to swap a rack from my friend's and us both have to go through re-alignments then back again (and re-align). If I knew the guy better, maybe.
Normally I would be fine with an ebay rack, which I might end up doing considering distributors want about ~$1,300 for a new one and I don't think that includes a torque sensor. I guess considering the price differences of new/eBay, I will probably give an eBay rack a shot. Not excited taking the gamble for if the rack comes out of a front end collision but I might be able to narrow that down a bit. Whether I go new or eBay (likely eBay), I'll report back what happens. Thanks for responding!
07-08-2018, 07:01 AM
EPS Intermittent to Total Failure
