ION 3, 2003 - pwr stg alarm

My 2003 ION 3 this morning suffered from power steering failure for about 10
minutes.

Temperature: -12C
The car is parked outside.
Started the car ok and moved it down the driveway. Let it warm up (about 15
min) and turned it off.
Short while later (15 min or so) I started it and noticed steering was hard
and message centre displayed PWR STG message.
Had to run an errand so drove the car for about 10 min with unassisted
steering.
After engine off for about 2 hours I started the car and found there was no
steering problem.
After several short trips the steering problem has not reoccurred.

I hesitate to shop the car for an intermittent problem. Anyone suggest what
might have happened? Is this a known issue?

Thanks...Chris

 

Hey Chris,

I've had this happen once myself and I know there have been threads here
as well. With all the computers involved in a modern auto, occasionally
there is a glitch on "boot up" that causes things like that. In my
case, I shut off the car, restarted it and everything was fine. Never
happened again since.

If it becomes a recurring problem or a "reboot" doesn't fix it, then it
is definitely time for a visit to the shop. (Personally, I think it is
just the installed Windows Auto Edition acting up )

Michael Halliwell

 

On my Ion 03 that message center gave me a SERVICE VEHICLE when I
started the car,my fingers slipped,must of created a false
condition,after coming back from the store,turn off the car,then
turned the key & it read normal,so,what are you going to do?.

 

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the input. I had mentioned the temperature thinking that might be
a contributory cause. I have noticed that when the overnight temperature has
been down to near -30C in past years (I'm in Ottawa), and the car is parked
outside, that starting the car and driving it within a minute or so of
starting it, I believe the ABS doesn't work until the engine compartment has
warmed up a bit.

My wife drives it mostly - she'll just have to develop bigger arm muscles if
it happens a lot. (No, she's not the lady who can carry a case of 24 under
each arm and still get her hands in her pockets!)

Chris

 

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the input. I had mentioned the temperature thinking that might be
a contributory cause. I have noticed that when the overnight temperature has
been down to near -30C in past years (I'm in Ottawa), and the car is parked
outside, that starting the car and driving it within a minute or so of
starting it, I believe the ABS doesn't work until the engine compartment has
warmed up a bit.

My wife drives it mostly - she'll just have to develop bigger arm muscles if
it happens a lot. (No, she's not the lady who can carry a case of 24 under
each arm and still get her hands in her pockets!)

Chris

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Don't even joke about such!

-David

 

Hey David,

You know that's the next thing on Bill Gates' list of ways to take over
the computing world Personally, if I got a vehicle with a MS
operating system, I'd have to hack it and convert it to Linux

Michael Halliwell

 

SEE THE DEALERSHIP THE ELETRIC STEERING UNIT NEED TO BE REPLACED,, HAD 4
SATURN ION WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, REPLACE THE UNIT-ZERO COME BACKS-SATURN
TECH