Electric Power steering into Mk3 Astra - info required

[seanr28]

Hi

I'm looking into running electronic POwer steering into my Mk3 Let Astra, exactly what is involved and what parts are required? Has anybody done this yet?

thanks in advance

[jamied]

Im sure you have to get an electric steering column, seen some on ebay for £100- £150 i think once you have that its a standard fit.

[richie00boy]

Jamie F has put a Saxo (I think) electric power steering pump on his GTE. Is this what you mean or do you mean drive by wire?

[seanr28]

I was thinking of trying to use the elecrtic power steering from a Mk4 astra or something like that.

[Giles]

i think once you have that its a standard fit.

nope.

got one in my cav.

you need to buy eps column, ecu and the rack linkage.

you then will need to mod you astra column mount to be able to mount the corsa one. you'll need a grinder, some decent metal and a welder. oh you can't do this out the car unless you remove windscreen as nuts are there and i doubt you can get to them.

you then need to join up the eps and the rack. if you get the linkage you can cut and weld it about. That's how I did mine and made a cav/corsa mount. Works well but you need to be a decent welder as that's all that stops your steering going whereever it wants.

You Then need to do the wiring. Search site as I answered this yesterday. You're main problem will be getting a speed signal (unless your astra has a digidash or computer).

Oh - that's the easy way too. Mine was loads of fun as I made it into an adjustable column. Lots of time and machining envolved with that.

[jamied]

hummmmm...i think i might stick with an electric powersteer pump...lmao

[Giles]

coward. lmao

[jamied]

coward. lmao

lmao if i start cutting any more bits on my astra it will start looking like swizz cheese.

[seanr28]

mm, think I will leave that then!! Cheers for the info, wasn't expecting to be quite so involved!

[Jamie_F]

leccy pas pump from a saxo/106, you need to have 1 hose made up at somewhere like pirtek, then it juts a simple case or a wiring in a realy, piece of piss.

[seanr28]

and that will use my orginal column, pas rack etc?

got any mmore detail on that please? or pics?

cheers

[Jamie_F]

yup, you still keep the std rack and colum, the pipes just connect up to the existing ones, you need the high pressure pipe making up, the low pressure one just clips in place, i dont have any good pics of the setup, ill get some later if i remember.

[seanr28]

any luck with pics Jamie?

[Giles]

As Jamie is saying - the saxo/106 pumps are good alternative to the full EPS. They only thing you can do with an EPS over the fluid pump is adjust assistance based on speed (or indeed choose assistance rates, over-ride etc ). I had a saxo pump and went to the EPS for this reason only. God I'm so stupid sometimes. lmao


Oh for those that say you could pulse the pump etc to vary assistance I looked into it throughly before changing and it wass agreed it could be done but would be nowhere as good (or smoth) as the EPS.

Sean - go teh elec fluid pump route if I were you.

[Jamie_F]

i got this pic when i changed my gearbox a few weeks back..


at the top of the pump there is 2 wires, a positve and negative, just connect these via the relay, the black hose with the bule stripe is the hose you need to get made, i got it done at pirtek as i have a mate that works there, cost me £30 for the hose and unions, the larger pipe in the middle is for the small resivior and the last small pipe is athe low pressure return.

not the neatest of installs but it does work, but ill be moving the pump to hind the wing area at some point.

[seanr28]

Cheers Jamie, thanks for the info, will hunt around for a saxo pump!

[Terry81]

Got an updated pic Jamie?