[fares]

My power steering is heavy .. i don't know how to explain that .. it is the first car i drive with EPS so i wasn't aware of how it should feels.

today when making a U turn i left the wheel expecting to gain its original position back but it didn't. The car would continue turning in circles if i didn't catch the wheel and get it back to center position to drive straight.

Shouldn't the EPS wheel returns to its center position after finishing a full u turn?

I heard the EPS wheels are so light to drive and should't be heavy unless in high speeds.

I have the clunk/thud noise in the steering wheel .. also i got the code p/s 41 which is related to lost communication with fuel injectors.

Any thoughts?

 

[fares]

update : I look for a TSB regarding column problem but it's for another VINs i guess. here is the link http://www.rav4world.com/tsb/2006/ST005-06.pdf

and my vin is JTMBD31V765048485 unless they mean the whole production line Before that VIN specified in that table.

then what are the Symptoms of having this issue (they said nothing in the TSB) i have the same code p/s c0105/41 lost communication with fuel injection control even though there is no error light on my dash (no p/s) i can get it only by jumper test).

Do i have to change steering ECU?

I talked to a mechanic for the turning issue of the steering and He told me this problem is related to an alignment or car arms not been well aligned .. what do you think?

 

[ravenuer]

update : I look for a TSB regarding column problem but it's for another VINs i guess. here is the link http://www.rav4world.com/tsb/2006/ST005-06.pdf

and my vin is JTMBD31V765048485 unless they mean the whole production line Before that VIN specified in that table.

then what are the Symptoms of having this issue (they said nothing in the TSB) i have the same code p/s c0105/41 lost communication with fuel injection control even though there is no error light on my dash (no p/s) i can get it only by jumper test).

Do i have to change steering ECU?

I talked to a mechanic for the turning issue of the steering and He told me this problem is related to an alignment or car arms not been well aligned .. what do you think?

Yes, the steering wheel should attempt to return to the center after a turn. I would say an alignment issue would have to be quite significant to prevent this on its own. My guess would be an EPS problem although I don't know enough about how it works to offer any advice.

 

[fares]

Update: I went to the mechanic and he asked me to get down under the car and showed me that the bolt of loose/tight the steering wheel movement ( if there is a play in the wheel a little bit they tight the bolt in the steering box to make the wheel more tight) was very missed with and torn-edges ... the previous owner over tight it so i asked the mechanic to loosen it so the car can be driven.

After loosen that bolt a little, the steering was light to some extent but still not very good at turns... the more we loosen the bolt and get the steering lighter , the more sounds ( clubks and thuds) we get from the steering box when we come over little holes. So we ended up tight the bolt again.

How we can solve this .. does it require bushes in that box to make it quite??

 

[RTexasF]

What year car is this? I would think that replacing the steering box is necessary unless it can be rebuilt.

 

[fares]

2006 i4 4wd .. what about the code u0105/41 lost communication with fuel injector control which involves examine the CAN or ECM. and also the clunking sound (intermediate shaft i heard this shaft can produce these kinds of noises when crossing above little holes and uneven roads).

But after tighten it i only hear a faint tick only when turn left or right from center and also clunk when coming to parking (involving forwarding and reversing a little to line it up with pavement).

 

[ravenuer]

Update: I went to the mechanic and he asked me to get down under the car and showed me that the bolt of loose/tight the steering wheel movement ( if there is a play in the wheel a little bit they tight the bolt in the steering box to make the wheel more tight) was very missed with and torn-edges ... the previous owner over tight it so i asked the mechanic to loosen it so the car can be driven.

After loosen that bolt a little, the steering was light to some extent but still not very good at turns... the more we loosen the bolt and get the steering lighter , the more sounds ( clubks and thuds) we get from the steering box when we come over little holes. So we ended up tight the bolt again.

How we can solve this .. does it require bushes in that box to make it quite??

I'm familiar with the adjustment process your mechanic is describing but that is for a worm and sector type steering box not seen in many years. You have electric rack and pinion steering in your car. I'm pretty sure there is no adjustment like that on your car but I could certainly be wrong.
I'd say you're looking at replacing the steering rack.

 

[fares]

it's the place where the inner tie rods meet and that area covered with a rubber cover .. there is a bolt so big maybe 30 mm or something because the mechanic can't find a wrench for it in his shop (neither the previous owner's mechanic obviously from torn bolt edges). they hammer it with a big screw driver on the edges of the bolt to loosen or tighten it.

 

[ravenuer]

it's the place where the inner tie rods meet and that area covered with a rubber cover .. there is a bolt so big maybe 30 mm or something because the mechanic can't find a wrench for it in his shop (neither the previous owner's mechanic obviously from torn bolt edges). they hammer it with a big screw driver on the edges of the bolt to loosen or tighten it.

I don't have access to a Toyota service manual and the Haynes manual that I do have doesn't mention any adjustments, so I'm not much help.

 

[fares]

I don't have access to a Toyota service manual and the Haynes manual that I do have doesn't mention any adjustments, so I'm not much help.

I have attached the Service sheet regarding the steering gear and i think from that there is no adjustment bolt and i don't know what is the relation between the bolt the mechanic was playing with and the steering gear but it was loosen the wheel and make the turn lighter and coming back to center problem was improved and if we continue to loosen it we will get back the normal feeling of the steering but a lot of clunks from under the car when moving.!!

I think the bolt the mechanic was tighten and loosen was the pinion related bolt (to get the pinion out of the rack assembly when disassembling. correct me if i'm wrong.) of the steering rack which was over tightened to silence the intermediate shaft noises over little holes while driving. i have attached a picture to the bolt the mechanic was loosen.

what do you think? was there any damage to the rack and pinion as an outcome of that tighten process? are the clunks merely to the intermediate shaft and by replacing it everything will be fine (loosen the bolt and get the normal feeling of the steering wheel back)


Note: i saw this interesting youtube demonstration for rack and pinion of a toyota camry i think which is the same of a Rav4 i believe.

 

[ravenuer]

I don't think that bolt was meant to be loosened and tightened while on the car, so I would suspect something could be out of place inside the rack. My opinion would be to replace the rack as well as inspect the rest of the steering and suspension parts, so that any worn parts, if any, could be replaced at the same time.

 

[jbwood5]

I don't think that bolt was meant to be loosened and tightened while on the car, so I would suspect something could be out of place inside the rack. My opinion would be to replace the rack as well as inspect the rest of the steering and suspension parts, so that any worn parts, if any, could be replaced at the same time.

I concur. I believe the rack will have to be replaced and a toe alignment performed. My gut feeling is that when the bolt was tightened, some damage occurred (galling?) when the vehicle was driven afterward.

I also believe that bolt is factory set when the rack is manufactured and is not to be adjusted once the rack is installed. Doing so will likely cause damage. I think the original mechanic was experimenting and caused the damage.

 

[fares]

I think in the following youtube video, the guy's car represent almost the same sounds we got when loosen that bolt

to conclude, there is a developed gap between the rack and the housing of it which represents these clunks sounds which leade to changing the Rack is a must as i don't think the steering shops can make any improvements to this by adding bushes to the rack to eleminate the gap and silence it.

 

[ravenuer]

Fares, if you wind up replacing the rack, don't forget to let us know how you make out.

 

[fares]

certainly i will but for now i think i will continue with this till something break. because adding to this i have the airbag light problem which i think the spiral cable broke and i think while in U.S.A the owner didn't do the TSB for that. also i have the clunk sound from what i think the intermediate shaft or turns out to be the Rack. .. Add to all this the p/s problem of code 41 which is ECM or CAN so i need to take off the instrument panel to see the wiring and EPS ECU.

So as you can see it's a whole steering drive line Project with may be 1500- 2000$. but i will keep you all updated

 

[RecoveryMan]

I though I'd kick an older thread...
I've been dealing with a similar issue with our 2010 Rav. I had mentioned it in a way earlier post but never got the problem rectified. So...We got the car from my aunt after she could no longer drive. We got in last fall with 18K miles. She never went very far. So now we now have on the odometer 31K. I want to love the car like we did our now sold 265K Honda CRV. I'll be honest, I hate the Rav for the steering and will always drive one of the other 3 cars we have first.
The first thing I did at 18K was put new tires and an alignment. I went the best. 850.00 worth! What I can't get by is the handling of the car. If you move the steering wheel a 1/4 inch left of right in normal driving just keeping in your lane it makes the car jerk left or right. If you move the wheel left or right while on the highway for a lane change the car wants to drive off the road it will not center if you don't do it. If for some reason you sneeze or something and jerk the wheel I think you could actually drive off the road by accident or roll the car in a panic correction situation!!! There is no free play in the steering that makes for a smooth steering transition. We've been to the dealer and I feel they blew me off.
I'm wondering if the shock bearings are seized or tight from doing a lot of being parked, though the front end does not make a sound steering stop to stop or driving. I'm moments away from selling it and getting another CRV.onder:
Anyone have an idea or had a similar issue??
Thanks!

 

[DL175]

Recoveryman, it sounds like an alignment problem. So after you had the alignment done is the problem the same? Does the rear lower control arm have the epoxy from the recall?

 

[pico]

What I can't get by is the handling of the car. If you move the steering wheel a 1/4 inch left of right in normal driving just keeping in your lane it makes the car jerk left or right. If you move the wheel left or right while on the highway for a lane change the car wants to drive off the road it will not center

That behavior concerns me a lot. Definitely abnormal and dangerous.

The following link might help. Maybe. It implies that the power steering control might not throw a code we can get to.

Link: https://www.obd-codes.com/u0130

Also this document:
CAN COMMUNICATION_ CAN COMMUNICATION SYSTEM_ Open in One Side of CAN Branch Line (2011 RAV4)

...might be helpful

 

[RecoveryMan]

Recoveryman, it sounds like an alignment problem. So after you had the alignment done is the problem the same? Does the rear lower control arm have the epoxy from the recall?

I should have mentioned.
It still handles the same as before and yes it has had the recall for the epoxy. Since the car never did much road work and my aunt was very forgetful, checking for all the recalls was one of the first things I did.
Years ago I had a VW Rabbit that had a bad shock tower bearing It seems to handle stiff like that car did. But if I rcall it made noise on turns.

 

[RecoveryMan]

That behavior concerns me a lot. Definitely abnormal and dangerous.

The following link might help. Maybe. It implies that the power steering control might not throw a code we can get to.

Link: https://www.obd-codes.com/u0130

Also this document:
CAN COMMUNICATION_ CAN COMMUNICATION SYSTEM_ Open in One Side of CAN Branch Line (2011 RAV4)

...might be helpful

Thanks! I'll plug the tester in in the AM! Interesting Article!