Lost power steering on freeway - protect your wires!

[civic123]

I was driving my 2017 civic EX T and lost the electric power steering while on freeway. It was the scariest experience of my life. The car felt like a rock and wouldn't turn. I barely made it off the freeway and had it towed to a nearby dealer. Turns out my electric power steering harness was chewed by rodents. They got me a new harness and wrapped it in anti rodent tape and I was good to go, cost $300. I'm just thankful that despite losing power steering, there was still mechanical linkage between steering wheel and steering rack. So although it was hard, I was still able to control the car.

Just a PSA, apparently Honda used some soy based wraps for the electric power steering wires that attract rodents. If you live in areas with lots of rodents, it's a good idea to buy some anti rodent tape and wrap the EPS harness, don't go through what I experienced.

I do have two questions for those who know more:
1. Is Honda still using that tasty soy based wraps for 2019 new cars?
2. I want to buy a new Type R, I heard it has variable steering ratios. Does that mean there is no physical linkage between steering wheel and steering rack and I'm just steering into a sensor? So if rodents chewed the EPS wires again, does that mean I would completely lose steering?? I don't know enough about how EPS work. Thanks for all your support!

Sponsored

 

[Nitori]

EPAS boiled down to one sentence is a an electric motor that “helps” you as you turn the wheel on a good old rack and pinion. The Type R and Si have different modes that determine how much help the motor is giving you. Less help= heavier more precise steering with more feedback in sport mode.

That’s not what a variable ratio is though, which I’m not 100% sure about if the CTR has it and how it is implemented, but that is usually a rack and pinion that has a different gear spacing towards the middle of your steering than at the “edges” of full lock left or right.

TLDR yes it’s always physically connected, just with Honda pixies helping at different levels.

 

[latole]

Sorry for you, I'm happy there is no injury.

Can you show photos of this wiring harness with anti rodent tape ?

 

[Axatax]

I've always wondered about that rodent tape -

If you've ever had rodent pets or kids that do, the store-bought foods contain dry chili peppers which the rodents have no issue with eating at all.

 

[JT Si]

EPAS boiled down to one sentence is a an electric motor that “helps” you as you turn the wheel on a good old rack and pinion. The Type R and Si have different modes that determine how much help the motor is giving you. Less help= heavier more precise steering with more feedback in sport mode.

That’s not what a variable ratio is though, which I’m not 100% sure about if the CTR has it and how it is implemented, but that is usually a rack and pinion that has a different gear spacing towards the middle of your steering than at the “edges” of full lock left or right.

TLDR yes it’s always physically connected, just with Honda pixies helping at different levels.

The CTR and Si both have variable ratios implemented in the way you describe.

Unfortunately all the threads I've read on here about this problem are almost always different systems being affected. If you have a rodent problem you may have to wrap a whole lot more wires than just the steering gear harness.

Then if you go read the Amazon reviews for the Honda rodent tape, there are people who used the tape only to have the wires AND tape eaten by rodents.

 

[Axatax]

The CTR and Si both have variable ratios implemented in the way you describe.

Unfortunately all the threads I've read on here about this problem are almost always different systems being affected. If you have a rodent problem you may have to wrap a whole lot more wires than just the steering gear harness.

Then if you go read the Amazon reviews for the Honda rodent tape, there are people who used the tape only to have the wires AND tape eaten by rodents.

All the rodent repellent/devices seem straight out of folk remedies, rather than evidence-based.

 

[Drake]

I always thought "power steering" only really helped turning the wheel at low speeds. As in; older cars without power steering are very tough to turn at low speeds, but once you start moving then the steering lightens up and they handle just fine. Am I thinking of some other feature that older cars didn't have?

 

[Axatax]

I always thought "power steering" only really helped turning the wheel at low speeds. As in; older cars without power steering are very tough to turn at low speeds, but once you start moving then the steering lightens up and they handle just fine. Am I thinking of some other feature that older cars didn't have?

On a hydraulically-assisted rack, yes - you don't notice much of a difference when you get moving. I don't know how the electric rack would behave.

On my 2000, I removed the PS pump and just looped the lines at the rack. I rather prefer manual steering.

 

[Daniel644]

most modern cars have this Soy based wire insulation, the guy I do most of my work for has a 2014 Sonic RS and had some rodent damage where they chewed on a few wires. I doubt its limited to just the power steering, the thing to do is to drive the car and not let it sit for extended lengths of time, thats when they start setting up nests and chewing on the wires.

 

[Mcclaughry95]

I was driving my 2017 civic EX T and lost the electric power steering while on freeway. It was the scariest experience of my life. The car felt like a rock and wouldn't turn. I barely made it off the freeway and had it towed to a nearby dealer. Turns out my electric power steering harness was chewed by rodents. They got me a new harness and wrapped it in anti rodent tape and I was good to go, cost $300. I'm just thankful that despite losing power steering, there was still mechanical linkage between steering wheel and steering rack. So although it was hard, I was still able to control the car.

Just a PSA, apparently Honda used some soy based wraps for the electric power steering wires that attract rodents. If you live in areas with lots of rodents, it's a good idea to buy some anti rodent tape and wrap the EPS harness, don't go through what I experienced.

I do have two questions for those who know more:
1. Is Honda still using that tasty soy based wraps for 2019 new cars?
2. I want to buy a new Type R, I heard it has variable steering ratios. Does that mean there is no physical linkage between steering wheel and steering rack and I'm just steering into a sensor? So if rodents chewed the EPS wires again, does that mean I would completely lose steering?? I don't know enough about how EPS work. Thanks for all your support!

The type R has a physical linkage I shut it off rolling through a parking lot into a space and it's very heavy but possible.

 

[Rc1989]

Real common on these civic. Good thing it's a sub harness and not a full engine harness lol

 

[BriteBlue]

I always thought "power steering" only really helped turning the wheel at low speeds. As in; older cars without power steering are very tough to turn at low speeds, but once you start moving then the steering lightens up and they handle just fine. Am I thinking of some other feature that older cars didn't have?

If you noticed without power steering that it's also easier to turn the wheels when moving compared to standing still. That's because there's less friction when the rubber tire is rolling. I've always heard you should not turn the steering wheel when the car is standing still because of the forces applied to the steering linkage, which in turn causes parts to wear out sooner. IOW you're turning the steering wheel but the rubber tires are resisting & that force is getting applied to all the parts.

With power steering, hydraulic or electric, a person does not feel all that resistance when standing still & therefore thinks nothing of turning the steering wheel. The forces are still there but the power steering system is applying them, not the driver. Sometimes you're in a tight parking spot & have to turn the wheels while standing still. but that should be the exception. Otherwise I always try to be rolling to some degree when turning the wheels.

 

[Drake]

Right, so what I am somewhat confused about is how the OP noticed a loss of power steering while driving on the freeway. Wouldn't a car with power steering and a car without power steering feel similar when traveling at 60+ mph? Genuine question, not doubting the OP's story.

 

[shoegazer]

Right, so what I am somewhat confused about is how the OP noticed a loss of power steering while driving on the freeway. Wouldn't a car with power steering and a car without power steering feel similar when traveling at 60+ mph? Genuine question, not doubting the OP's story.

Similar to a degree; not certainly not the same.

 

[BriteBlue]

Right, so what I am somewhat confused about is how the OP noticed a loss of power steering while driving on the freeway. Wouldn't a car with power steering and a car without power steering feel similar when traveling at 60+ mph? Genuine question, not doubting the OP's story.

From my experience a car without power steering & rolling is easier to turn the steering wheel compared to when it's not rolling. However a car with power steering is easier yet to turn the steering wheel, rolling or not. It's a matter of degree.

It's been a long time since I've driven a car with manual steering & I may be surprised now how stiff it is even when rolling. I'm sure there's an element of surprise if you're driving along & all of a sudden lose the power steering. The instant response or thought may be that you don't have any steering.

Sponsored