RX-7Impreza

once again i am baffled by my five beep pattern and i have seen a lot of other posts by guys with this exact same five beep problem. i have seen a lot of replies and no real "I know how to fix it" answers.

i know for a fact that it is something in the power steering because it goes off when i turn the wheel all the way to the left while stopped and it goes off on hard left turns. I havnt really noticed or tried it to the right but i figure it probably stops it too.

the beeping will only come when i drive it. never when idling.

my car feels a little loose on the road but i think that is because i need new shocks, struts, etc. maybe it is just because i am not used to the car.

i would greatly appreciate the "Know how to fix it" answers but any opinions and/or related problems would help.

if you have this same problem currently please post it so this thread may stay current.

thanks
Justin

Icemark

As many other threads have said, it is the power steering system.

Since it is happening while you drive and not while your idleing, it indicates that you are getting bubbles (cavatation) in the system, or the pump is failing.

When was the last time the system was bled? Have you checked the level warm as well as cold?

If you have changed or added the fluid not too long ago, did you use the right fluid? You should be using Type F ATF. NOT Dexrol (a common mistake) or any other flavor.

If all those things check out I would replace the fluid, and try again. if you still having issues, then check the switch and the pump.

RX-7Impreza

bump

RETed

5 beeps is a "generic" error code for your power steering system.&nbsp It can range from a loose/broke wire or a total failure of your power steering computer.&nbsp This is why you don't have any real specific answers to your query.




-Ted

dre_2ooo

YAY! Ted is back.... all our questions answered !!!

Where ya been?

Wargasm

Here's a guess...

The P/S system has a component of it that senses vehicle speed to determine how much assist to lend. Since it only beeps when you're moving, I'd say that it might have something to do with the speed sensor. I believe that the speed sensor is located in the speedometer.

Anyhow... good luck,

Brian

87 TII
93 R1

Icemark

That really depends on the year and model, which he has not provided. Many of the later FCs have engine speed sensitive, rather than actual speed sensing.

RX-7Impreza

sorry, it is an 87 gxl

just today i found out something new that might narrow it down. my car doesnt idle well when it comes down from higher rpms when it is cold at least. i was pulling out of the movie theater and i pushed the clutch in while rolling, i left it in too long and the engine wound down into a stall. immediately the same beep went off.

this is what i figure: since the engine wasnt turning, the belts werent moving and the pump wasnt pumping any pressure. so it is either a faulty speed sensor or a bad pump.

that is my guess, what is your diagnosis

Justin

Icemark

Well if the BCM doesn't get a signal from the car, yes as soon as it stalls it will beep the warning. This is completely normal. You would need to reset the car by key off then back on.

But from reading your earlier posts, you didn't mention stalling the car. Is this the only time it happens?

BTW the 87 does use speed sensitive rather than engine speed sensing, it uses the same signal as the cruise control does. Does the cruise work? Does the cruise work when the power steering doesn't?

RX-7Impreza

i jsut found out that my power steering does not work. not the slightest bit.

i just bought a used ps pump today and i switched the electric motor on top this is the second thing on the pump that has electric wires in it. i unplugged the sensor on the bottom too. to no avail. exact same symptoms.

the car only stalls when i first start it up. the car has 190000 miles (dont know about the engine) and i think it just has arthritis. needs a little more time to get up from the cold. i just start off while it is still a little cold sometimes and it will stall. if i give it a minute it will idle all day long.

where is the speed sensor?

if i remove the power to the sensor will it cause it to go dead or would it just beep continueosly ( i cant spell that word) why i want to know is so i can diagnose it by removing it if that is the problem (as i am sure you can guess)

thanks
Justin

MasteRX

I had a problem with mine that turned out to be a problem with the sensor behind the steering wheel that told the P/S computer that the car was going straight. The part that failed also controls the turn signal canceling cam so my blinkers wouldnt cancel all the time. The reason it failed is because I had an aftermarket steering wheel installed and the part was modified to accomodate the steering wheel. Perhaps you may have a problem with this sensor since the alarm goes off when you turn the wheel to the left.

Icemark

Sounds like then you are down to TS the wires then.

The speed sensor is built into the dash cluster, picks up off of the speedo signal there.

On a 87 the sensor wire is Green/Red. This is a pulsed neg signal wire. Its normally about 1400 pulses/triggers per mile.

Also going into the power settering controller is the turn signal cancel switch (I am assuming that the signals work and turn off when the wheel returns back to center). These wires are Green/White (common), LtBlue/gray and Green.

Then you have engine speed input from the Yellow/LtBlue wire. This is what will trigger the beeps when you stall the car. This too is a pulsed neg trigger wire.

The Black/Green wire going into the power steering controller is the 12V Ignition signal. You know this is working or you wouldn't get the beeps.

Black is ground. The rest of the wires LtBlue/White, LtBlue/Black, LtBlue/Orange, LtBlue/Yellow, LtBlue, and LtBlue/red are all the signal wires to the stepping motor for the power steering. A bad connection either at the stepping motor or at the power steering control unit could cause the beeping.

RETed

You didn't read my other posts?



-Ted

RX-7Impreza

what a coincidince

my blinker doesnt cancel either!!!!

when i bought this car the plastic around the steering column was loose (still is) maybe the idiot that owned it before did something to it.

so it is either the speed sensor or the blinker canceller or both!!!!!

lucky me

help me out a little more if you can, you guys have been a lot of help. (a lot more than the ******** at the dealership, go figure.....)

Justin

Icemark

well if the blinker cancel doesn't work the power steering will not work. So that must be thr first thing repaired.

Again real easy to see if the speed sensor works, by using the cruise control... If the cruise works then speed sensor works.

MasteRX

Yeah, I bet this is your problem then. You need to take your steering wheel off and there is a plastic thing back there kind of cylindrical shape that goes around the steering shaft and plugs into the back of the steering wheel. This is the item that turns with the wheel and then turns the sensor and the blinker cancel cam. You should take a look to see if this part is still there, if not you have to go to mazda and order one. If it is still there then make sure that it is not broken and make sure that it plugs into the steering column properly. It has two "teeth" that fit into the rings on the sensor and cam and you have to make sure that the sensor and cam and teeth are lined up properly. The piece also snaps into the back of the steering wheel, but on my car, I had to fit it into the column first because if I plugged it into the wheel, it didnt go into the steering column quite deep enough to turn the sensor and cam. Hope this helps and makes sense.

RX-7Impreza

well i was drivin home tonight and my blinker canceled both ways. i am baffled....

i know it didnt do it the other day

RX-7Impreza

tomorrow i am gonna take apart the wheel cover and the gauge cluster.

where exactly is the speed sensor

thanks
Justin

Icemark

Built into the speedo...

what do you not have cruise on the car?

RX-7Impreza

i have cruise but it doesnt work

Justin

Icemark

AHHHHHH

Okay you need to then check the speed sensor wire from the instrument cluster.

Then you want to get a muliti-meter, (don't use a test light you'll burn out the sender) and check the Green/Red coming from the cluster. Set your meter for 20VDC. Positive lead of meter on 12v+ source, negative lead of the meter on the green/red wire.

With the key on, but the car not started, roll the car forwards at least 5 or 10 feet and back again. The meter should jump up to 12volts+ and back down every couple of feet.

If it does not, then your speed sensor output is bad in the cluster and you need to replace the cluster.

RX-7Impreza

Well.... guess what

i took the steering wheel offand took a gander at the component directly behing it (the white plastic one)

the idiot who owned my car before had obviously taken the wheel off and done lord knows what to it. but when he put it back on he didnt get the steering postion sensor back into its seat. so i was driving straight down the road but the sensor thought i was making a right hand turn the whole time. he butchered the plastic pretty bad and i am working on getting it to sit correctly.

i will post results

Justin

oh yeah where is the power steering bleed valve

RX-7Impreza

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i fixed it. it was the plastic piece that connects the steering wheel to the two other rotating plastic pieces. i ligned them up correctly and had some trouble getting the column to go in all the way and make the connection but with a 1" socket and a big *** framing hammer i manage to push it back far enough.

i drove down the road for a while. quite a bit further than it usually takes to set it off and it never went off. so for the time being there is no beep beep beep beep beep. just the sweet sound of wankel

you guys have been a lot of help

forever am i in your debt

maybe i will just learn as much as i can and help other troubled rotar fans

Justin

RX-7Impreza

cant believe i spelled rotor with an "a"

i still have to bleed my power steering. who can tell me how to get to the bleed valve.

Thanks a bunch

Justin

turboren

Bleed valve, hmm... doesn't ring any bells.

I'd like to know if there is one, cause it'd sure be a lot less messy than the way I did it:

Disconnect the return line from the PS cooler to the pump (short hose with hose clamps, not threaded fittings). Plug the pipe going to the pump, or else it will leak all over everything. Run a hose from the return line to a drain pan, or preferably a clear/translucent container (milk jug works fine). Fill up the reservoir. Start the car. Oil should pump out of the system. Keeping an eye on the fluid level in your catch container, turn the steering wheel from lock to lock a few times. If you pumping over a quart out of the system, stop the engine and fill the reservoir again. Continue this until you've pumped out two to three quarts. Reconnect the return line, fill it up again and you're done. Now to bleed...

Wait a minute... Damn! I've been having a hard time here today, starting out describing the wrong things! That's the flush procedure.

The bleed procedure is really simple. Just fill it up with fluid to the cold mark, then start the car. Turn the steering wheel from lock to lock a few times to get the bubbles out. Recheck your fluid level. Take it for a warm-up drive, turning as much as possible. Recheck the level, which should now be at the hot level. Add as necessary.

BTW, while it's true that your PS takes Type F ATF, the engine-speed-sensing power steering of the later model year cars uses Dexron.

Ren