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MG MGF Technical - EPAS

Bought my 1995 MPI in Septmeber and was quite pleased with the feel of the steering with the EPAS........ came out of work today and the EPAS warning light was staring back at me. The steering felt as heavy as a bus also. Took the fuse out from under the bonnet and cleaned some corrosion from it. Refitted and everything is back to normal............BUT...........the steering feels VERY light now. Far lighter than when it was what I thought as normal. Is it possible the EPAS was only "partially" working since I got the car ?.....or is there a sinister reason why the steering is SO light?.....
D Jamieson

Umphhh, never heard of such funny behavior.
I thought the EPAS has only 2 kinds of status .

1. It works
2. It doesn't work and shuts down in fail save mode (time delayed) due to:
low power supply, low currency, torque sensor failure.

Anyone any better know how ?
Dieter K.

Hi together,

I am not quite sure about the error modes of the MGF EPAS, because I have not had any issues with it up to now but I know that the TRW EPAS of Opel vehicles has a limp home mode with very light steering feeling unless you turn the steering wheel very harsh (torque sensor failure).

Who is the supplier of our EPAS, is it also TWR ?

Enjoy the arrival of spring !!!!!

Michael
MG Graf

The F EPAS is not the TRW system and it does not have a limp home mode. As Dieter said, if there is any fault with it, it shuts down. (Assumnmg it detects the fault).
One thought with regard to your car is that a fault was detected which shut the system down. Removing and frefitting the fuse has reset the EPAS and it is now back on, but with a faulty component which has not given a fault condition yet. If for instance the torque sensor in the coloumn started playing up this would give very light steering, or if the speed sensor defaulted to a low speed value the steering would continue top give full assistance at high speeds.
I suggest you get into a Rover dealers asap and get them to check it on their system - might not identify the fault (it didn't with my EPAS problem) but more than likely they can tell what is wrong. If in doubt in the meantime I would remove the fuse and drive it unassisted.
Jason H
Jason H

The EPAS ECU is manufactured by Mitshubshi - and I presume that the hardware is from the same source (although I am not entirely sure).

There are no intermediate modes: either the EPAS works - or it doesn't.

DJ, I suspect that your subjective feelings regarding the steering weight is exactly that - subjective: the difference between normal power assistance, and none what so ever.

Some prefer the steering feel without EPAS and run without the fuse in place. Will even went so far as to engineer a bypass switch - works very nicely too :o)
Rob Bell

Thanks guys update is......... stopped working again enroute to work this morning. Warning light ON and no assisted steering. Removed fuse, replaced and all seems well again. BUT.... my speedo stopped working at the same time and is not working now at all....any connection or pure coincendence ??.....whats most likely cause on this ...cable ?
D Jamieson



david

you still have'nt paid rosemarys introduction fee yet....could there be a connection, you know she has some strange powers EPAS ,ESP, ISP,HRT,CSMGF,to name but a few....just a thought.....FROM ONE WHO HAS FELT THE POWER.....gerry
gerry

Its all becoming clear now Master...... Evil Forces are at work in Clacks. Did you have a disagreement with your good lady the night Golden Wheels came to meet the rock ?....might be worth thinking about.....im getting scared......very scared !!!!
D Jamieson

David,

<<my speedo stopped working at the same time and is not working now at all....any connection or pure coincendence ??.....>>

I am hunting through the archive, trying to find details on my faulty speedo.

Seems most of the posts are regarding EPAS failures caused by speedo's not functioning.

So I'd say, yup the two things could be related.

Paul
paul weatherill

The EPAS comes from NSK.
R Baker

<<

Posted 06 March 2001 at 14:18:03 UK time
Rob Bell, North London
Geoff, I've suffered from this- the speedo cable has snapped. As the EPAS ECU takes the speed data from the cable drive, it is now detecting that you are driving but without velocity, so switches it self off (fail-safe mode). Odd thing was that the EPAS will turn itself back on intermittently if revs are below the fail-safe threshold (about 2,750 rpm I reckon from observation!!!).

Don't worry, nothing will be damaged if you continue to drive the car without EPAS until such time as the cable can be replaced. It's just an irritation that's all.

Rob

>>

Well thats seems to be your problem, I am still raking through the archives.

paul weatherill

What you could have happening, is due to bad connections corrosion etc the EPAS may be limiting it's assistance due to not enough cuurent avalible. As mentined before MGR should be able to tell you.
Regards
Iain
Iain Blanch (Is a member)

As per my post 2 years ago ;o) - I reckon your cable has either snapped or become disconnected. Check out Paul's thread on the world's slowest MGF - similar problem, albeit without the EPAS problems.
Rob Bell

Sounds about right as it was working this morning then stopped strangely enough as i turned onto a high speed stretch of road ( refer back to Robs comment on exceeding 2750rpm )Will get the cable checked tomorrow sometime as I dont fancy going a CSMGF run this Sunday and crawling around all day to keep the EPAS running :-(
D Jamieson

DJ

Pull the fuse, don the kilt before you turn into a southern Jessie
JohnP

Dave,

Just a follow up on the personal mails last night.

Looking through the Workshop manual last night.

Pre2000

It seems the speed inducer is linked to the speedometer, via a mechanical cable that runs unser the car, alongside the hydragas pipes.

Whereas the speed inducer is linked to the EPAS ECU, by an electrical connector.

Following this conclusion:

My speedo is fecked, but EPAS ok, implies mechanical cable problem.

Whereas your EPAS is not functioning either, indicating problem at the speed inducer.

Anyone had a close look at the speed inducer, and the connection to it??

Paul W
paul weatherill

UPDATE:- Section of speedo cable replaced from gearbox to first joint. Speedo and EPAS fully operational again.
D Jamieson

thnx for updating DJ, many don't bother and then nobody else learns.
JohnP

david

away ya big woofter.

did sunday not teach you anything?

that stunning blonde beside you, hair blowing in the wind.(thats her's i mean) your tense ,tanned flexed musles straining thro your soiled manly denim shirt as you fought in a beastlike manner with your wheels,guiding your horsepower on like ben hur forcing your way to the front of the run trying to catch a sad old man in a sadder old car.
now you go and spoil all that by getting your epas reconnected.
geese, david take out your fuse ,thro it away and come back to the brotherhood.you know it makes sense ....(v8's dont have epas )
gerry
gerry

DJ, it's nice to see that he's having a go at you for a change. It's usually me and my windstop that gets it :-)
David Clelland

Gerry, although the drive without EPAS was rather enjoyable, the stunning blonde you refer to asked for a hug that evening. I tried to lift my arms but they were battered and bruised and my knuckles were bleeding from them dragging along the ground.

Call me a woose all you want but the EPAS stays connected.

As for the sad old man in the sad old car ahead, the stunning blonde was well impressed by his wit and also his car. Maybe I should sell the F and get a grey wig ??

David dont take any notice of him. Hes just jealous cause he cant fit one into golden wheels. Im secretly hoping he decides that a windstop is indeed a worthwhile purchase, the kickback is that he would need to sell his hoops and I will be waiting with the spondulics !!!!
D Jamieson

Lol

Well the other stunning blonde (aka Mandy)and I enjoyed the "Gerry and David" show at Otter Ferry. Meant to say DJ, your car made a most impressive whistling sound as you blasted past me up the hill!!

Ewan
Ewan Ramage

Hi Ewan.... yes Ive noticed the whistle at high revs too. Dont know what it is but combined with the K&N it sounds mighty fine LOL....I will leave it as it is. Hope to see you and your stunning blonde on the next run ;-)
D Jamieson

>The EPAS comes from NSK.

Ompphhh, NSK ?

http://www.nsk.com/eng/products/4-2.html

Thank you !

Dieter
Dieter K.

This thread was discussed between 26/03/2003 and 01/04/2003

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