Your opinions please...

[optical illusion]

So, over the last 3 days noticed that when turning the key in the ignition it spent too long turning over until eventually this morn, turned the key and nothing happened. Went to Halfords and bought a battery (mind you, not the one recommended, a HCB096 - E150!!) brought it home, doesn't really fit length wise but we made it fit! Then noticed terminal clamps wouldn't fit, tore back to Halfords and got those. Came back, fitted battery again. Battery clamp doesn't fit it properly anymore but no biggie.

(Bear in mind battery has been out for approx. an hour during all this)

Started car. Started instantly. Never started that fast before. Then went to drive to bf's house and 3 mins into journey at a RB car cuts out. Power steering stops, scary. Then every time after that stopping would cause the car to cut out while the battery was still running and all lights and radio on. Got it to bf house but had to drive all the way in 3rd to keep revs high. I noticed freewheeling kept the engine going too. Brakes on - car cuts out basically. Wasn't idling at all but would start perfectly.

I suspected stepper motor (had to explain to bf what this was, he was annoyed as to why the hell we need one ), he took it out, cleaned it, hey presto, car is back working and idling properly again.

So my question is, do you think both are related, or is it a big coincedence? Did leaving the battery out for so long reset the ECU and maybe that caused problems with the idling? Is there anything further I should do now?

Thanks guys.

PS Losing power steering control is possibly one of the scariest things ever....

[colm_mcm]

could be a combination of loose leads and the stepper motor causing the problem?

[finers]

Had the exact same issue the day i got my fto!! put in a new battery got new terminals aswell to fit it, got the job done farely fast, after that the car did exactly what your describing, kept cutting out when you didnt give the car any throttle i'e around corners roundabouts stopping etc.. was sure it was something to do with the battery so re did the connections! did a bit of googleing and found the stepper motor problem, cleaned it and hey presto,, changing the battery and the stepper motor acting up was just a coincidence, and im pretty sure that's what happend to you once it's cleaned you should be sorted, everytime i do a service i give it a quick rub down with WD40,

On the other hand i have it in my head that if power is taken from the stepper motor, i.e a battery change does it retract the solinoid? or something meaning if the motor is dirty you may have issues after? because this is the second time i've heard of this after a battery change,,anyone??

[optical illusion]

Haha, maybe it's just a black manual GPvR thing

[Dean]

Its not. Mine did it without fail every time I disconnected the battery for about 20 mins after. It hasnt done it since the engine idle screw was turned up.