A friend bought one of those several years ago (I think it was a 2014). One day the computer detected low oil pressure and shut down the engine while he was driving down the highway at full speed. Apparently no engine = no steering, and he went into the ditch. Fortunately there was about 4 feet of snow on the ground, and he stopped just short of slamming into a power pole.
The thing did not actually have low oil pressure, a sensor had failed.
2017 does not have hydraluic power steering - it is electrically powered. Many makes are going to electically activated power steering.
My previous vehicle was a 2003 Durango, it had hydraluic power steering. Had a serpentine belt break - thus stopping the power steering pump. Car could be steered, the effort to steer it was much, much higher than when the PS was working. A car can be steered without PS - the effort is just much higher than one expects.
I figured it had a steer-by-wire system.
I have been in similar situations driving vehicles with failed or leaking power steering systems (seems Ford, Chrysler and GM all used crappy hydraulic hoses), and found that as long as you are moving it is not that hard to steer in “armstrong mode”, with the vehicle’s inertia helping turn the wheels.
When stopped it is a very different story.
This stuff goes back a while… Had an 01 refuse to start because a coolant temperature sensor broke and the computer decided it was overheating.
Certainly is worrying.
This has to be an Italian Fiat thing. One of the great advertising points for electric steering is that it stays fully operational whether the engine is running or not (provided there is adequate voltage on the battery to run it when the alternator is not turning). Be just like Marchionne to build a truck with too much assist for its battery…
In the ‘bad old days’ the situation was much worse than now. Mother was teaching sister how to drive in one of the old Lincoln Mark IVs with the 460, which alas! had a hot-lean issue and would stop running without any particular detectable warning (other than red lights coming on in the light panel in the dash between the seats). When this happened, you’d experience hardening steering, and the brakes would be good for a couple of shots but then they’d harden up too (this was vacuum, not hydroboost). Upshot was that they very comfortably found themselves going quietly in a straight line with … no steering, they tried that and it was locked … no brakes, they tried those and they wouldn’t depress … and we all know there’s no point in trying to restart the engine because turning the key does nothing other than lock the wheel … so they latched onto each other and started screaming as they rolled sedately off the road and gently into a slightly converging hedge at about 35mph.
Could have been worse. Consider what happens on a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, or a Citroen DS, when the pump stops turning. (Hint: Routemaster buses used the same excuse for technology.)
The first fire pumper I learned to drive had zero steering assist AND a non-synchronized transmission. What a beast (but, boy, could it pump!)
(Talk about thread creep…)
Have not seen his column in the magazine the past 2 months?
Whew, you guys must all be young whipper snappers; I remember the late 1950cars that had optional power steering. My friends dad bought a 55 Ford without PS and boy did he develope Charlie Atlas arms.
Even older armstrong steering, this one may have a great reduction to ease the strain:
One of the summers I worked for a gov’t agency as a summer aide, my main job quickly became driving one of the engineers around a large construction site (I’d guess 200 or so acres) and the adjoining area. His assigned vehicle was an early '70’s Ford large sedan. The agency apparently had not specified a maximum engine size; this beast had a big thumping V-8, no power steering, and the small steering wheel suitable for a power-steering-equipped car. Driving that thing was like arm-wrestling a very large bear in a very small outhouse. Most nights my arms ached.
Kat says " Meow ! "
How special that you answered my post 2 months after the fact, but since you called me out…
Do you possess expertise in detecting cheapshots? I slammed Kenton for penning an opinion piece backed up with little factual information. Anyone who is even a little familiar with the state rail agency in Maryland knows that the purpose of the service is to provide commuters a way to get to DC, or more likely nowadays, Montgomery County. There is no way that MARCRAIL would ever get involved with “hauling tourists” to another state on weekends, even if the place is right across the Potomac River. No doubt that CSX would object, they have enough trouble now keeping people off their property there.
The only thing Kenton “tries” is to interject his one-world, socialistic views in all his columns.
I don’t need to give you or anyone else “ideas” about passenger service; I haven’t been on Amtrak since 1982, and could give a fig whether they ru
If you have so little interest in rail passenger service, why did you post on the Passenger Forum? Or on any of the Trains forums? Your claims that Kenton is some one-world socialist threatening your freedom look like an excuse for you to voice your political views on a forum that specifically bans such subject matter.
I like Malcom’s stuff. Even if I don’t always agree with him 100%, he’s a fresh breath of air compared to some of the other old timer writers that spend their time (and words) lamenting diners and steam engines.
This is the general discussion forum, Charlie, and I’ll post my opinion when and where desired as the benefit comes with my subscription. It’s ironic being lectured about posting political opinion by someone named for a radical French satire magazine.
Read the Forum rules.
Boy, that escalated quickly. Time to break out the chill pills.
I also find Kenton’s columns to be interesting and thought-provoking reading, even if I do not agree with everything.
I don’t agree with everything Fred Frailey or Don Phillips (to stay on topic) say either, but I still read them.
We need people who think differently and believe in what they say. Otherwise nothing would ever change and we would still be living in caves.
Apparently. …hey, was that a cheap shot?
So noted. Certainly not my worst misspelling… Stay tuned for more!
So, you’re basically just a crumudgeon. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…