Steering: Do I need a 2nd hand steering rack Volvo V40 programming?

[bradleyreg]

Hi everyone, I previously posted a couple of specific topics about wheel auto-centring and steering being locked, but I have decided to sort of merge these into this as a latest update as the issue is ongoing.

I'll briefly catch you up.

Steering clunking a bit.
Went to mechanic. Noise had more or less gone. Mechanic said might be top mounts, come back if it starts again.
Noise didn't come back but I noticed steering was not auto centring.
Took it back. Mechanic dropped wheels off and said top mounts need doing.
Had top mounts both sides replaced.
Drove away. Steering still didn't auto centre.
A couple of weeks later mechanic said it might be steering rack.
I continued to drive it with the problem to see if it developed.
A few weeks later.
Dash message: Power Steering Service Urgent.
Steering got heavier.
I pulled over. Turned off ignition. Restarted.
Steering was heavier than ever. Just about managed to park it.
RAC called out.
RAC checked battery, alternator etc. All fine.
RAC cleared the fault codes and the EPSteering came back on. I could use the steering although it was making a whirring noise when turning.
I drove home. Just before parking up dashboard message: Steering malfunction. Stop Safely.
I parked at home.
Next day I went to have a look and move the car but the steering was not just heavy, but completely locked.
I phoned the mechanic who did the top mounts and told him it was locked, he said it won't be and he would collect it to replace the steering rack.
I purchased a second hand rack on ebay with the same OEM.
When he came to collect it he could not unlock the steering after many attempts at puling and yanking at the wheel.
The day after, I unlocked the steering by clearing the fault codes using a basic DIY OBDII.
I told the mechanic, and he said bring it in next weekend to have the rack fitted.
However, on the day to take it in he messaged me to say that he could fit the rack but that it may need re-programming. And he wouldn't have what is needed for this, so it might not work. I sent him a message back, but while I waited for a reply...
I popped in to another garage and asked them to tell me if they could fit a steering rack. They put the car on ramps and said, it doesn't need a steering rack, it's just the motor/module. They would phone me when they got a price for the part. After a while they called and said there are no parts for this, and they couldn't do the fitting because it would need re-calibrating and they don't have the facility.
I then phoned a specialist (non-dealer) to ask if they could fit my second hand steering rack and re-programme it. They said, they can do it, but it cannot be done with a second hand rack because it can't be reprogrammed, it has to be a brand new unit.

So my questions are this:

Does it have to be a steering rack replacement?
Does it need programming?
Who can program them?
Does it have to be a brand new steering rack or can it be 2nd hand?

Is it worth buying a Chinese knock off of the Volvo computer stuff and a Volvo subscription?

Should it really be this complicated?

PS. the reason I am not just sending it to Volvo is simply the cost, at over £1000 just for the part, plus labour on top. Even if it cost me £100 to get some software and things, it's worth the investment because I could use it on future jobs.


For reference, the exact codes:
c102d68 High friction inside power steering, algorithm failures
u042041 Invalid data received from PSCM

What can I do next?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice.

[morwenna240]

Er, flog it, get a 2, 7, or 900 series?

[bradleyreg]

Thank you. I was hoping for a bit more advice really

[C30inFrance]

FYI, I've just had to scrap a vehicle (a Renault Scenic) because the EPS packed up and could not be repaired. You can buy a spare, for sure, and people will tell you that it'll work... but it is not, to my understanding, guaranteed. The difficulty is not, it seems, in the mechanics of it. It's in the electrics. We could have spent money on it only to, in all likelihood, arrive at the same point - an effectively unrepairable vehicle.

Otherwise, our Scenic was in good condition, had years left in it. So I'm pretty peeved tbh.

Edit: to address your particular questions, in as far as I know and from my understading, e&oe etc...

>Does it have to be a steering rack replacement?
>Does it need programming?
>Who can program them?
>Does it have to be a brand new steering rack or can it be 2nd hand?

You can buy replacements, either refurbs from a specialist company or from a breakers. If a specialist company (like ACS Power Steering but there are others) takes your old item then they can refurb/rebuild without needing to reprogram (as the original programming is left on it). A part from a breakers might be in good mechanical condition but reprogramming will be required... and that's an unknown area to me. Some companies will say they can sell you a refurbed unit off the shelf (and indeed they can) but whether it'll work or not is, to me at least, unknown.

In our case, a new part from Renault would obviously have worked but it was ludicrously expensive... and a moot point since they didn't make it anymore. We looked at 2nd hand and refurbs but there were none to be found and no guarantee that they would have worked anyway.