Electric Power Steering vs Hydraulic Steering

Green Hornet

Just wondering why many manufacturers are now using Electic Power Steering intead of hydraulic steering?

If anything the feedback is less than the hydraulic steering so what is the advantage? Is it down to cost?

JHMEG

Green Hornet wrote: »

Just wondering why many manufacturers are now using Electic Power Steering intead of hydraulic steering?

If anything the feedback is less than the hydraulic steering so what is the advantage? Is it down to cost?

Cheaper, simpler, more reliable, can be easily or gradually turned off, can assist without the engine being on.

Variable assistance (ie speed sensitive) hydraulic gives the best feeling, but is the most expensive, and is also wasted on 98% of people.

maidhc

Is electric power steering not still hydraulic?

I.e. it just has an electricly operated hydraulic pump rather than one driven by belts/gears from the engine crank? Certainly this is what the opel astra has.

The electrically operated pump has the benefits outlined by JHMEG, but i'd prefer the old fashioned system, but I think because that is just the way I am.

peasant

JHMEG wrote: »

Variable assistance (ie speed sensitive) hydraulic gives the best feeling ...

correction, no power steering at all gives the best feedback

dr.bollocko

Does anyone else think that power steering kinda hides some aspects of the car from the driver? In every day, non sporty car driving, I have to say it can be a lot more fun to drive a big old toyota tank from the 80s or a small hatch with no PS just because you can feel the road a bit more. Maybe that nice old bangers demand a wee bit more driving attention and are therefore more fun to drive fast on twisty country roads?

bazz26

The same can be said of traction control or electric stability program, etc. Lots of gadgets and computers in cars these days working in the background that remove driver involvement.

JHMEG

peasant wrote: »

correction, no power steering at all gives the best feedback

I said feeling, not feedback.

colm_mcm

maidhc wrote: »

Is electric power steering not still hydraulic?

I.e. it just has an electricly operated hydraulic pump rather than one driven by belts/gears from the engine crank? Certainly this is what the opel astra has.

The electrically operated pump has the benefits outlined by JHMEG, but i'd prefer the old fashioned system, but I think because that is just the way I am.

I know the electric power steering on the Punto isnt hydraulic, it has a motor connected to the shaft, it's behind the dash.

Green Hornet

I know that EPS improves fuel efficiency by about 3%. I suppose thats one good thing about it.

JHMEG

colm_mcm wrote: »

I know the electric power steering on the Punto isnt hydraulic, it has a motor connected to the shaft, it's behind the dash.

Also my IMA has no power steering fluid resevoir therefore it's not hydraulic.

E92

Electric power steering is one of my least favourite things in a car, along with engines that are slow.

No feedback, and no feel at all. I thought it was a figment of my imagination that hydraulic was better until I drove the current Avensis diesel with proper power steering, and the petrol with sh!tty power steering. It just does not let you know what the wheels are you to the way hydraulic power steering does. With electric it could be snowing or melting, but you would only know by looking at the road, meanwhile a good hydraulic set-up will let you know exactly what the road conditions are like. For anyone who likes driving there is no comparison.

It says a lot about what I think of electric power steering that I wanted to drive a diesel Avensis over the petrol one purely because of the steering set up.

I'd gladly lose the 1 mpg EPAS is claimed to save to have proper steering. I'd even have diesel if it meant I could get proper steering:eek:.

EPAS more reliable? With no mechanical link between the steering wheel and the front wheels like proper power steering it would want to be bloody reliable alright. At least if proper power steering goes you still have a mechanical link between you and the wheels.

EPAS is also prone to overheating and shutting down if you have to go on full lock more than once within a short space of time. When we had an Avensis the manual even told us to avoid doing full lock repeatedly and there was something else you couldn't do, which I've now forgotten I'm afraid:o.

JHMEG

E92 wrote: »

EPAS more reliable? With no mechanical link between the steering wheel and the front wheels

I've read enough. You may want to think about that statement for a second.

Speed sensitive hydraulic power steering is the only type worth having. Once you've had it everything else is inferior.

EDIT: Sorry dude, just had to make that into a sig

maidhc

TBH power steering is over rated in general.

Most people can't park with it anyway!

D_murph

maidhc wrote: »

TBH power steering is over rated in general.

Most people can't park with it anyway!

true but imagine how long it would take those women drivers (that insist on reversing into the parking space even though they havent really mastered forward motion yet) to park without it :eek:

multi storey car parks would be traffic jams without it :rolleyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUKtzCfd1RY

E92

JHMEG wrote: »

IEDIT: Sorry dude, just had to make that into a sig

Have you got your PM from SIGPO telling you that quoting other people in sigs is against the rules of boards yet?

Henry Ford III

I've had 3 cars with electric power steering. They were all fine.

You could set modes - normal, sport, and comfort (I think).

From Ford.ie:

"With EHPAS (standard on selected models) the vehicle is easier to manoeuvre at lower speeds, making parking and town driving easier. At the other end of the scale, a reduction of power assistance at higher speeds ensures more precise steering. To aid your driving enjoyment you can also switch easily between 3 different EHPAS modes: Standard, Comfort and Sport."

The system is fitted to the Focus ST, a car that gets plenty of praise for it's driving dynamics.

pburns

Actually I was just about to do a post on electric power steering. It's on my new Legacy (and a couple of other new cars i've driven recently or have access to). It's strange - it definetely seems inferior to hydralic for feeling road grip but assistence also reduces/increases according to speed and I really like this aspect. Definetely makes in more 'Playstation-y' though... It's a bit unnerving in the Subaru because with AWD on streaming wet roads the bloody thing kinda defies conventional limits...

The logical advantages of the electric system are pretty overwhelming though - we'll just have to get used to it on future cars...

dloob

I just got a Bravo with electric power steering.
It's very light in normal mode, but it weighs up nicely in sport mode.
It doesn't seems as bad now in normal as it did initially, I guess I've gotten used to the feel.
Normal is fine for the city, sport is better out the country, nice to have the extra horses available as well.

Henry Ford III

There's no difference in feedback nor feel. Zero.