The EPS fuse is a fuse that directs power to a vehicle’s electronic power steering system. If the EPS fuse does not work, it will be more difficult to steer the vehicle with the steering wheel. Some vehicles will completely lose the ability to steer and move the steering wheel.
What is EPS fuse meaning?
There are many fuses in the vehicle and the EPS fuse is just one of them. The EPS stands for electric power steering. There are two types of power steering in any vehicle: electric power steering and hydraulic power steering.
You can only find an EPS fuse in vehicles that have electric power steering.
The EPS fuse buffers the electrical current from the battery. If the EPS fuse does not work or blows out, the driver will know immediately. The electric power steering that helps the driver maneuver the vehicle will not work.
Some vehicles will not allow the driver to move the power steering wheel at all. If you can move it, the tires will not respond as quickly and you will have to use more strength to move the steering wheel. Not all vehicles are completely defunct without the EPS fuse.
But the vehicle owner should fix all problems with the EPS fuse as soon as possible.
If the fuse does not work, it cannot act as a buffer between the batteries and the electric power steering system.
Even if you have a vehicle whose electronic steering system still works with EPS fuse damage, you shouldn’t drive around with it too long.
It is more difficult to turn the steering wheel as time goes on and you could damage the wiring of the EPS system.
Without the fuse working as it should dampen the electrical current from the battery, you risk shorting out the wiring. The wiring is much more expensive to replace than the fuse.
Will a damaged EPS fuse activate a warning light?
Some vehicles may not have a warning light dedicated to the EPS fuse. If a warning system monitors the EPS fuse, then it will set off the EPS warning light.
The EPS warning light may appear as any of these symbols:
a picture of a steering wheel with an exclamation mark next to it in orange color.
It could also be in red color.
A picture of the back of a car with winding road lines behind it in yellow color.
They may also be a gear symbol next to the steering wheel symbol or the winding road symbol.
However, a blown fuse will not always activate the EPS warning symbol. However, if the EPS warning light symbol appears, check your EPS fuse first. It is the easiest component to fix.
All you have to do is remove the EPS fuse and then replace it with a new fuse. It’ll take less than a minute. If you replace the EPS fuse and the problem persists, then you know it is an issue with the EPS system or the wiring.
Components of the EPS
The electric power steering system has several parts to it. The main parts are:
- the fuse,
- the wiring,
- the steering wheel,
- the power steering pump,
- the power steering hoses and fluid,
- the gear that turns the tires in the direction of the steering wheel.
Each vehicle may have more or fewer parts in the EPS. But every vehicle requires an EPS fuse to deliver power to the EPS and the steering wheel.
Signs there is an issue with the EPS system
It is hard to turn the steering wheel
There could be a couple of different reasons it’s hard to turn a steering wheel. There could be an issue with a gear in the wheel. Also, you could have accidentally locked the wheel without knowing it. If the EPS fuse blows, that might not be enough electricity flowing to the steering wheel mechanisms.
When you turn the steering wheel, the tires do not turn with it
The sensors and mechanisms that turn the wheel when the driver turns the steering wheel require electricity. Some vehicles have mechanisms powered by a separate EPS fuse.
But other vehicles may have the entire electronic power steering system on one EPS fuse. If you notice the tires do not turn with the steering wheel or the turn is delayed, then there may be an issue with the gears.
There could also be an issue with the electrical wiring that turns the tires along with the steering wheel.
How to replace an EPS fuse
So you see the EPS warning light on your dashboard. As we recommended above, the first thing you should do is replace the EPS fuse. It’s easy to find in your driver’s manual and it’s cheap to replace.
Turn off your vehicle and locate the fuse box. It is usually next to the engine or the battery. Remove the top of the fuse box and use your driver’s manual to locate the eps fuse.
Before moving the EPS fuse, you must turn off your vehicle. Using a heavy-duty glove, remove the EPS fuse. Inspect the fuse and see if there’s any damage.
Replace the fuse even if you don’t see any damage. Once you replace the fuse from the vehicle back on and allow it to sit with the engine on for several minutes.
Once 5 minutes pass, sit in the driver’s seat and manipulate the steering wheel as you normally would. It should be much easier to move the steering wheel. Check out EPS warning light is still on the dashboard.
If it is not, then the fuse was the issue. If it is still there, then replacing the fuse improves the steering wheel’s performance, but there are still other issues.
Conclusion
When you replace the EPS fuse, wear heavy-duty gloves. The engine should not be on. If the EPS warning light appears, the issue may be with the fuse, but there could be other issues as well.
