Great video. Anyone that's struggled with this job or wants more details on what can go wrong and how to fix it read this. It's a long comment. I'm trying to cover everything. I'm going off of what was in this video and adding more info to help. For starters a good set of big snap ring pliers are a must. Without them this job is extremely difficult. I've done it with needle nose pliers before. Possible but a huge pain. It's a hefty snap ring in there. You don't need a helper to do this job. You don't need someone to bump the tire. You can jack the front end up and twist the steering shaft inside the car until you see the hole line up. Make sure your steering wheel is straight before you jack it up. If your alignment is off doing this then it's gonna be a little different. I'll explain both. Proper alignment with the wheel straight you're gonna have to twist the shaft a LITTLE! to the left inside the car until you see the hole line up. If you go past it just go back the other way until you get right in the center. I'm sure you'll pass it. That hole passes you quick! The 11 o'clock position when reinstalling the wheel and steering column is important. You have to have the entire column at the 11 o'clock position (with a proper alignment) for it to slide in. It's tricky and be gentle. Don't force it. It's supposed to slide in like butter. If it doesn't slide right in at the 11 o'clock position your wheels aren't in the correct spot or you don't have the column positioned right. Like I said it's tricky and you gotta be just right. Wheels should look like they're turning slightly left. Check them before you try to slide the column and wheel in. If it's all set right the splines will line right up. Push it in quite a bit then twist the column to the right until you can get your bolts in. Sometimes you push it in to far. Just pull it back out till the bolt holes line up. The splines on the steering shaft are plastic. You can easily mess them up. If you do mess them up not a big deal. Take a file and clean up the slots you messed up. It'll slide in eventually with precision. Just don't keep forcing it over and over and destroy the plastic splines. They can take a little abuse but not a caveman in there raming them over and over. For an alignment that's off just make you sure your wheels are straight when you start. Same steps as above. Then when reinstalling the wheel and column remember where your steering wheel was orignally. Take a picture if you need to. If your wheel was at the 7 o'clock position, when reinstalling the wheel and column you'll wanna be at the 6 o'clock position. Just make sure it's clocked back 1 hour from where you were orignally. Study that old clock on your wall. And Lastly if you get it all back together and still have no power steering it isn't the end of the world and you don't have to immediately buy a new sensor Sometimes you need to clear the code with a scan tool or recalibrate the sensor with a scan tool to get your power steering back. I hope you have one or know someone with one. If it still doesn't work after all that then you aligning everything was wrong. This is where it can get tricky and confusing to describe in a comment. But easy to do in person. You need to reset/realign the sensor. There's 2 tabs on both center plastic gears of the sensor that need to be in line. Pull the sensor back out and you'll wanna hold the top gear of the sensor on one hand while you twist the bottom gear with your other hand until those tabs are in line. Once you get both tabs in line on the gears your hole will be off. Then turn both gears simultaneously until you see the hole line up in the slot then put your pin back in. Make sure that pin drops all the way down. You'll feel it sliding through both gear holes. May have to slightly wiggle it to get it to seat. Then reinstall everything the same way. If it still doesn't work after all those steps then you bought a bad sensor. I've had 4 cheap junk torque sensors that customers brought me. 2 didn't work right out of the box and 2 got them power steering back but failed a couple weeks later. Don't cheap out on your parts people! For this sensor avoid Amazon, carparts, ebay, parts geek and rockauto. You don't always have to go oe with everything but with this sensor you really do. Buy one from powersteeringseals.com or fordpartsgiant.com. Both have good genuine ford oem parts.
I would add this. When you index the hole in the window make sure the steering shaft is high up in the tilt range. The steering shaft without the steering wheel connected can go extremely low. If you index it at that point it is not going to work correctly. As soon as you start up the vehicle it will turn itself to the left quite rapidly. That one bit me.
Ok I followed the instructions in this video and when I started the car, the wheel didn't move (video said if the sensor is installed incorrectly it could make the wheel jerk left or right hard to the stop) but the power steering still isn't working. I made sure the installation tool, or guide, was on with no binding. One thing I did was on the old sensor, I tried to put the dot in the window...and when I removed the old sensor and went to install the new sensor, the dot wasn't in the window. The steering shaft looked like it was 180° off. I looked at the guide tool and saw that it has a notch that goes in the groove in the steering shaft. This groove was on the opposite side (180° off) of where it was supposed to be. I got out and turned the wheel to what I believe to be the 11 o'clock position and my spotter said the groove was lined up with the arrow and the dot was in the window. I removed the old sensor and installed the new sensor and again everything appeared to be in its correct position. I pulled the pin and observed the dot in the window. I reinstalled the steering wheel and connected all the wiring plugs (yes I attached the plug for the sensor). I turned the key and the steering wheel didn't move. I started the car but I can tell the wheel is still tight (no power steering ) even with the front tires off the ground. I'm at a loss for what to do next. I tried to Google the problem and someone said I needed to "learn" the new sensor to the car. But your video said nothing about that. It just said I may need to learn it to center the wheel. Again I'm at a loss for what to do now. I would very much like to chat with you. My email is shaggy232350@aol.com. My name is Wayne.
@@Legendarygurth1unfortunately I got mine on Amazon. I was thinking that there are so many sensors on there for sale so I thought they would be ok. I'm worried I got a crappy part as well that doesn't work.
I'm never going to own this vehicle or do this job myself - but I know fantastic content when I see it. Bet a lot of home mechanics will be grateful for this!
Just did this repair. Video helped a lot. Snap ring can be a pain. Quick trip to the store for larger 12 Inch Snap Ring Pliers made it go in 1st try. Also putting the steering wheel back on I needed to turn the whole column toward the 11 O’clock position, not just the wheel. Then everything slide together nicely. Not that bad of a job. Friends car had no codes, but was experiencing intermittent loss of power steering. Solved the issue.
So I'm dealing with some of the same issues. My symptoms are jerky, twitching steering wheel while sitting at red light,at high speeds feel a small jerk left or right. Sometimes crank up have no power steering at all
Found a good Video describing why the wheel would turn hard after you start the vehicle and found you don't have to replace the sensor after a bad install. Apparently, there are 2 Discs involved in the Sensor where you're aligning your pin and they can't be off at all from each other. Mine was off just a hair past the window on the Sensor which was causing the issue. I was using a Jack that was apparently leaking and the Front wheels moved on me because of that causing the issue. So basically, took off the Sensor, realigned the holes and everything worked out, no Codes and Turning issue. Don't understand why everyone is telling people to replace the Sensor after a bad install, that's an expensive thing to say and not very helpful. That being said I truly appreciate your Video on this, Thank You.
I just did this to my son's car and everything seems fine except it kind of wants to turn hard left when you steer. Do you think that is a bad install or just need to do the whole calibration exercise?
Nice fix Mike! I heard "why is there an air bag light on?" I yelled, "The driver's seat is removed!" That is scary about that motor having all that torque! My 2020 RAV4 has electric steering assist. So far, so good with that one. Thanks for the video, hope alls well with you and looking forward to more videos.
Replaced the sensor and the power steering didn’t come back on its own. Took it to a mechanic to get the code cleared and recalibrate the sensor. Worked immediately after completing the recalibration. $75 repair
Any idea if there a is a fuse that can be removed to just drive without power steering? I have an 2011 ford escape I just use for getting around the farm, not insured or plated.... I read some forums saying you can remove a fuse and just drive it without power steering.. thanks, great vid!
I have a question 🙋🏻♀️ I have a 2009 ford escape and sometimes the power steering stops working when I start the car, and won’t work again unless I turn car off then on again. What could be causing that?
So I did a replacement on a 09 Escape 4cyl because the Steering Wheel was jittering left and right when Engine was running, with this same code, B2278 I read that some Techs had an issue with the Steering wheel turning hard right after initially checking the Steering performance when Calibration was complete, and they ended up just having to replace the whole unit. So, on my Vehicle before I changed anything I verified where the Steering Angle was when driving down the road and verified, I was plus or minus 1 deg and had no other Data like Torque Sensor to go from which I don't understand why that Pid isn't there, I use a TopDon Phoenix Plus. As I was installing the Torque Sensor, I noticed I wasn't lined up like you had happen in the Video. So, I got it centered but not sure if the arrow was exactly lined up, there may have been a slight resistance when I pulled the pin because it was lined up, but I think it may have had some resistance when pulling the Pin because after I did the arrow moved a tiny bit to the left of the notch. Do you think this could have caused the wheel to rotate hard right after I was done? So, I went into the ABS Unit looking for the Steering Angle Pid and found the Angle to be -539ish. I noticed on your Scanner you were at 439 i think, shouldn't it have been close to Zero? I tried to Zero it out and kept getting either Communication issues or something else that wasn't allowing me to Calibrate the Angel back to Zero, I tried an Autel Elite and Forscan with the same but different message. Any help would be appreciated, it's my first one on a Ford. Thanks
Ford likes to party made the whole video for me 😂. But this was a great video that didn’t seem to skip past any steps. You always seemed to make sure the camera was positioned in such a way so that we could see exactly what you were talking about instead of just taking about it like a lot of videos do. Like when someone says “then all you have to do is line this part up with that part and twist like this” then the camera cuts and skips the whole procedure 😂 Great video man. I have a feeling I’ll be replacing mine soon. Lost steering 3 times now. Not like a car that’s pump assisted or hydraulic assisted. When this steering goes out, it goes out lol. Great video man. 👍✌️
Not that bad of a job, like you said the alignment is critical. But pretty straight forward, did not beat book time though(first time).The lock ring installation was a bugger, needed bigger snap ring pliers.
Great video! If I don't have any codes on my 09 Escape, and the power steering is completely gone, not intermittingly gone... it sounds like it might be the power steering motor, not just the torque sensor. Is that a replaceable part or do I need to replace the entire steering column?
Would a 2012 ford explorer throw the same code? mine had a recall done at 86 thousand miles a new column was put in the explorer. Now at 102 thousand miles the recall service did not help me..the power steering is out again . I was going to check the fuses first.. I’m thinking there is more than one fuse to look for I’m just wondering? Thank you! For your video help on the topic.
I have a 2011 and everything was fine when I parked. It was cold outside. When I came out and went to go, it was just like manual steering, extremely tight and had to fight the wheel to get it to turn. After 8 hours sitting, it was fine again. I wonder if this is whats wrong on my Escape?
I replaced my torque sensor and it still does not work. any thought on what elese may be the cause of the failure. I have check the fuse and made sure power is gong to the assemble, so do the codes have to be cleared before the system will allow the power assist to work?????
@@GoTechTraining I have a code reader but it will not read the codes for the steering which makes it hard to track down the issue. I had purchased a complete assembly off of e-bay but still had the same fault display on the dash. So either the unit I got off of e-bay was bad or there is another issue. I returned the e-bay unit, so right now I'm stuck.
Hey Ted, It depends on the source from E-Bay. Sometimes its good sellers, sometimes they are not. As far as the diagnosis, maybe it's worth taking into a shop to at least get a diagnosis done? ~Mike
Same issue here. I followed the steps closely, I get a 'Torque Steering Assist Failure' message on the console, but no whacky steering behavior, just no power steering. Retried everything a week later, verified all the holes and marks are aligned. I can try again, but how would I know if the power steering motor is tge problem and not the torque sensor?
My EPS is not working again, sometimes intermittently... I plan to open it up again and realign the sensor for the second time. It seem that the sensor discs goes out of alignment. I will try to find a way to keep those discs aligned inside the shaft....epoxy?
Ok I followed the instructions you gave and when I started the car, the wheel didn't move (you said if the sensor is installed incorrectly it could make the wheel jerk left or right to the stop) but the power steering still isn't working. I made sure the installation tool or guide was on with no binding. One thing I did was on the old sensor, I tried to put the dot in the window...and when I removed the old sensor and went to install the new sensor, the dot wasn't in the window. I looked at the guide tool and saw that it has a notch that goes in the groove in the steering shaft. This groove was on the opposite side of where it was supposed to be. I got out and turned the wheel to what I believe to be the 11 o'clock position and my spotter said the groove was lined up with the arrow and the dot was in the window. I removed the old sensor and installed the new sensor and again everything appeared to be in its correct position. I pulled the pin and observed the dot in the window. I reinstalled the steering wheel and connected all the wiring plugs (yes I attached the plug for the sensor). I turned the key and the steering wheel didn't move. I started the car but I can tell the wheel is still tight even with the front tires off the ground. I'm at a loss for what to do ni tried to Google the problem and someone said I needed to "learn" the new sensor to the car. But your video said nothing about that. It just said I may need to learn it to center the wheel. Again I'm at a loss for what to do now
I installed a whole power steering assembly and I’m getting a code for the torque sensor and while I was trying to program the trim the steering wheel went all the way to the left so I would just have to replace the torque sensor in the used assembly?
Mike, thanks for the great video. I bought a 2012 Escape a couple weeks ago and have this code stored but the steering has no issues. I have tried erasing the code multiple times but it always comes back. Have you ever heard of somebody having this code with no symptoms?
Hey Robert, I have not, every time I have seen this code there was a loss of power steering concern. Interesting that steering works and still sets a DTC. ~Ryan
@@GoTechTraining I also forgot to mention that there is no warning light / message on the instrument cluster either just the dtc stored in the module. I guess I'll drive it until something changes.
Hey Louie, so the power steering did function properly without the relearn. I've never tried NOT doing it. It may cause the a light to come on maybe? ~Mike
Nice and easy. Had a 2008 Escape... I traded it in for a BMW motorcycle. I really hated the transmission. It really felt in "between" gears. The steering column bolts looked like they had some loctite originally. Maybe a good idea to re-apply some, especially because they're upside down. I wonder why they sell incomplete kits. If they say that new bolts should be used, why not include them in the kit? Nice video as usual! Thanks!
Mike you ever have problems wit your scanner i have the Phoenix lite 2 and when i Actuate test anything it loses connection to the blue tooth dongle and all the lights on dash go crazy any help would be great if you can thanks
Hey Steven, No I haven't heard of anything like that! I'd suggest reaching out to the TopDon crew and see what they say. Let me know if you need a connection. ~Mike
I have a mazda tribute that had the same issue, the dealership replaced the torque sensor for free for me, but ever since they did it the steering input needed is completely uneven, it pulls hard right and makes a bit of a rattling sort of noise. a couple years later and alignments and tire checks havent fixed it and a shop is now thinking it might be an issue in the column assembly. could this be because of issues still happening with the torque sensor, or from it being improperly installed?
i found my battery was in need of charge or replacement on a escape when steering went from power to standard fixed the problem there was no message on dash also my buick had the abs and other lights on dash turned out to be rear wheel bearing
When you disconnect the battery should't you wait 2 or 3 minutes to drain capacitors ( which provide power to deploy bag even if battery gets disconnected in an accident ) ? - I've seen lots of techs recommend that
Hey, yes you should. I should have mentioned that. There was a cut in the footage there so it looks instant, but it was a few minutes in between. Great call out on that! ~Mike
Hello, my mechanic to change torque sensor, and reset at each start the steering turns alone left, it is as if he does not want to zero, do you have a solution, please, Mazda tribute 2011 tank you!
Great video, I have the same problem on my 2012 Ford Fiesta. Last week I started my car and the EPS wasn't working at all. Have checked all the fuses inside the dashboard and in the engine room behind the battery, they are all ok. Maybe same fault as in the Ford Escape? Do you have a video for this Fiesta car? Thanks for sharing!
@scott brown after 12 hours of frustration we messed up the plastic gtooves on the column pretty good. we cleaned them up with a file and heat gun, then found thr notch on the column that's just a hair wider than the others. It's probably at about 11 o'clock, same gtove that alignment tool notch rides. Then Mark on the steering wheel shaft which spline should allign to that groove on the column. I wish I knew a secret, but one of my neighbors got it to shove/wiggle it on with the .arks allignex.. Once it got past the first inch it slid freely buy it was wY harder than. Expected. Lots of shoving and unpleasant words tho. Definitely old have used more illustrations in the video. Good luck!
@gotech. Please may i know the size of the T-spanner (50 CrM?) used to loose the steering Bolt and the other 2 Bolts that attached the steering to the dashboard? Thanks urgently 😮
Hi, i don’t have calibrating tool or scanning tool do I need to do the calibration or the steering torque sensor trim, After i install my steering torque sensor or can i skip this procedure?
I'm wondering the same thing. I don't have a scanner and I don't really want to spend a bunch of money on one. I guess I'll put it in and take it to the dealership maybe they can clear it?
My Escape stalls seconds after starting and then won't crank. When it's hot outside it will start. I keep getting this error code, could it cause that symptom?
can this part be replaced with the assist motor out of the car? just move the shaft maybe to line it up? and a couple that i have have a ratcheting noise when i turn the rear shaft to see if it moves freely. Is this caused by the senor you just replaced?
Is your battery light on on the cluster panel. If so it's the battery, bad battery throws out your power steering, I had this same issue, ended just being my battery
Well after replacing the sensor twice hoping got a faulty sensor the problem is still here... idk what else to do. I've checked all related fuses and all other possibility other than having the code updated. However it never had a code to begin with.. all I got was the warning on the dash.
Just a comment, when you replace the part you need to program it so you need to send the truck to an electrician, they ussually have the machine to program the part
That’s a good question. I have very very little car repair knowledge, but I’m having the power steering issue and I keep seeing that replacing the steering column needs to be replaced. I honestly hope it’s just the torque sensor.
Just did this today. Harbor Freight Icon 12" internal snap ring pliers. Works like a charm- will take the snap ring off and on as many times as you need!
@fiercewarrior5686 thanks. Unfortunately I'm in Canada and my best option is Amazon lol. Couldn't find any pliers bigger than 7 inch at the local stores.
@@two_toneI didn’t get an answer on this but yes, I did the install and drove it to my shop and had them do the calibration. My mechanic didn’t charge me for it.
Question for you or for any other commenters: I did everything perfectly except I forgot to actually plug the torque sensor in before I turned the car on and tested it…I went back and plugged it in after the fact and it still didn’t work but now I’m left wondering, would it have worked if I had actually plugged it in to begin with? Or if its aligned properly in the 5 degree window, does it not matter if you turn the car on and test it before you plug the sensor in?
I installed an AUTOTECNICA FD1318479 torque sensor from RockAuto and programmed the trim adjustment. Only lasted for a week and my customer is back with the same B2278 code and armstrong steering. Thoughts anyone?
Great video. Would never try this myself. I have this problem on my 2009 Escape. Car is currently sitting in my driveway. Replacement part is not readily available. Dealer has on order since July 2022. No idea when it will be coming in.
Hey Aram M, yes parts are hard to get right now. I had to special order it and have it shipped in from another dealer. Good luck getting it fixed! ~Mike
Anyone have a diagram of the way the wires connect when putting it back together I had to replace the entire motor I put it back together and my airbag / steering wheel controls won’t work
So after i replaced my controll arms and puter tie rods this came up i took it to a shop so they can diagnose and this is whats going on with mines they are charging me 400 for a used unit and 500 to install im so anoyed i tried fixing one problem and this one is another but this vid is incouraging me to do it my self
If the little yellow wrench like is indicated on the bottom left side that means you will have to clear the power steering fault code to regain function of the system. Its a safety feature
Very good repair. Just wonder the miles on the vehicle also if most or all will have to be replaced? Thanks much as always keep it going and thumbs up as well 👍
Good question! From what I have seen. These steering sensors can fail at anytime and most Escapes will need the steering sensor replaced at some point. Not too bad of a repair, but parts are getting harder to find. Thanks for reaching out! ~Ryan
Hello, So far it has been a great scan tool. I love the Topography and capabilities with bi-directional controls. It still is new to us, but so far I like it! ~Ryan
I had changed the sensor with no issues but still have the power steering assist fault error.. No luck for me.. will I have to replace the entire column or does anyone have advice to help? Would appreciate any feedback.
I had to purchase a snap ring tool from Harbor Freight because no one sold one big enough to do the job. I've tried AutoZone, Advanced Auto, O'Reilly, Menards, and Walmart and they all sold the same tool. Now my issue is that it steers very easy to the left and kinda stiff to the right and my scan tool won't calibrate it. It says it's not communicating. I guess I'll try someone else's scan tool.
I’m an aircraft mechanic and I’m fairly analytical, so no dumb mechanic stuff going on here or misunderstanding of your video. . I changed out the torque sensor, but I still do not have steering. I went back through and checked, taking it all apart, putting it back together still same result. No power steering. Could it be something else or have I truly bought a bad sensor from Ford
Great video Thanks for sharing Guy's👍 I was not able to follow-up due to illness but hopefully everything is going great on all of my favorite channels including your's😍 Stay Safe Guy's👍
If you have a bad install like I did. This is a good video to help. After the initial install on my son's car the wheel was turning slight left causing it to pull as I drove. Turns out the torque sensor and angle sensor were slightly misaligned. The link below helped me to fix that issue. Everything is working fine now. ua-cam.com/video/EpjYDr5jUNs/v-deo.htmlsi=jXdMgSY0Laf-7nTE
Great video. Anyone that's struggled with this job or wants more details on what can go wrong and how to fix it read this. It's a long comment. I'm trying to cover everything. I'm going off of what was in this video and adding more info to help. For starters a good set of big snap ring pliers are a must. Without them this job is extremely difficult. I've done it with needle nose pliers before. Possible but a huge pain. It's a hefty snap ring in there. You don't need a helper to do this job. You don't need someone to bump the tire. You can jack the front end up and twist the steering shaft inside the car until you see the hole line up. Make sure your steering wheel is straight before you jack it up. If your alignment is off doing this then it's gonna be a little different. I'll explain both. Proper alignment with the wheel straight you're gonna have to twist the shaft a LITTLE! to the left inside the car until you see the hole line up. If you go past it just go back the other way until you get right in the center. I'm sure you'll pass it. That hole passes you quick! The 11 o'clock position when reinstalling the wheel and steering column is important. You have to have the entire column at the 11 o'clock position (with a proper alignment) for it to slide in. It's tricky and be gentle. Don't force it. It's supposed to slide in like butter. If it doesn't slide right in at the 11 o'clock position your wheels aren't in the correct spot or you don't have the column positioned right. Like I said it's tricky and you gotta be just right. Wheels should look like they're turning slightly left. Check them before you try to slide the column and wheel in. If it's all set right the splines will line right up. Push it in quite a bit then twist the column to the right until you can get your bolts in. Sometimes you push it in to far. Just pull it back out till the bolt holes line up. The splines on the steering shaft are plastic. You can easily mess them up. If you do mess them up not a big deal. Take a file and clean up the slots you messed up. It'll slide in eventually with precision. Just don't keep forcing it over and over and destroy the plastic splines. They can take a little abuse but not a caveman in there raming them over and over. For an alignment that's off just make you sure your wheels are straight when you start. Same steps as above. Then when reinstalling the wheel and column remember where your steering wheel was orignally. Take a picture if you need to. If your wheel was at the 7 o'clock position, when reinstalling the wheel and column you'll wanna be at the 6 o'clock position. Just make sure it's clocked back 1 hour from where you were orignally. Study that old clock on your wall. And Lastly if you get it all back together and still have no power steering it isn't the end of the world and you don't have to immediately buy a new sensor Sometimes you need to clear the code with a scan tool or recalibrate the sensor with a scan tool to get your power steering back. I hope you have one or know someone with one. If it still doesn't work after all that then you aligning everything was wrong. This is where it can get tricky and confusing to describe in a comment. But easy to do in person. You need to reset/realign the sensor. There's 2 tabs on both center plastic gears of the sensor that need to be in line. Pull the sensor back out and you'll wanna hold the top gear of the sensor on one hand while you twist the bottom gear with your other hand until those tabs are in line. Once you get both tabs in line on the gears your hole will be off. Then turn both gears simultaneously until you see the hole line up in the slot then put your pin back in. Make sure that pin drops all the way down. You'll feel it sliding through both gear holes. May have to slightly wiggle it to get it to seat. Then reinstall everything the same way. If it still doesn't work after all those steps then you bought a bad sensor. I've had 4 cheap junk torque sensors that customers brought me. 2 didn't work right out of the box and 2 got them power steering back but failed a couple weeks later. Don't cheap out on your parts people! For this sensor avoid Amazon, carparts, ebay, parts geek and rockauto. You don't always have to go oe with everything but with this sensor you really do. Buy one from powersteeringseals.com or fordpartsgiant.com. Both have good genuine ford oem parts.
Do you know where I could find the oem sensor everywhere online is Chinese made
I would add this. When you index the hole in the window make sure the steering shaft is high up in the tilt range. The steering shaft without the steering wheel connected can go extremely low. If you index it at that point it is not going to work correctly. As soon as you start up the vehicle it will turn itself to the left quite rapidly. That one bit me.
That's exactly what happened to me
Ok I followed the instructions in this video and when I started the car, the wheel didn't move (video said if the sensor is installed incorrectly it could make the wheel jerk left or right hard to the stop) but the power steering still isn't working. I made sure the installation tool, or guide, was on with no binding. One thing I did was on the old sensor, I tried to put the dot in the window...and when I removed the old sensor and went to install the new sensor, the dot wasn't in the window. The steering shaft looked like it was 180° off. I looked at the guide tool and saw that it has a notch that goes in the groove in the steering shaft. This groove was on the opposite side (180° off) of where it was supposed to be. I got out and turned the wheel to what I believe to be the 11 o'clock position and my spotter said the groove was lined up with the arrow and the dot was in the window. I removed the old sensor and installed the new sensor and again everything appeared to be in its correct position. I pulled the pin and observed the dot in the window. I reinstalled the steering wheel and connected all the wiring plugs (yes I attached the plug for the sensor). I turned the key and the steering wheel didn't move. I started the car but I can tell the wheel is still tight (no power steering ) even with the front tires off the ground. I'm at a loss for what to do next. I tried to Google the problem and someone said I needed to "learn" the new sensor to the car. But your video said nothing about that. It just said I may need to learn it to center the wheel. Again I'm at a loss for what to do now. I would very much like to chat with you. My email is shaggy232350@aol.com. My name is Wayne.
@@Legendarygurth1unfortunately I got mine on Amazon. I was thinking that there are so many sensors on there for sale so I thought they would be ok. I'm worried I got a crappy part as well that doesn't work.
I'm never going to own this vehicle or do this job myself - but I know fantastic content when I see it. Bet a lot of home mechanics will be grateful for this!
Hahah thanks for the comment! Appreciate the support 😊
~Mike
absolutely this feature alone will deter me from buying one
Just did this repair. Video helped a lot. Snap ring can be a pain. Quick trip to the store for larger 12 Inch Snap Ring Pliers made it go in 1st try. Also putting the steering wheel back on I needed to turn the whole column toward the 11 O’clock position, not just the wheel. Then everything slide together nicely. Not that bad of a job.
Friends car had no codes, but was experiencing intermittent loss of power steering. Solved the issue.
So I'm dealing with some of the same issues. My symptoms are jerky, twitching steering wheel while sitting at red light,at high speeds feel a small jerk left or right. Sometimes crank up have no power steering at all
Great video! Saved me a bunch of time trying to understand the instructions. I’m a visual learner and you made this very simple.
You've gotta love how ford says it's a 1.6 hour job yet he does it in less than 30 minutes!
Your teaching skills, Mike, are exemplary! I can’t think of any channel on UA-cam that’s more important to the technician/diagnostic industry.
Hey Dave, thanks so much!!! ❤
~Mike
Found a good Video describing why the wheel would turn hard after you start the vehicle and found you don't have to replace the sensor after a bad install. Apparently, there are 2 Discs involved in the Sensor where you're aligning your pin and they can't be off at all from each other. Mine was off just a hair past the window on the Sensor which was causing the issue. I was using a Jack that was apparently leaking and the Front wheels moved on me because of that causing the issue. So basically, took off the Sensor, realigned the holes and everything worked out, no Codes and Turning issue. Don't understand why everyone is telling people to replace the Sensor after a bad install, that's an expensive thing to say and not very helpful. That being said I truly appreciate your Video on this, Thank You.
I just did this to my son's car and everything seems fine except it kind of wants to turn hard left when you steer. Do you think that is a bad install or just need to do the whole calibration exercise?
Fantastic video- I followed it exactly as shown and fixed my steering wobble- saving so much $$$!
Nice fix Mike!
I heard "why is there an air bag light on?"
I yelled, "The driver's seat is removed!"
That is scary about that motor having all that torque! My 2020 RAV4 has electric steering assist. So far, so good with that one.
Thanks for the video, hope alls well with you and looking forward to more videos.
Hey Mike, thanks for watching! Yeh...my brain was a little slow to connect those dots on the airbag light lol. Hope you are doing well 😀
I think they had all glitches out by yours...
2014... 15s...16s...toyotas had issues...
Replaced the sensor and the power steering didn’t come back on its own. Took it to a mechanic to get the code cleared and recalibrate the sensor. Worked immediately after completing the recalibration. $75 repair
Any idea if there a is a fuse that can be removed to just drive without power steering? I have an 2011 ford escape I just use for getting around the farm, not insured or plated.... I read some forums saying you can remove a fuse and just drive it without power steering.. thanks, great vid!
I have a question 🙋🏻♀️ I have a 2009 ford escape and sometimes the power steering stops working when I start the car, and won’t work again unless I turn car off then on again. What could be causing that?
So I did a replacement on a 09 Escape 4cyl because the Steering Wheel was jittering left and right when Engine was running, with this same code, B2278 I read that some Techs had an issue with the Steering wheel turning hard right after initially checking the Steering performance when Calibration was complete, and they ended up just having to replace the whole unit. So, on my Vehicle before I changed anything I verified where the Steering Angle was when driving down the road and verified, I was plus or minus 1 deg and had no other Data like Torque Sensor to go from which I don't understand why that Pid isn't there, I use a TopDon Phoenix Plus. As I was installing the Torque Sensor, I noticed I wasn't lined up like you had happen in the Video. So, I got it centered but not sure if the arrow was exactly lined up, there may have been a slight resistance when I pulled the pin because it was lined up, but I think it may have had some resistance when pulling the Pin because after I did the arrow moved a tiny bit to the left of the notch. Do you think this could have caused the wheel to rotate hard right after I was done? So, I went into the ABS Unit looking for the Steering Angle Pid and found the Angle to be -539ish. I noticed on your Scanner you were at 439 i think, shouldn't it have been close to Zero? I tried to Zero it out and kept getting either Communication issues or something else that wasn't allowing me to Calibrate the Angel back to Zero, I tried an Autel Elite and Forscan with the same but different message.
Any help would be appreciated, it's my first one on a Ford. Thanks
Ford likes to party made the whole video for me 😂.
But this was a great video that didn’t seem to skip past any steps. You always seemed to make sure the camera was positioned in such a way so that we could see exactly what you were talking about instead of just taking about it like a lot of videos do. Like when someone says “then all you have to do is line this part up with that part and twist like this” then the camera cuts and skips the whole procedure 😂
Great video man. I have a feeling I’ll be replacing mine soon. Lost steering 3 times now. Not like a car that’s pump assisted or hydraulic assisted. When this steering goes out, it goes out lol. Great video man. 👍✌️
What do you do if you dont have the tablet for calibration? Do you still recommend repairing it my self?
Not that bad of a job, like you said the alignment is critical. But pretty straight forward, did not beat book time though(first time).The lock ring installation was a bugger, needed bigger snap ring pliers.
Yeh...i could definitely need a bigger snap-ring plyers. Thanks for watching Frank!
~Mike
Great video! If I don't have any codes on my 09 Escape, and the power steering is completely gone, not intermittingly gone... it sounds like it might be the power steering motor, not just the torque sensor. Is that a replaceable part or do I need to replace the entire steering column?
I did the sensor replacement, but the steering hasn’t gotten any better. Any suggestions?
Followed your video and successfully replaced steering torque sensor. Everything was accurate, well timed, clear doable. Thank you.
That's awesome to hear Jeff! Thanks for watching!
Would a 2012 ford explorer throw the same code? mine had a recall done at 86 thousand miles a new column was put in the explorer. Now at 102 thousand miles the recall service did not help me..the power steering is out again . I was going to check the fuses first.. I’m thinking there is more than one fuse to look for I’m just wondering? Thank you! For your video help on the topic.
I get the steering assist fault service required notification my steering wheel looses all power when driving !! Is this the problem??
after doing this and the relearn on the scan tool - i have a constant pressure to the right on the wheel. thoughts?
I have a 2011 and everything was fine when I parked. It was cold outside. When I came out and went to go, it was just like manual steering, extremely tight and had to fight the wheel to get it to turn. After 8 hours sitting, it was fine again. I wonder if this is whats wrong on my Escape?
Mike: Thanks for the encouragement. I even had to pay for the part ahead of time to have the dealer order it. I sure hope it comes soon!
Aram M
Let us know how the repair goes!
Thanks for reaching out
How did it go?
I replaced my torque sensor and it still does not work. any thought on what elese may be the cause of the failure. I have check the fuse and made sure power is gong to the assemble, so do the codes have to be cleared before the system will allow the power assist to work?????
Hey Ted, no the system will power and and function without clearing the codes. Are you dealing with that B2278?
~Mike
@@GoTechTraining I have a code reader but it will not read the codes for the steering which makes it hard to track down the issue. I had purchased a complete assembly off of e-bay but still had the same fault display on the dash. So either the unit I got off of e-bay was bad or there is another issue. I returned the e-bay unit, so right now I'm stuck.
Hey Ted, It depends on the source from E-Bay. Sometimes its good sellers, sometimes they are not. As far as the diagnosis, maybe it's worth taking into a shop to at least get a diagnosis done?
~Mike
Same issue here. I followed the steps closely, I get a 'Torque Steering Assist Failure' message on the console, but no whacky steering behavior, just no power steering. Retried everything a week later, verified all the holes and marks are aligned.
I can try again, but how would I know if the power steering motor is tge problem and not the torque sensor?
@@markguinther7518very good question, I have done exactly what you did and had same result.
Excellent work. Heading out with confidence to do it now!
My EPS is not working again, sometimes intermittently... I plan to open it up again and realign the sensor for the second time. It seem that the sensor discs goes out of alignment. I will try to find a way to keep those discs aligned inside the shaft....epoxy?
Ok I followed the instructions you gave and when I started the car, the wheel didn't move (you said if the sensor is installed incorrectly it could make the wheel jerk left or right to the stop) but the power steering still isn't working. I made sure the installation tool or guide was on with no binding. One thing I did was on the old sensor, I tried to put the dot in the window...and when I removed the old sensor and went to install the new sensor, the dot wasn't in the window. I looked at the guide tool and saw that it has a notch that goes in the groove in the steering shaft. This groove was on the opposite side of where it was supposed to be. I got out and turned the wheel to what I believe to be the 11 o'clock position and my spotter said the groove was lined up with the arrow and the dot was in the window. I removed the old sensor and installed the new sensor and again everything appeared to be in its correct position. I pulled the pin and observed the dot in the window. I reinstalled the steering wheel and connected all the wiring plugs (yes I attached the plug for the sensor). I turned the key and the steering wheel didn't move. I started the car but I can tell the wheel is still tight even with the front tires off the ground. I'm at a loss for what to do ni tried to Google the problem and someone said I needed to "learn" the new sensor to the car. But your video said nothing about that. It just said I may need to learn it to center the wheel. Again I'm at a loss for what to do now
I installed a whole power steering assembly and I’m getting a code for the torque sensor and while I was trying to program the trim the steering wheel went all the way to the left so I would just have to replace the torque sensor in the used assembly?
Mike, thanks for the great video. I bought a 2012 Escape a couple weeks ago and have this code stored but the steering has no issues. I have tried erasing the code multiple times but it always comes back. Have you ever heard of somebody having this code with no symptoms?
Hey Robert,
I have not, every time I have seen this code there was a loss of power steering concern.
Interesting that steering works and still sets a DTC.
~Ryan
@@GoTechTraining I also forgot to mention that there is no warning light / message on the instrument cluster either just the dtc stored in the module. I guess I'll drive it until something changes.
Finally i been looking so long for this
I hope it helps you fix your car!
Thanks for reaching out and checking out the video!
~Ryan
This was great.
I followed step by step and was an easy replacement.
Great video, thank you! Was the scan tool absolutely necessary for the trim resetting?
Hey Louie, so the power steering did function properly without the relearn. I've never tried NOT doing it. It may cause the a light to come on maybe?
~Mike
Can I use any scan tool to progam it?
Same question. I do not have the scan tool so I am wondering if I can drive the car to auto zone once done and have them do the relearn?
Did you guys find an answer to this?
Nice and easy. Had a 2008 Escape... I traded it in for a BMW motorcycle. I really hated the transmission. It really felt in "between" gears. The steering column bolts looked like they had some loctite originally. Maybe a good idea to re-apply some, especially because they're upside down. I wonder why they sell incomplete kits. If they say that new bolts should be used, why not include them in the kit? Nice video as usual! Thanks!
Hey Johnny Blue, thanks for watching! Yeh, a little blue loctite wouldn't have been a bad idea there.
~Mike
Mike you ever have problems wit your scanner i have the Phoenix lite 2 and when i Actuate test anything it loses connection to the blue tooth dongle and all the lights on dash go crazy any help would be great if you can thanks
Hey Steven, No I haven't heard of anything like that! I'd suggest reaching out to the TopDon crew and see what they say. Let me know if you need a connection.
~Mike
Should I drop the tires after lining up the pin hole to keep it aligned before installing the new one?
Yes. It helps alot.
Did you replace the sensor? I saw you pull the pin, and then put everything back in place...
I have a mazda tribute that had the same issue, the dealership replaced the torque sensor for free for me, but ever since they did it the steering input needed is completely uneven, it pulls hard right and makes a bit of a rattling sort of noise. a couple years later and alignments and tire checks havent fixed it and a shop is now thinking it might be an issue in the column assembly. could this be because of issues still happening with the torque sensor, or from it being improperly installed?
Kermit was smiling for a job well done!😁
Hahah thanks Gary!
~Mike
i found my battery was in need of charge or replacement on a escape when steering went from power to standard fixed the problem there was no message on dash
also my buick had the abs and other lights on dash turned out to be rear wheel bearing
Same, thought I had this issue, I just needed to charge my battery and the problem was resolved
I have 2013 the steering wheel wont turn at all
What are the chances this part will fix my problem
Thanks!
When you disconnect the battery should't you wait 2 or 3 minutes to drain capacitors ( which provide power to deploy bag even if battery gets disconnected in an accident ) ? - I've seen lots of techs recommend that
Hey, yes you should. I should have mentioned that. There was a cut in the footage there so it looks instant, but it was a few minutes in between. Great call out on that!
~Mike
@@GoTechTraining Mike - thank you for posting your vids - over last 5 years I've learned so much from them , I am DIY-er and I want to keep learning
Thanks man! Appreciate the support :)
Hello, my mechanic to change torque sensor, and reset at each start the steering turns alone left, it is as if he does not want to zero, do you have a solution, please, Mazda tribute 2011 tank you!
Hi Jacques, thanks for watching! If the sensor install was done right then I would suggest trying to do the relearn.
Great video, I have the same problem on my 2012 Ford Fiesta. Last week I started my car and the EPS wasn't working at all. Have checked all the fuses inside the dashboard and in the engine room behind the battery, they are all ok. Maybe same fault as in the Ford Escape? Do you have a video for this Fiesta car? Thanks for sharing!
Outstanding video! Do we have to calibrate the sensor after we do the full install? Most people don't have the tablet/software you have there.
The worst part about the whole job is that snap ring
Hahaha yeh it is Larry!
~MIke
I disagree. I spent 6 hours trying to get the splines on the steering shift realigned to slide the steering wheel back on.
@@markguinther7518 we're having the same problem! What was your solution?
@scott brown after 12 hours of frustration we messed up the plastic gtooves on the column pretty good. we cleaned them up with a file and heat gun, then found thr notch on the column that's just a hair wider than the others. It's probably at about 11 o'clock, same gtove that alignment tool notch rides. Then Mark on the steering wheel shaft which spline should allign to that groove on the column. I wish I knew a secret, but one of my neighbors got it to shove/wiggle it on with the .arks allignex.. Once it got past the first inch it slid freely buy it was wY harder than. Expected. Lots of shoving and unpleasant words tho. Definitely old have used more illustrations in the video.
Good luck!
Marci mon frère
Will it false trip the sensor if the tie rods or rack and pinion are bad?
@gotech. Please may i know the size of the T-spanner (50 CrM?) used to loose the steering Bolt and the other 2 Bolts that attached the steering to the dashboard? Thanks urgently 😮
What if I do not have a scanner to do the last step?
Good video. Thanks for sharing. I like your video. I like how you have step by step instructions on how to fix the power steering👍
Hi, i don’t have calibrating tool or scanning tool do I need to do the calibration or the steering torque sensor trim, After i install my steering torque sensor or can i skip this procedure?
I'm wondering the same thing. I don't have a scanner and I don't really want to spend a bunch of money on one. I guess I'll put it in and take it to the dealership maybe they can clear it?
My Escape stalls seconds after starting and then won't crank. When it's hot outside it will start. I keep getting this error code, could it cause that symptom?
can this part be replaced with the assist motor out of the car? just move the shaft maybe to line it up? and a couple that i have have a ratcheting noise when i turn the rear shaft to see if it moves freely. Is this caused by the senor you just replaced?
Hello ,
Good morning
Can you tell me where’s your workshop
Thank you
I did this and when I reconnected the power I still had the fault and the same dead steering. Do I need to replace the entire motor now?
Hi. I did the same and still have no steering power. What to do Mike?
Same thing happened to our car. No steering changed out the sensor.
Is your battery light on on the cluster panel. If so it's the battery, bad battery throws out your power steering, I had this same issue, ended just being my battery
Well after replacing the sensor twice hoping got a faulty sensor the problem is still here... idk what else to do. I've checked all related fuses and all other possibility other than having the code updated. However it never had a code to begin with.. all I got was the warning on the dash.
Just a comment, when you replace the part you need to program it so you need to send the truck to an electrician, they ussually have the machine to program the part
I know its a bit old... But was this a recall job? I have one that according to papers, the recall has been done. Are these common to fail?
So what if the power steering is out and that code isn't there? Could it still be the sensor that is the problem?
That’s a good question. I have very very little car repair knowledge, but I’m having the power steering issue and I keep seeing that replacing the steering column needs to be replaced. I honestly hope it’s just the torque sensor.
Trying to get the thru bolt out that hold the motor and steering column.Any have this problem the nut is stuck!
What snap ring pliers did you use. All the ones in store are too small 😂
Just did this today. Harbor Freight Icon 12" internal snap ring pliers. Works like a charm- will take the snap ring off and on as many times as you need!
@fiercewarrior5686 thanks. Unfortunately I'm in Canada and my best option is Amazon lol. Couldn't find any pliers bigger than 7 inch at the local stores.
Literally just need the link for those pliers, went through two already with no luck… thank you
I had this same issue battery light was on, ended being a bad battery. Fixed battery issue and this same issue completely resolved
Since I don’t have a fancy scan tool is it OK to do the install and then drive it to a shop and let them do the trim?
I'm still waiting on this answer as well
@@two_toneI didn’t get an answer on this but yes, I did the install and drove it to my shop and had them do the calibration. My mechanic didn’t charge me for it.
Question for you or for any other commenters: I did everything perfectly except I forgot to actually plug the torque sensor in before I turned the car on and tested it…I went back and plugged it in after the fact and it still didn’t work but now I’m left wondering, would it have worked if I had actually plugged it in to begin with? Or if its aligned properly in the 5 degree window, does it not matter if you turn the car on and test it before you plug the sensor in?
I installed an AUTOTECNICA FD1318479 torque sensor from RockAuto and programmed the trim adjustment. Only lasted for a week and my customer is back with the same B2278 code and armstrong steering. Thoughts anyone?
Great video. Would never try this myself. I have this problem on my 2009 Escape. Car is currently sitting in my driveway. Replacement part is not readily available. Dealer has on order since July 2022. No idea when it will be coming in.
Hey Aram M, yes parts are hard to get right now. I had to special order it and have it shipped in from another dealer. Good luck getting it fixed!
~Mike
Anyone have a diagram of the way the wires connect when putting it back together I had to replace the entire motor I put it back together and my airbag / steering wheel controls won’t work
So after i replaced my controll arms and puter tie rods this came up i took it to a shop so they can diagnose and this is whats going on with mines they are charging me 400 for a used unit and 500 to install im so anoyed i tried fixing one problem and this one is another but this vid is incouraging me to do it my self
Where can I find the censor??
I have installed everything correctly twice and I still don’t have power steering. What do I do next?
Is your battery light on. I had this same issue, charged my battery and problem was resolved
If the little yellow wrench like is indicated on the bottom left side that means you will have to clear the power steering fault code to regain function of the system. Its a safety feature
Where can I order this part
Very good repair. Just wonder the miles on the vehicle also if most or all will have to be replaced? Thanks much as always keep it going and thumbs up as well 👍
Good question! From what I have seen. These steering sensors can fail at anytime and most Escapes will need the steering sensor replaced at some point. Not too bad of a repair, but parts are getting harder to find.
Thanks for reaching out!
~Ryan
Mike is that your personal TopDon scanner? How do you like it, thinking of picking one up.. Great Job!
Hello,
So far it has been a great scan tool. I love the Topography and capabilities with bi-directional controls. It still is new to us, but so far I like it!
~Ryan
@@GoTechTraining Thanks Ryan you guys are the best, learning alot from you guys
What size is that snap ring pilers shit cause harbor fright homedepot autozone and Oreileys dont have one big enough for the steering wheel
Are those scanners good?
Hey Saudo Campos, yeh I like it so far. I've had it now for a few months. A great tool overall!
~Mike
Where do I purchase the new sensor? Do I need to contact the Ford dealership, or aftermarket parts store? BTW AWESOME job on the video
I had changed the sensor with no issues but still have the power steering assist fault error..
No luck for me.. will I have to replace the entire column or does anyone have advice to help? Would appreciate any feedback.
I just had the same issue what did you have to do?
Did you guys get an answer to your problem? Mine is doing the same.
Is your battery light on, if so fix battery and should fix issue. I had same problem, bad battery messes up electric power steering
I had to purchase a snap ring tool from Harbor Freight because no one sold one big enough to do the job. I've tried AutoZone, Advanced Auto, O'Reilly, Menards, and Walmart and they all sold the same tool. Now my issue is that it steers very easy to the left and kinda stiff to the right and my scan tool won't calibrate it. It says it's not communicating. I guess I'll try someone else's scan tool.
Update, I solved the problem by replacing the whole power steering unit with one that I had gotten from the junkyard
I’m an aircraft mechanic and I’m fairly analytical, so no dumb mechanic stuff going on here or misunderstanding of your video. . I changed out the torque sensor, but I still do not have steering. I went back through and checked, taking it all apart, putting it back together still same result. No power steering. Could it be something else or have I truly bought a bad sensor from Ford
Did everything in the video and still nothing, what should I do now??
If the steering wheel went haywire on initial start it would’ve made for a viral video! 😂
hahahahhaha it would have for sure...and cost me another 350$!!! LOL
~Mike
link to purchase?
Great video, saved me at least 1k bucs, thx!
Awesome!
Thanks for watching!
~Ryan
Very informative video. Explain in a simple way. 👍👍👍
To bad ur not in Phoenix AZ. I need that repaired
So mine would not work untill I erased the code and reset the power steering assist fault
What’s the name of part
Explained very well , thank you very much ! Now I got an excuse to buy a better scanner lol
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!!
For the steering column plastic shroud, finding a 5.5 mm socket is about impossible. Just use 7/32.
Great video Thanks for sharing Guy's👍
I was not able to follow-up due to illness but hopefully everything is going great on all of my favorite channels including your's😍
Stay Safe Guy's👍
FORST OFF THE STEERING WHEEL MUST BE IN THE 11 O CLOCK POSITION TO MAKE SURE THE SENSOR IS INNTHE SAME POSITION
If you have a bad install like I did. This is a good video to help. After the initial install on my son's car the wheel was turning slight left causing it to pull as I drove. Turns out the torque sensor and angle sensor were slightly misaligned. The link below helped me to fix that issue. Everything is working fine now.
ua-cam.com/video/EpjYDr5jUNs/v-deo.htmlsi=jXdMgSY0Laf-7nTE
great video dont forget the wiring diagrams videos please
Hey Wackey, thanks! You're right, we need to do more soon!
~Mike
Thanks for your help and time for this
nice job.. informative!!
Excellent video,. Just subscribed...!
FUN FACT.....
The only thing you'll ever use your 5.5 socket on is this