Power steering pressure switch

[valvewhiz]

Hi all,
I have a fiesta finesse 1.3 of 1998 vintage, after having the power steering pump replaced I noticed that the engine speed wasn’t changing on full steering lock. I disconnected the connector from the top of the pressure switch and noticed that the engine speed increased and decreased when I put it back on.
surely this is the wrong way around? I intend checking the switch with an ohm meter to see if it is o.k.

any ideas?
thanks for looking.

 

[Handy Andy]

Check that switch to make sure if the correct wire in on the correct pin - if the connector simply being on it decreases the RPM and rises when it is pulled off certainly indicates the condition. What I do not know is if when the steering pump no-load condition the switch is supposed to show - is correct.

So it may mean the switch is bad or they (rebuilders) put on the wrong switch - the vintage of the pump has me wondering if they rebuilt this; then used (installed) a different switch that is of the wrong type (NO when no load) or (NC when no load) NO = Normally Open, NC means Normally Closed

So since the idle rises when the connector is off, means it's looking for an OPEN condition in a high-torque turn - while the connector is on - creates a CLOSED condition, but idle drops. So the switch is reversed in the type it needs to be - Closed (should) means that there is a load on the steering (Turn effort) to change the systems ability to increase the torque at low-RPM or near low-idle and low-speed condition. So to me, unless there is some other pin configuration (Pins reversed - but only two?) If the switch has three pins and uses only two - you just have to use the DVM (meter tester) to find the common pin and just swap the other wire to the correct pin.

Might want to post a pic of what you're up against to help us, help you - to figure this out.