Yet another 4WS thread

AeroNotix · Post by **AeroNotix** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 1:21 pm

My experience was the opposite. I couldn't for the life of me get the electronic neutral to work whatsoever before I got a mechanical alignment.

Either way, I would try it. It worked for me like a dream. I spent a week trying to get the neutral alignment to work (read my thread on 4WS for the work I put in) before giving up and sending it to my local honda wizard. He did a mechanical alignment and the neutral alignment worked the first try.

Anzezaf the reason I say to use an oscilloscope is that there is no two ways about what the signal looks like and you can clearly see if the signals are in phase with each other. It paints a much clearer picture about what is going on in my opinion. Obviously this is only for the digital sensors, the analog ones are fine to just use a multimetre on.

I have a slightly damaged main steering wheel sensor. I can give it to you for free if you pay for shipping. The sensor itself is "fine" as it worked but the plastic casing is cracked which will need gluing back together else the sensor strip inside spills out. Up to you.

AeroNotix · Post by **AeroNotix** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 1:25 pm

Oh one more thing, if you remove the steering wheel to take a look at the sensor behind there (trust me there likely will be nothing wrong with it) but I understand the want to check everything. MAKE SURE you mark the wheel and the splines on the steering shaft so you can put the wheel back on where it came off.

AeroNotix · Post by **AeroNotix** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 2:30 pm

Sorry for triple post but the main sensor really shouldn't move from it's position. It's retained with two pins that go through the sensor itself. I guess there's a possibility that the pins broke off but I doubt it. Either way! Let us know how you get on. People say that 4WS system is very reliable. It is but when it breaks it's a nightmare to get back running if there's a genuine issue with it (non-temporary).

Anzezaf · Post by **Anzezaf** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 4:47 pm

Well, as I said there is 2.2 volts where there should be 5..
I will double check again soon, when the goddamn weather clears up

So sick of this cold..
If it still shows incorrect voltage on the main steering sensor, I'm gonna dig it out and see what's what
If it's not the sensor, Imma go for a mechanical and electrical alignment, hopefully I will get someone who knows his stuff

AeroNotix · Post by **AeroNotix** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 5:02 pm

An oscilloscope really would help here as it's two square waves. I forget what the book says (whether it should be 5v, or not) but it could be 5v but at a duty cycle that appears on a meter as 2.2v if you get me.

Anzezaf · Post by **Anzezaf** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 6:44 pm

Hm, I doubt it's such a fast frequency to disrupt the measurement - the manual calls for an analog multimeter ( so it's even slower than a digital one ). And if I understand correctly, the pulses' speed is dependent on the turning rate of the wheel. So if you turn it very slowly, you will get actual 0V and 5V steps. In one full turn of the steering wheel I think it is 90 pulses.. Well, it's all on the picture on the previous site anyway

AeroNotix · Post by **AeroNotix** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 7:07 pm

I have a video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LqCmGhLWK6vxtcJ83

this is the rear sensor FWIW, my friend was turning the rear wheels while the car was off the ground. Just to give you an idea of what the sensor outputs. As I mention the other phase wasn't plugged into my scope properly but when it is they are out of phase by a certain amount depending on the angle and the degree of phase gives you which direction (left/right) the wheels are.

no0ne · Post by **no0ne** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:31 am

Yeah, about taking out a 4ws fuse.. thats not gonna work. Error codes are stores in the eeprom memory, which is essentially like a flash drive. After voltage is cut out the memory is not erased.

Anzezaf · Post by **Anzezaf** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:55 am

AeroNotix wrote:I have a video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LqCmGhLWK6vxtcJ83

this is the rear sensor FWIW, my friend was turning the rear wheels while the car was off the ground. Just to give you an idea of what the sensor outputs. As I mention the other phase wasn't plugged into my scope properly but when it is they are out of phase by a certain amount depending on the angle and the degree of phase gives you which direction (left/right) the wheels are.

Well, now I don't know what to think

I think im gonna try checking the voltages on the 4ws ECU connector, (while a friends turns the steering wheel) and see all the sensors outputs etc.. If the main sensor will be the only one with the funky readings, then I will know for sure.

AeroNotix · Post by **AeroNotix** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 12:50 pm

That's the way I did it. Start at the 4WS main connector. Actuate each sensor, check for reasonable voltages/waveforms (I've made it clear I prefer the 'scope test,

). Anything seems strange, check further down.

All the normal electronics things apply, frayed wires, ground points, etc etc.

In fact that's a good test. Did you check all the grounds on the 4WS connector? There's several grounds for each sensor so that's a good, simple test to get out of the way.