Date:         Tue, 7 May 2002 19:06:08 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Wagon-R power steering
In-Reply-To:  <v04010500b8fbee62055a@max.hi-ho.ne.jp>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

>  > From: Andrew <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
>>  Hi Yoshi
>>  Any luck getting information on that power steering conversion from
>>  the Suzuki Wagon-R?
>
>Hi Andrew and list.
>oh men.. ;) I left this thing by the setup of the Bentley CD-ROM.
>WagonR/PS is not from the new model. PS was removed from
>the old model. He can't grasp accurate model-year. Because,
>he didn't purchase WagonR directly. Restorer supplied it.
>
>PS unit assembled by PS-assem and a computer. And, 2-steering
>spacer/speed sensor /Vanagon factory speedometor sensor.
>Assembly indicate steering shaft, motor, universal joint, computer.
>And, steerling shaft, motor, universal joint are composed of the
>parts of the unity. Speedo-sensor cuts a signal about 80km/h little
>by little. Therefore, WagonR-PS doesn't work in the high-speed stage.
>If you can do this installation, WagonR/PS will be the valid choices!
>
>Andrew, I asked a friend about the details of the installation with
>email. However, a friend didn't do an explanation any further.
>Hope this help you.

Unfortunately, not really. By the image <www.../vnmc2/Camp022/H2.JPG>
it seems the PS unit is spliced into the VW steering column; it
contains a motor to drive the steering. It must have an electric feed
and if it is speed-sensitive it will have a computer (must get this
from the WagonR too) to sense the vehicle (or engine) speed and
therefore adjust the level of assistance. This means it must have a
sensor somewhere to tell it what speed the engine or vehicle is
doing. It cannot be the speedometer, which has no electric output
(only US-market vans will have a speedo cable which can be used for
this). It could be the tachometer, or else somehow put a magnetic
trigger on one of the wheel hubs and a sensor on the brake backing
plate, and run a wire from this to the computer. From what you say,
the WagonR sensor reads vehicle speed, and reduces the assistance as
speed rises, until there is no assistance over 80kmh. This could be
changed easily enough, I suppose, to provide assistance at higher
speeds.

I would not want to do this conversion without knowing exactly what
is needed, as getting someone to figure it all out would cost far too
much!

Thanks
Andrew