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Hicas Light On + Heavy Steering

GTST R33
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GTST R33 Contributor

GTST R33

Posted
Posted

I know this topic has been discussed in previous threads, but i cant find the answers i need

My car has been fine until a few days ago, after i stopped at the servo i started my car & noticed the HICAS

light was on & this caused my steering to be heavy. I tried to restart the car & the light stays on

however this is where things get wierd, if i leave the car for a overnight or while im working (approx 8 hrs)

i can start the car & the light will stay off and steering will be normal, but if i was to turn the car off & restart

the light would go on & steering would be heavy again, it seems the car likes to have a rest before it works properly :(

Will driving the car with heavy the HICAS light on & heavy streering cause any damage?

I know a lock bar would probably be the way to go? will this make my steering as heavy as it is with the HICAS light on?

Is there a simple way to fix this? at least until i find the time to fit a lock bar?

i have already tried cleening the contact on the HICAS but with no sucess...

any suggestions??? any input would be greatly appreciated :P

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QWK32 Veteran

QWK32

Posted
Posted

see if you can do a HICAS diagnostic. it should be able to narrow it down for you. but by the sounds of it, its leaning towards being your vehical speed sensor. it tells the car that its moving and to bump up the pressure to the powersteering system, and it is also needed for HICAS to function. if you just throw a HICAS lock bar in i'd say you'll still be stuck with heavy steering. but yeah, start by doing the HICAS diagnostic and see what it says, there is a tutorial on how to do this in the tut section.

GTST R33 Contributor

GTST R33

Posted
  • Author
Posted
see if you can do a HICAS diagnostic. it should be able to narrow it down for you. but by the sounds of it, its leaning towards being your vehical speed sensor. it tells the car that its moving and to bump up the pressure to the powersteering system, and it is also needed for HICAS to function. if you just throw a HICAS lock bar in i'd say you'll still be stuck with heavy steering. but yeah, start by doing the HICAS diagnostic and see what it says, there is a tutorial on how to do this in the tut section.

Thanks for the quick reply, i think you might be right about it being the pressure to the power steering system, so the speed sensor could be causing the problem, do you know where the speed sensor is located?? i have tried the HICAS diagnostic & the HICAS light didnt flash, maybe i wasnt quick enough??

GTST R33 Contributor

GTST R33

Posted
  • Author
Posted
^^Also check the power steering fluid, Hicas using it aswell.

Fluid level is fine, but i think the hoses need replacing soon...could a slightly deteriated hose cause a pressure drop & HICAS light to come on? I would have thought if there was a leak sufficent to casuse a problem the fluid level would be dropping dramatically?

GTST R33 Contributor

GTST R33

Posted
  • Author
Posted

PS: the car is a Series 1 R33, it also has a Wolf 3D aftermarket computer (plug n' play)

is the speed sensor on the gearbox, speedo, connected to computer??

sorry if this seems like a silly question :P

(OO)SKYLINE(OO) Grand Master

(OO)SKYLINE(OO)

Posted
Posted

Take it to your mechanic and get them to plug in the diagnostics computer to trace the fault.

It will pick up all the sensors and give you a reading.

Its just a matter of isolating each point till you narrow it down.

bumble_bee Rising Star

bumble_bee

Posted
Posted

power-steering fluid is only relevant to r32gtst...

im pretty sure 32gtr use super hicas..

which comes standard in 33gtst onwards..

so its done by an KYB motor..not hydraulic!!

correct me if im wrong...

so pwr-str fluid wouldnt have anything to do wit it!

sound lik u need to do an hicas diagnostics..

seul_avec Collaborator

seul_avec

Posted
Posted

hey mate ive the exact same problem that you're having. I park my car and get some food, when i come back and start my car the

HICAS lights comes on. I leave it for a long period of time like overnight etc... it goes off, and now it jsut comes and goes randomly its

super weird. Im driving a R33 non turbo, anyone knows how does the HICAS work on this one? Is it fully electronic as well or does it

work with the fluid?

cheers!

bumble_bee Rising Star

bumble_bee

Posted
Posted
hey mate ive the exact same problem that you're having. I park my car and get some food, when i come back and start my car the

HICAS lights comes on. I leave it for a long period of time like overnight etc... it goes off, and now it jsut comes and goes randomly its

super weird. Im driving a R33 non turbo, anyone knows how does the HICAS work on this one? Is it fully electronic as well or does it

work with the fluid?

cheers!

oh good question..lol

well as far as i know..R33 have super hicas..which is the same as as 32GTR..

this runs off a electric motor...and i Nissan used KYB motors...

have a look under ur car and see if you can see these motor on the hicas unit behind the diff...

the motor should have a sticker on it..

sounds like u need to run a diagnostics..there is a way to do it..just search...

  • 4 weeks later...
GTST R33 Contributor

GTST R33

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Take it to your mechanic and get them to plug in the diagnostics computer to trace the fault.

It will pick up all the sensors and give you a reading.

Its just a matter of isolating each point till you narrow it down.

Ive just run plugged in the standard ECU and run a diagnostic system check

ps:diagnostic computer will not communicate with aftermarket ECU

The readout from HICAS was - 25 Engine Rev abnormal signal

Does anyone know what this means?? Would it be to do with reverse (speed sensor) on speedo/gearbox

The error code i chased up on this site for HICAS diagnostic Codes 1993-1999

and came up with: 25 Rear sub sensor input not present

would this be the smaller of the two sensors to the right of the HICAS motor

i guess the sensor or plug could be faulty??

Anyone had the same problem?? or any suggestions on what i need to do??

Thanks for everyones input! :P

bubba Grand Master

bubba

Posted
Posted
oh good question..lol

well as far as i know..R33 have super hicas..which is the same as as 32GTR..

this runs off a electric motor...and i Nissan used KYB motors...

have a look under ur car and see if you can see these motor on the hicas unit behind the diff...

the motor should have a sticker on it..

sounds like u need to run a diagnostics..there is a way to do it..just search...

32gtr is hydraulic.

  • 1 month later...
PattosR33gtst Apprentice

PattosR33gtst

Posted
Posted

I'm having the exact same problem with my R33 Gtst S1. It just starting doing it one day and it seems to happen every now and then. It seems to happen on warmer days and doesnt happen at all on cold days which is quite weird. When it does happen the HICAS usnit seems to be quite hot aswell. Has anyone found a fix for this yet? Some more info would be great!

Cheers

Bullet32 Veteran

Bullet32

Posted
Posted

Sounds like your HICAS pump is on its way out... The steering gets heavier and the light comes on when the secondary pump isnt working.

Mine had the same problem for a while, just buy and fit a lock out kit and pull out the entire HICAS system (or pay someone who knows how to do it). :happy:

bubba Grand Master

bubba

Posted
Posted
Sounds like your HICAS pump is on its way out... The steering gets heavier and the light comes on when the secondary pump isnt working.

Mine had the same problem for a while, just buy and fit a lock out kit and pull out the entire HICAS system (or pay someone who knows how to do it). :D

It's a 33.. they have an electronic HICAS system.

If you bothered to read the whole thread you would have known this.

But, +1 to removing HICAS, one of the best things I ever did to my car.

  • 2 months later...
  • 7 months later...
heller44 Mentor

heller44

Posted
Posted

Before any more complicated answers, one question..

Have you performed a hicas diagnostic on your car?

A) Yes, and let us know the results..

B) No, go and do one, will find the how to in diy and tute section.

Thank you for your time.

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