My car failed it's MOT due to the power steering not working. Apparently this is DANGEROUS. Had I known this clearly I would have fixed it sooner. But why is it dangerous. They fixed it, but actually I liked it better without!
2007-03-20 09:38:31 · 4 answers · asked by emily_jane2379 5 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Safety
The tester probably save your (or some else's) life because it would eventually have broken completely.
It is a fact that cars with power steering are much more difficult to manouver when the power fails than a same size car without power steering. That is an unavoidable consequence of the design.
This will mean that inevitably your steering will not be able to respond to dangerous situations as quickly as it should (unless you're built like Arnold Swartzenegger). The additional force that you will have to apply at the wheel will be transmitted down the steering column as an additional force at the steering gearing system. This will eventually increase the risk of failure.
Also, the steering is significantly 'heavier' at low speeds.
More importantly, the power steering is a designed-in safety feature of the car. As such if it's not working then it naturally indicates that there is a fault with your steering system.
By law you cannot drive with a faulty steering system even if you felt comfortale with it - because you will have no way of knowing what caused the fault.
If not fixed the mechanism will almost certainly fail totally at a very inconvenient moment - so it had to fail its MOT to save you (and someone else) from a potentially dangerous failure in the future.
2007-03-22 07:13:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its hard to deem it dangerous, but the point is if it works, then suddenly doesnt work at an in-opertune moment , you'll have a hard time controlling the car. technically speaking if you have powersteering components in your car the power steering should be working as tested for an mot.
Its dangerous because although different car to car,some cars are uncontrollable without it.
I had a car that used to have power steering failures at random due to a dodgy pump, and there was no way you could turn the wheel without it at low speed, meaning roundabouts were potential deaths waiting to happen.
I was so happy the day i crushed it
2007-03-20 10:59:35 · answer #2 · answered by Blue 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on a vehicle - if it's a Civic with failed power steering - which hardly ever happens, by the way, - an average person can still drive it. If it's a ford extortion with bad pump - which happens all the time - only Schwarzenegger could turn the wheel, and yes, it does require converting one's brain into muscles.
2007-03-23 01:53:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's not so much a matter of it being dangerous as it is a matter of manufacturer safety guidelines not to mention state regulated guidelines. these people seem to forget when the car and or truck were first invented they did not have power steering. at least you got it fixed with out incident ! their big scar is that you { might not } be able to control the vehicle in an emergency situation.
2007-03-20 11:01:08 · answer #4 · answered by mac227@sbcglobal.net 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋