Hicas Problems

[GTRgeoff]

You're right Keith, Steerin wheel position is the next point of call but sometimes people let their fluid get that low. If I gave a detailed explanation first time I'd be on here forever. HICAS has been covered so many times it's ridiculous, but massaging the search function to get the best out of it takes time. Maybe it's time I did an FAQ sticky and a decent entry in the Wiki.

Jace, sounds like you have 2 different problems. First, does the light come on after about 8-9km? Is your steering wheel original? You realise the HICAS is run by a separate computer completely from the ECU? Did they separate, clean and reconnect the plugs to the HICAS unit? Again, putting the HICAS into diagnostic mode can help so search for the sequence.

Stock ECU's can be had on here for as little as $100, so assuming the "fix" was just for the HICAS you were totally ripped off. In fact a power FC is $900ish delivered or $1040 if in a hurry.

Your missing problem at idle is reasonably common. Is it an auto? In D and idling makes it feel worse. It's just dropping a cylinder. Could be a cracked coil pack housing allowing an earth leakage so not enough spark to fire the cylinder. Is it just dying to really low revs? could be the throttle position sensor not set right and the idle adjustment is out.

If you have a problem, detail what is going wrong as much as possible. Save the 20 questions routine. We love to help people but spend too long guessing what might be wrong. Think functional grouping of components that may be contributing.

ie the steering is going hard. Is there a warning light, how are my fluids, what steering wheel do i have on the car, have I hit a kerb while doing fully sik dori dori's, are all the belts ok and that kind of stuff? Just to help us out.

Cheers

[jaceR33]

jsut out of curiosity, how do you fix a ecu?

Sorry I meant the computer chip. The electrical mechanic sent it down to Melbourne and the chip was tested. For some reason it kept thinking that it was a 4-cylinder and not a 6-cylinder car. I don't know!! Sounded very weird to me??????

[jaceR33]

You're right Keith, Steerin wheel position is the next point of call but sometimes people let their fluid get that low. If I gave a detailed explanation first time I'd be on here forever. HICAS has been covered so many times it's ridiculous, but massaging the search function to get the best out of it takes time. Maybe it's time I did an FAQ sticky and a decent entry in the Wiki.

Jace, sounds like you have 2 different problems. First, does the light come on after about 8-9km? Is your steering wheel original? You realise the HICAS is run by a separate computer completely from the ECU? Did they separate, clean and reconnect the plugs to the HICAS unit? Again, putting the HICAS into diagnostic mode can help so search for the sequence.

Stock ECU's can be had on here for as little as $100, so assuming the "fix" was just for the HICAS you were totally ripped off. In fact a power FC is $900ish delivered or $1040 if in a hurry.

Your missing problem at idle is reasonably common. Is it an auto? In D and idling makes it feel worse. It's just dropping a cylinder. Could be a cracked coil pack housing allowing an earth leakage so not enough spark to fire the cylinder. Is it just dying to really low revs? could be the throttle position sensor not set right and the idle adjustment is out.

If you have a problem, detail what is going wrong as much as possible. Save the 20 questions routine. We love to help people but spend too long guessing what might be wrong. Think functional grouping of components that may be contributing.

ie the steering is going hard. Is there a warning light, how are my fluids, what steering wheel do i have on the car, have I hit a kerb while doing fully sik dori dori's, are all the belts ok and that kind of stuff? Just to help us out.

Cheers

Skyline R33 GTST Manual. Our auto electrician wants to check the car, is it best to take it to him or a general mechanic? Steering wheel is still original, the car is stock all up apart from the BOV, air-filter and a CD system that was installed a few weeks ago. KM = 85,000 and was running pretty good until this problem came up. I'll print out your reply and take it to the auto electrician so he would know what we are going on about. Thanks very much for the help. It is really, really appreciated. From your own opinion is a Skyline R33 an easy car to maintain without causing too much problems $$$?

[GTRgeoff]

The HICAS light appears and the steering becomes very stiff. I have to pull over to the side of the road, turn off the engine and then start it back up, then it appears to be OK for another 5 minutes until it happens again.

Recent problem I have experienced, is when the engine is running, but I'm not driving the car, it sound like the engine cuts off, then starts up again even though the car hasn't turned off. How do I fix this problem and how much will this cost me?

Skyline R33 GTST Manual. Our auto electrician wants to check the car, is it best to take it to him or a general mechanic? Steering wheel is still original, the car is stock all up apart from the BOV, air-filter and a CD system that was installed a few weeks ago. KM = 85,000 and was running pretty good until this problem came up. I'll print out your reply and take it to the auto electrician so he would know what we are going on about. Thanks very much for the help. It is really, really appreciated. From your own opinion is a Skyline R33 an easy car to maintain without causing too much problems $$$?

OK the first problem listed is often associated with incorrect HICAS rack position input, although it sounds quite severe in this case. When a lock bar is fitted the light comes on and at low speeds the steering can become quite firm, due to the lost feedback. I would strongly recommend that the plugs at the HICAS rack be removed and cleaned and replugged. It is a very odd problem though as it usually happens from startup, but could be due to an intermittent problem so when it can't resolve it goes into fault mode. You can do this yourself. Buy some contact cleaner spray from Dick Smith.

When the steering wheel input sensor has a fault (it is behind the steering wheel and needs the stock wheel or a special boss to rotate it) it usually takes 8-9km (strangely about 5-10 min driving depending on speed limit) before it turns on the light, and symptoms range from hard steering to the rear and steering over to full lock so the car is crabbing down the road.

It could also be the HICAS computer under the rear parcel shelf, and if your stereo install was back there there could have been contact and damage, or a wire spliced into for power etc. Check it out.

Guys like Sydneykid have a mantra....."HICAS is not your friend". It was just novelty BS for marketing and all fast race Skylines remove it as it helps make oversteer unpredictable and has put a couple of my mates into the wall. I personally don't care where you get one from but when problems start getting this expensive it's time to ditch the idiotic junk. Nengun sell the Tomei lock with the black box to get rid of the warning lamp and trick the computer so you don't get hard steering. Lock bars need the dash removed and the globe pulled (half an hours work) and adjustable castor bushes so that with extra castor you don't feel the harder steering at low speed. I don't feel it at all on my R33 race car with 7 degrees castor.

Maintenance wise, bugger all if kept fairly stock or well tuned and not driven like it's stolen. My auto GTS25t has cost virtually nothing kept stock. Oil changes and tyres since I imported it in 98. On the other hand the track car is on its 3rd engine build due to a twin turbo experiment that failed. 10K km old race engine buggered. The GTR33 though has cost bugger all in the last 18 months of ownership pushing 260rwkw. A new IC hose when one split, which you have to expect on a car 11 years old with an extra 100 odd rwkw.

Hope that helps. get under tha back (safely) and clean those contacts.

[ZENNON]

Well I have a 1992 R32 GTS-t and my HICAS light also comes on. I dont have the heavy steering problem though (not that Ive noticed anyway!!) so maybe my fluid level is just low... although I did check it and it did seem fine...

I'm going to try this

get under tha back (safely) and clean those contacts.

and if that doesn't work I'll just do this

Lock bars need the dash removed and the globe pulled (half an hours work) and adjustable castor bushes so that with extra castor you don't feel the harder steering at low speed.

Thanks GTRgeoff

[ZENNON]

Erm... where are these contacts you guys are talking about? ( sorry for being so dumb )

Ive jacked the beast up and I can see where the prop shaft comes into the diff and behind the diff there is a box which controls the steering in the rear (from what I can gather). its got two pipes coming into it and two what look like breaters almost:

The two pipes lead towards the front:

Where they go into this thing:

Is that the one you guys are referring to? (and probably the ones IN the boot too hey?) Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Edited September 26, 2006 by ZENNON

[ZENNON]

UPDATE: Yeah sprayed that contact from the last pic with contact cleaner - and all the ones in the boot (under the partial(?) tray and it seems fine now... went for a drive for about 30mins and then another for 20 and no HICAS light

Have a friend who is advising me to put in a lock bar anyway for track work... any comments?

[GTR1993]

I would do the lock bar, the problem is i fitted subframe bushes, SK bilsteins and hicas lock bar all at the same time, so its hard to tell what has done what, but its is much better now. I need a wheel alighment but you can really feel the difference when driven at some speed.

[GTRgeoff]

Zennon, great effort. That is the HICAS steering rack and the plug I think is just a pressure sensor. The things on top of the HICAS rack are oil feeds and bleeds as the R32 is hydraulic instead of electric on R33/34. All the same, a lot of money can be saved by just servicing the electrical contacts.

Installing a HICAS lock is a personal choice, but strongly recommended for track or if the problems just can't be fixed. Also I don't expect anyone to buy off me just because I help. I help pretty much anyone who asks and try not to intrude into HICAS threads due to the conflict of interest issue unless I can offer guidance on fixing a problem.

When I locked HICAS in my track car a lot of rear end feel was revealed, where before it was vague and bad during oversteer requiring a lot of steering changes to control. What I could then feel was a sensation that the car felt like it was settled in the corner and then a slight sideways movement occured as if it lost traction and then held. I then installed Pineapples and that feeling went away so I assume it was the subframe bushes. I then noticed the steering was a bit harder in certain roundabouts so the adjustable castor went in and I couldn't feel it anymore, but turn in was crisp and handling improved.

Eventually I ran a 2.00 at Phillip Island on standard radial tyres with a blown right rear shock absorber that was trying to throw me off at turn 1 and limiting apex speed to 170kmh. So with older cars (mine is a 94) they can needs heaps of attention, especially to the bushes and such.

[ExodusDesign]

My Hicas Problem is the following..

32 GTS-4 4 Door

Driving for about 20 Minutes and without fail, the light comes on.

THIS does not bother me.

However... every now and then... the steering wheel is a bit to one side. and when the hicas light comes on, it kicks the ass end out a bit and the wheel goes straight. its like its out by 1 degree until the light comes on and it kicks it back to 0 degrees or something.

Around town it doesnt bother me, never notice it, if it happens. but just on the rare occasion when it does it, and im on the highway doin 100-110 you realllly feel it. and its a bit dangerous.

the hicas lock bar is on the way anyway, so hopefully this should delete this off my problem list.

[ZENNON]

My Hicas Problem is the following..

32 GTS-4 4 Door

Driving for about 20 Minutes and without fail, the light comes on.

THIS does not bother me.

However... every now and then... the steering wheel is a bit to one side. and when the hicas light comes on, it kicks the ass end out a bit and the wheel goes straight. its like its out by 1 degree until the light comes on and it kicks it back to 0 degrees or something.

Around town it doesnt bother me, never notice it, if it happens. but just on the rare occasion when it does it, and im on the highway doin 100-110 you realllly feel it. and its a bit dangerous.

the hicas lock bar is on the way anyway, so hopefully this should delete this off my problem list.

you have a whole list of problems do you? oh dear

think my HICAS is ok now... will have to see how it handles on the track - if its crap ill get GTRgeoff to send me a lock bar

[ZENNON]

Installing a HICAS lock is a personal choice, but strongly recommended for track or if the problems just can't be fixed. Also I don't expect anyone to buy off me just because I help. I help pretty much anyone who asks and try not to intrude into HICAS threads due to the conflict of interest issue unless I can offer guidance on fixing a problem.

Thanks GTRgeoff. Are there any threads which show how this can be done or do the Lock Bars come with instructions?

[GTRgeoff]

All in my signature down below.