Power Steering Pressure Transmitter?

[The Glademister]

Noticed a wire harness hanging below my steering rack on the 944S yesterday evening. It appears to be the leads to the power steering pressure transmitter, part # 944 606 209 00. I hadn't noticed any idiot lights on or performance issues and just tucked it up to get back to the house. What's the function of this sensor? Any problems operating the car with the leads disconnected? I'll re-attach tomorrow after a good cleaning under there. Of course the steering rack is leaking a small amount of fluid but that's a known problem. Don't they all?

[944 Ecology]

There is a TSB regarding that wire, which is an unfused connection for the power steering pump. The TSB tells you to clip the wires, tape them off individually and do not connect them to anything. It seems that the unfused connection can cause engine fires, or at a minimum, a burned up wirning harne$$.

[The Glademister]

That's interesting. Makes for an easy fix though, doesn't it?

[The Glademister]

Figured I'd finish this thread myself...

My local 944 mechanic explained that the sensor on the power steering pump acts to speed up engine idle when turning to the extreme left or right (tight parking for example). There was another connector hanging which he said goes to an oil level sensor on the oil pan which doesn't exist on early '87 944S like mine. Note the photo with the two right angle connectors for the PSP sensor (less the rubber cover), the sensor terminals are visible on the bottom of the pump and the yellow jacketed oil level sensor with odd connector. The PSP wires were crispy and probably or the verge of shorting out.
I clipped off the right angle terminals, crimped on butt splices (open ended) to terminate and tie-wrapped both in a neat bundle to the PSP bracket.

[Schumi]

This is strange as the car I am working on now does not have said wires. The only part of the harness that goes 'down there' is two wires for the oil pressure sender going and one wire that splits off that section that went over to the power steering and seemed to split and ground itself on the aluminum crossmember and the power steering rack. The split in the wire had an odd crimp connection that I haven't seen anywhere else on the car so I think this is not stock.

Never heard of the pump sensor or the oil level sensor.

[The Glademister]

Originally Posted by Schumi

This is strange as the car I am working on now does not have said wires. The only part of the harness that goes 'down there' is two wires for the oil pressure sender going and one wire that splits off that section that went over to the power steering and seemed to split and ground itself on the aluminum crossmember and the power steering rack. The split in the wire had an odd crimp connection that I haven't seen anywhere else on the car so I think this is not stock.

Never heard of the pump sensor or the oil level sensor.

The power steering pump sensor is specific to the 944S from what I understand. The other yellow oil pan sensor may be on other later models. Both were news to me. I haven't seen either on my '88 924S.