Get your battery checked.

 

Classic symptoms of low battery voltage.

Check the battery as Nigel suggests (and the alternator too).

 

Agree with Nigel and Alb. Reduced acceleration is a classic thing to happen with reduced voltage, so as said it could be the battery - or less often, the alternator. If you are not getting the battery light flickering on (or staying on) or whining with engine running it probably is not the alternator.

Certainly check the battery terminals are clean and tight and the earth too

Won't be easy to get it checked now but if you have a voltmeter (or access to one) there should be 12.6 volts at the terminals with engine off and not run for some time and around 14 volts with the engine running. There is a voltmeter in the diagnostics that are accessed bu holding in the LH stalk button and switching ignition on then using the scroll to get to it.

 

I second sounds like a vintage issue and if sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't would lean more towards a battery connection.

A megane of mine had a problem like that until I realised it was just a battery terminal not completely secure.

And failing that check earth points and the wiring, I guess these things could be affected by humidity and the temperature so hopefully getting to the bottom of it solves all your problems

 

Can even be a problem in the dash cluster.

 

I got the steering assist failure message a couple of years ago, just before my battery let go. It disappeared as soon as I replaced the battery. I'm now getting the very occasional panel blanking out then everything lighting up along with the engine systems failure/reduced acceleration message & the dashboard alarm ringing. Nothing recorded on the ECU - I assume my panel is on the way out?

 

Very likely.

 

I thought as much - will try to get it repaired.

 

Ok people, got the battery & alternator checked last week & both are fine which in a way i was relieved at seeing as the battery is about 2 yrs old & the alternator nearly 4 but of course stumped as to why the car is doing this ? Now most of last week it was nice & sunny & the car started first time, couple of times on a frosty morning it took two or three goes but started ok & got me to & from work. Got caught out this morning coming home from work when she broke down on the motorway slip road, total loss of power as i left the motorway with the dashboard looking like blackpool illuminations & although i had my foot on the accelerator no power what so ever ? Had to call out the breakdown to get tow barred home but what the mechanic said suddenly made perfect sense ? He reckons it may be the engine immobiliser staying on as i've now constantly got a red flashing light on when trying to start her ?

 

What is your battery voltage reading right now?

 

The immobiliser on PFL is tied in with ECU and dash.

I suspect the dash is fubar.

 

stumped as to why the car is doing this

Did you check the battery terminals and earth are clean and tight?

 

Sounds like your dash cluster has a dry solder joint.

This is on the can system in the dash, witch controls all the messages to the car.

Ie immobilizer, starter, power steering. dash needs to be repaired.

 

Have you tried giving the top of the cluster a whack when it does it? I also suspect the cluster needs resoldering.

 

I have the same problem and as broken down with no power my Son slapped the dashboard (in frustration ) while I was turning the key

and hey presto it started.
speed limit mode now is showing

any ideas what can be the problem??

 

Hey all I have the same problem. But mine will turn over but won't start pull out key put back in turn ignition on wiggle steering wheel and it will start and run fine only dose this now and then . Its a pain in the ass

 

Hi, I own a 2007 ST which over the last fortnight has gone from being solidly reliable to a total pain in the ! I work nights where there's no public transport, there's all during the day so i really need the car for work. One night as i turned the ignition on i got a very quick message of Steering System Failure followed by Reduced Acceleration neither of which actually stayed on or were true ? The rest of the week went by & the car was fine, started no problem & drove no problem & certainly no problem with the steering. Then suddenly on the sunday night of the next week the Steering Assist Failure appeared & was then followed by Engine Systems Fault & the car wouldn't turn or start. As i've said i work where i need the car so i had to call in & say i wasn't coming in. Went to the car an hour or so later(22.00) & nothing & the same at 00.00 ? At 6am i went out & the car fired up as normal, no messages, no red light no nothing. Turned it off & started her again & as before it did everything it should ? That was actually two sundays ago & i took the car to work as normal & it was fine until the friday morning just gone. I leave work at 6am & she wouldn't start again & yet again the two messages came up, my teamleader who wanted to give her beemer a run ran me home where i had a quick look at various sites which seemed to suggest lack of power steering fluid, corroded earth connector or steering system fuse or of course the actual steering pump ? Now other than not starting i've had no issues with the car so didn't believe it was the pump as she still, inc this morning, steers beautifully with no whines or jerky steering ? Took some fluid & four buses & four bloody hours later got to where i work which is a 13 mile journey !! Gorgeous weather, car itself was nice & hot & started no problem & i topped up the fluid back home just to be safe even though it needed hardly any ? Car behaved itself over the weekend on the two shopping journeys i had to make & then i had to go to work again last night. Red light straight on, Steering Assist Failure, Engine Systems Fault but the car started although it did say Reduced Acceleration which to a degree at the moment i can live with. Got to work, turned car off & then started her again & it was still red light, reduced acceleration but ok had to go into work. Came out at 6 this morning, no start, didn't want to know ? Tried two or three times with no response other than the red light & messages again, sat there for about 10mins & she fired up no problem, no red light, no reduced acceleration everything was as it should be ? Now one thing i've tended to notice about this episode & maybe a bit before all this is that my ST doesn't appear to like the rain or sharp frosts, or at least i believe the electrics don't ? All the above events have happened only in damp, wet or frosty conditions ? Am i just unlucky in that it's an electrical issue rather than actual steering etc ?

Hi there I’m having the exactly the same problem I have changed the battery and still having the same problem it’s pushing 14 volts with the car running I was told it was the switch on the steering pump but I’m still fault finding if we can help each other I would be crate full

 

I have had the same problem over the last few days and when I get no response from turning the key, I have found the last couple of times, that if I push the car a few inches and then try it again it starts! Work that oun out?