A fault code doesn’t yet mean the unit or sensor itself is faulty: often it’s the plug and connector leading to it.
Possible causes
- The assist motor overheated: the wheel was turned a lot while standing or held at full lock
- A stiff steering rack or column: the motor works overloaded
- The power steering ECU
What you can do yourself
- The assist weakens for a while so the motor can cool down. Don’t hold the wheel at full lock, and let the car stand for a few minutes.
- The power steering may switch off — the steering will get very heavy, especially at low speed. If this happens while driving, hold the wheel with both hands, slow down and stop in a safe place.
- If the code comes back in normal driving, check whether the steering is stiff without assist, and check the unit connectors.
Stop and don’t drive on if:
- The red brake light is on, or the brake pedal feels soft or sinks
- The steering became very heavy, or the car pulls to one side when braking
This is the meaning in the electric power steering unit (Kia bulletin CHA084). In the ESC unit this number may mean something else — check which unit the code was read from. This is the Hyundai and Kia meaning. On other makes this number means something else: if your car isn’t a Hyundai or Kia, change the make at the top.
Source: Kia TSB CHA084 (C-MDPS: Optima, Sorento, Soul, Forte, Rio, Sportage), static.nhtsa.gov
The explanation comes from the error code reference in the AvtoElektrik PRO app.