U0116
Lost Communication with Steering Effort Control Module
The Steering Effort Control Module has stopped transmitting on the vehicle data bus, so other control units no longer receive its messages. Speed-dependent steering assist is lost, changing the steering feel. Typical causes are loss of power or ground at the module, an open or shorted CAN/LIN bus wire, a connector fault, or an internal module failure.
- Check engine light: Yes
- Emissions related: No
- Repair difficulty: hard
Symptoms
- Multiple warning lights may illuminate
- Affected modules may go into limp mode or shut down
- Specific functions inoperative depending on module
- Diagnostic tools may show communication faults
Common causes
Ordered by how often each turns out to be the cause.
- Steering effort module unpoweredCommon
- CAN wiring to steering effort module brokenPossible
- Gateway module routing CAN messages incorrectlyLess likely
Parts involved
- Steering Effort Module
- CAN Bus Wiring
U0116 is a generic OBD-II code defined by SAE J2012. Exact wording and diagnostic procedure vary by manufacturer and model. Code definitions are drawn from the public-domain OBDex dataset; the workshop notes are our own.