C061CVariable Effort Steering Actuator Control Circuit/Open
- Generic OBD-II code · Chassis
- Can trigger limp mode
- How the car detects it
- Variable effort steering changes how hard a hydraulic system steers with road speed. In GM's Magnasteer a coil and permanent magnets on the rotary valve add or subtract from the torsion bar's stiffness; the GM and Steering Solutions patent EP2028081B1 describes this actuator, and ±3 A coil current is cited in a later patent. Ford's older variable-assist systems used a stepper-driven or solenoid orifice instead. C061C means the actuator circuit is open: the controller drives it but no current flows. Coil resistance should be about 2 ohms; an open reading means a new rack, as the coil is not serviceable. GM used its own C1241 for this. No maker publishes C061C. Expect light steering at speed or heavy steering when parking.
- What you may notice
- Steering effort no longer changes with speed
- Heavier steering when parking or lighter, nervous steering on the highway
- Steering or stability warning on some vehicles
- Likely causes
- LikelyConnector at the steering gear loose, corroded or soaked with fluid
- PossibleOpen actuator coil inside the steering gear
- PossibleBroken wire between control module and steering gear
- Repair
- Hard · Usually a job for a workshop.Typical cost: €30 – €1,500
- Related codes
Explanation from obdex (CC0), exactly as the app shows it. Guidance only; confirm with a workshop.