In this episode of Inside the Brands, CRP’s David Hirschhorn shares a tip that will be appreciated by anyone who works on late model Hondas with electric power steering (EPS).

Any time you replace an EPS rack, torque sensor, or EPS control unit on a Honda that uses electric power steering, the torque sensor neutral position has to be reset and memorized by the vehicle. Some of the vehicles that require this include Honda CR-Vs from 2012 through 2014, Honda Civics from 2012 through 2015, and 2013 through 2017 Honda Accords.

Here are some part numbers for Honda steering racks that are affected:

ER1040
ER1045
ER2029
ER2032
ER2039
ER2040
ER2042

The process of resetting and memorizing the torque sensor neutral position is fairly straightforward, but we’ve heard of technicians having trouble when attempting to do this during the winter months.

This is where our tip comes in: Apparently, when going through the process, it’s critical that the ambient temperature is above 68 degrees Fahrenheit — if it’s not, the system won’t complete the cycle and the sensor won’t know where the center of the rack is. Which is obviously not a good thing.

So whenever you are resetting the torque sensor neutral position after an EPS rack repair or replacement, make sure that the temperature in engine bay area is at least 68 degrees.