I know that quite a few people have disabled their HICAS systems cause it can make the car feel a bit floaty through long sweeping bends. I've also read that it can be disabled in a fairly primitive way by just removing the fuse that feeds all the HICAS electrical gubbins.

 

Personally i quite like the idea behind the whole 4 wheel steering system and reckon it does aid slow speed maneuvering and helps keep the car stable during things like lane changing on the motorway. I might be over simplifying things, but could you just fit a relay after the HICAS fuse that's switched from the drivers seat that you could use to switch the HICAS on and off. That way you'd get the best of both worlds...

 

Dave

This wouldn't work on the early zeds though as the HICAS is fluid controlled not electrically controlled

Ahh, but aren't the hydraulics controlled electrically so if you remove the electrics the hydraulics don't do anything?

 

Also i've got a 96 so mine is the electric version.

 

Dave

Hi i mght be wrong but i dont thinh the Hicas works at slow speed so dosnt aid in manouvering .

My understanding of the system is that it steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front at low speeds to give a quicker turn in and in the same direction as the front wheels at high speeds for more stability during quick maneuvers.

 

Dave

Hicas doesn't aid low speed manouevres - only high speed... you can short the power steering fluid sensor to lock the hicas... thing is, most hicas problems are because the arms & bushes are shot - so it's best to either fix it properly or bin it (and still replace the arms if necessary!)

 

Rich

My understanding of the system is that it steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front at low speeds to give a quicker turn in and in the same direction as the front wheels at high speeds for more stability during quick maneuvers.

 

Dave

 

nope - that's what the honda system does though.

the hicas only works between cetain speeds, 25-75 (i think) and it turns the rear wheels only upto 3degrees maximum in the oposite direction to witch your steering followed immidiately by steering in the same direction as your steering.

The amount it steers depends on the turning angle and speed which you turn.

 

As said above the system on a honda prelude steers the rear wheels at below 25mph i think.

Its a high speed handling aid. (or a gimick they threw in to compete with the other manufacturers who were adding there own gizmos).

 

I have wired a switch in a couple of times for Zed owners and it does the job.

 

Make sure the inner and outer Hicas arm joints are in good condition.

a switch to turn it on/off?

Isnt there still some movement in the rear rack even when electornicaly disabled .I think the only way to lock this straight is with a hicas lock bar.Or a na subframe with toe arms attached ,and outer hub balljoints pressed out and replaced with bushes .:)

There's probably a bit of play with the system electrically disabled. I was just wondering if it would be worth fitting a sort of on/off relay in case i fancy a spin around a track once or twice a year....

 

Dave