I wanted to share a new trick that I applied successfully.
 
I just encountered the (very common) power steering relay problem on my SW20.
Out of the blue my power steering stopped working and the PS light lit up on the dash.
 
I tried the trick of cycling the key in the ignition many times but it didn't work like it normally does. I did it about 20 times with no luck.
 
The power steering relay (in the frunk on the strut tower near the fuse box) has 2 separate plugs. The smaller one has 2 small wires for the relay coil, while the bigger one has 2 fat wires for the contacts to the pump. I disconnected the smaller plug for the relay coil and connected alligator leads to each pin. I connected one alligator lead directly to the negative battery post. I took the other alligator lead then proceeded to rapidly tap it against the positive battery post. This allowed me to switch the power steering relay almost 100 times in little more than 10 seconds, which is much more effective than using the ignition key, plus it prevents other systems in the car from also being switched repeatedly.
 
It worked! My power steering worked fine after doing this.

Convenient timing for this post my 1990 Turbo just got the same problem for the first time the other day. I did the ignition trick 30 times and it worked but it did it again tonight :/ is there another fix like cleaning the contacts or something? 

They are a sealed relay so you couldn't clean the contacts without destroying the relay.
I had the same problem with mine about 1 year ago and I persisted with cycling the ignition for a while until it just became too frequent and then I sorted it out by changing the relay, I found a very suitable aftermarket option and would be happy to show you next time you're at one of our local meets.

Ah ok, saw some posts on other forums about cleaning the contacts for the ECU but not the relay. I would be so happy to see the aftermarket relay so I can get the same, it bugs me when something on my car isn't 100% haha.

Replace the relay with a Solid State Relay, you'll never have this issue again.
Jaycar stock a 30V 100A (accepts 4-32v trigger) for $50.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/Electromechanical-Components/Relays-%26-Accessories/Solid-State/Solid-State-Relay-4-32VDC-Input%2C-30VDC-100A-Switching/p/SY4086

I used these in a robotics application where we use to weld or melt the regular 12v 80A mechanical relays.

Mine has finally decided to play up. It's a bit off-putting when the steering feel changes suddenly when you are racing around the track. I'll be visiting Jaycar tomorrow.
Did you use a diode with your installation, @Knightrous?

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Did you use a diode with your installation, @Knightrous?

Yes, a 'flyback' diode is a must for induction loads.

How big does it need to be?

I have a bag full of MUR415 diodes. Will wiring a few of them in parallel be good enough? They are rated at 4A forward current.

I did what Rob did and just installed the 100A SSR from Jaycar. He didn't add a diode and it has been working fine for years.
Mine does work - however...
1. When I turn the ignition on, the SSR switches and the pump runs
2. It however doesn't stay on for a long as it did with the original relay
3. If I start the car, the pump runs for a few seconds though then turns off (earlier than it did before)
4. After it turns off, the error light displays on the dash. It never did this before.
 
The only thing that I changed was the SSR. It seems that the power steering ECU is sensing that something is wrong with the relay and then goes into error mode.
Could it be because the SSR is drawing less current from the driver circuit and the PS ECU doesn't like it?


Do any of you have an idea of what can be done to fix this?
 
Wiring the input of the SSR straight to the switched ignition 12V would work, though I would like the system to work in the same way as it did before.
 
Thanks