A power steering device is provided which is capable of preventing a wrong operation
from occurring in a steering control state even when an initial torque of torque
detection was not detected normally due to a human error. Upon receipt of a trigger
signal, a CPU reads an initial setting program from a program storage area of a
ROM and executes the initial setting program in the following order of steps. That
is, the CPU detects by torque detection an initial torque which is generated primarily
by the cause of the difference between origin positions of a pair of resolvers
12, 12 which together with a torsion bar constitutes the torque detection.
Then, the CPU operates an assist motor to rotate a steering handle from a neutral
position a predetermined rotational angle in one direction about the handle axis
to stop the steering handle at a first judgment position and detects a first judgment
torque value by the torque detection with the steering handle being stopped at
the first judgment position. Then, the CPU rotates the steering handle from the
neutral position the same angular position in the other direction to stop the steering
handle at a second judgment position and detects a second judgment torque value
by the torque detection with the steering handle being stopped at the second judgment
position. Further, the CPU judges whether the initial torque has been detected
normally or not, based on the first and second judgment torque values.