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[holtender]

Just had a phone call off the wife who is stuck in Asda carpark with no power steering, making strange noises she says!

Not that I can do much tonight.

But any suggestions for a quick diagnosis?

I need to get it home which is about half a mile away, will it be OK to drive carefully?

[PhilRich]

If there's no power assistance the steering will be impossibly heavy unless you're a big bloke with even bigger muscles!
Check the fuse that feeds the PS Pump first (Fuse 14, 30amp I believe, second row down 6th from the left, fuse box is under the steering wheel (drop down flap with a release catch at the top edge).
 It could be a leak on the pump hose/s causing low fluid level & airlock in the pump, or the drivebelt may have slackened/ come off, or the pump has died



Any thanks for a successful fix using the above suggestions are jointly due to Marks DTM Calib

[RobG]

Just had a phone call off the wife who is stuck in Asda carpark with no power steering, making strange noises she says!

Not that I can do much tonight.

But any suggestions for a quick diagnosis?

I need to get it home which is about half a mile away, will it be OK to drive carefully?

Not the aux belt tensioner let go is it

[jonnyboyws6]

No (or reduced) power assist and a groaning noise when you turn the wheel sounds like it could be low fluid. Hard to diagnose strange noises without actually hearing them! If it is low obviously you would need to find where it all went, but you might be able to get it home with a top up.

With no power it will be really heavy to manouvre but you should be able to steer it once you get moving.

[Kevin Wood]

I would go and check the aux. belt. If that is broken there will be no electrical power or cooling either, and there's a chance the debris could get under the cam belt cover and kill the cam belt so it's certainly not driveable.

[feeutfo]

There's at least one member here that's suffered a destroyed top end, caused by a failed aux belt. Check the aux belt complete system carefully.

As Kev says really.

[holtender]

Thanks for the reply's guy's.

I had a look at the car this afternoon, the auxilary belt is intact.

I topped the fluid up, but with no joy.

There is a definate noise that sounds like the pump struggling for fluid.

I guess I need a new steering pump.

Unless anyone has any other suggestions.

[feeutfo]

If your sure the aux belt run and tensioner are ok.....? Does any assitance return if you give it some revs? Might confirm the pump theory.

...but then again, if the pump seizes and throws the aux belt off, that might not be such a good idea.

[holtender]

Some improvement when engine revved, why would that be?

I'd be interested in understanding the science behind this, if anyone is able to explain!

Looks like its a new pump then.

[Andy B]

Some improvement when engine revved, why would that be?

I'd be interested in understanding the science behind this, if anyone is able to explain!

Looks like its a new pump then.

The pump is driven by the engine, when you rev the engine, the power steering pump goes faster too hence delivers more fluid 

[holtender]

Cheers Andy, I get it now.

[feeutfo]

That's the failure mode, basickly. The pump is spun by the aux belt, do is directly related to engine speed.

If the pump looses any efficiency, which they do as they wear, it will show itself at low rpm! So slow manoeuvring, parking usually will show the problem first.

There are other modes where stiff stearing occur, but these relate to other components.


So yes, does sound like tired pump. Known good used is normal.




Has it had a lot if time forced onto full lock?

[holtender]

The mrs drives it, so I wouldn't expect her to give it too much grief, but now if you were talking about her brakes!!

[feeutfo]

Well, the girls tend not to understand the mechanics, so rather than take another go at a 3 point turn, for example, the temptation is to squeeze the lock tighter and hold it there for longer while manoeuvring.

That's what kills them. You can hear the reservoir squishing as the lock is released.