Problem with powersteering , need some help ASAP please

Ian (DaOne) · Post by **Ian (DaOne)** » Sat May 31, 2008 3:35 pm

have put a post up on scoobynet, but havent found anything out yet

anyone here got any ideas?

http://bbs.scoobynet.com/general-techni ... -asap.html

Gerry H · Post by **Gerry H** » Sat May 31, 2008 6:29 pm

Try lock to lock a few times without the engine running first.

turbomart · Post by **turbomart** » Sat May 31, 2008 8:03 pm

As above, get the front wheels off the ground and do the lock to lock with the engine 'not' running. You should see air bubbles coming up in the reservoir, it could take as much as 20 - 30 repetitions lock to lock to get all the air out.

Martyn

Ian (DaOne) · Post by **Ian (DaOne)** » Sat May 31, 2008 9:00 pm

will give it a go tomorrow, where would be the best place to jack it up at the front?

fingers crossed it will sort it out

Gerry H · Post by **Gerry H** » Sat May 31, 2008 9:20 pm

[quote="&quot"]will give it a go tomorrow, where would be the best place to jack it up at the front?

[quote]

There's a flat plate just behind the sump pan. If you have a trolley jack stick it there. Otherwise, a OE jack either side on the cill points, or, struggle.

Ian (DaOne) · Post by **Ian (DaOne)** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 9:11 am

ok, i have been out this morning, jacked up the cardone it 40+ times tock to kock, then did it anain with the engine running.

and it still doesnt work

i didnt see any bubbles, but the fluid just went up and down.

it was up on full lock.

when on full lock with engine running, you dont hear any noise at all. and before when on full lock you could hear the pump working. (same as my friends classic impreza)

what can i try next?

or is there something buggered?

NikWilson · Post by **NikWilson** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:13 pm

the new o-ring may not be correctly seated and so blocking the oil way?

Ian (DaOne) · Post by **Ian (DaOne)** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 5:50 pm

dont think it is that.

someone posted this on scoobynet

check if oil still returning to the reservoir if you have the wheels on full lock with some force on the steering wheel. This should close the valves in the rack and therefore triggering the max pressure valve in the pump. this should cause the normal return flow to stop.
if the returnflow doesn't stop -> the valves are buggered
If the returnflow does stop but no noise -> pomp can't make pressure thus pump buggered..

and my car acts like this

when NOT on full lock, fluid flows from the return pipe
when ON full lock no fluid flows, and no noise

ScoobieWRX · Post by **ScoobieWRX** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:19 pm

If there is no noise from the pump then it may be your pump is buggered.

Same happened to me. Had a bad fluid leak at the steering rack and buggered the pump when it went dry. Fixed the leak and refilled the system but the pump decided enough was enough so i changed the pump and all was fine again, but it was showing same symptoms as yours prior to that.

Method:
Completely drained the PS fluid from the resevoir, took pipes off the resevoir and turned steering wheel from lock to lock to eject the remaining fluid. Changed the pump and reconnected all the pipes back up to the resevoir, refilled with fresh fluid to level, giving the level time to go down, kept going till ps fluid stopped going down, then turned the wheels of the car while up in the air from lock to lock several times, while the engine is off, listening for the squirming of the fluid in the system, re-check the level and fill a bit nore if required, then start the engine and within a few turns lock to lock everything should be good to go.

It's really easy to do the PS pump and If i were closer i'd give you a hand.

IF it turns out to be the rack however at fault with dodgy valves then doing the rack is a bit more involved and requires the car to be up in the air so you can release the trackrod ends from wheelhubs, remove the steering rack bushed brackets holding the rack in place, and then you have to drop the subframe down at the back 3"-4" in order to slide the rack out. If i were doing that i would go out and buy a quickrack (2.5turns lock to lock) to upgrade the steering.

Hope this helps :thumb:

Ian (DaOne) · Post by **Ian (DaOne)** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:26 pm

sounds good to be, i have just ordered a second hand pump from scoobybits, if all goes well, ill fit it at the weekend.

when the engine is running there is a flow of ps fluid, on full lock the flow stops, so from reading above, hopefully the rack/valves are ok and it is just the pump