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Help; Super Stiff Steering


lrnewbie

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Hello all,

I own a K reg. 200tdi Discovery which, surprise surprise, I've done lots of welding and changing of windows, door lock springs, dampers etc. etc...... A much loved family vehicle that I maintain for my wife. She turned a corner today and as she straightened up and pulled up to the house (thankfully) the steering went dead, she didn't feel or hear anything in terms of a sudden snap or clonk, it just went dead. I've had a quick look at it in the dark and will look again tomorrow morning before work but I'm pressed for time and need it back on the road asap as it's the family car, not a plaything.

I've checked the following;

1. Fluid level; full.

2. Power steering pump belt; not broken and didn't look like it was slipping but will check tension tomorrow

Does anyone have any ideas what the problem could be? And give me an idea of what I need to check? About a month ago the ignition barrel seized up and I had to replace it. In doing so I dry steered the wheels to move the steering wheel for access. When I'd finished the barrel I noticed PAS fluid all over the ground, it appeared to have burst out of the steering box, I topped it up again and it was fine...until now. However, as there's no loss in fluid I'm thinking it's not anything to do with it but thought I'd mention it.

Help me please! I need to order what I need tomorrow and hopefully fix it over the weekend or the family's gonna be stranded next week.

Thanking you in advance.

Sunny

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Perhaps as a matter of course, bleed the system through, good way to check the fluids moving through the system ok, or at least reaching the box. It may be that some airs got in and there's a big pocket of it sitting in the box? Good luck :)

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Perhaps as a matter of course, bleed the system through, good way to check the fluids moving through the system ok, or at least reaching the box. It may be that some airs got in and there's a big pocket of it sitting in the box? Good luck :)

I had a simialr problem on my 200tdi. The pump had failed!

So fluid level - ok

belt - ok

heavy steering.

But I would agree with bleeding the system first, and if that doesn't solve it, then maybe it's the pump!

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Thanks all for the advice. I lubed the UJ's which did look rusty and tensioned the belt (which is only 1.5yrs old and looked fined) just to eliminate it but neither made any difference. Then I bled the system. And that's when it got interesting; I bled it about 15 times, hard lock left, then right, then central and bled for about 10/15 secs before the oil flowed smoothly. Then I 'd do it again and again and again. Steering got easier but by no means normal. Oh, and strangely the fluid level went up at one point which gave me false hope thinking there was just a mother of an air lock in there but 10 bleeds later still no joy.

Rang the local Landy parts supplier and they reckon it's the pump rather than the steering box because there should have been (if the pump was working) a strong jet of oil coming from the bleed screw which sometimes hits the bonnet. Whereas mine just dribbled out.

I bought the pump (£170 ouch) and will fit it tomorrow. For that price I hope I've found the right solution. I'll post back the results so anyone with the same symptons will know the solution.

Thanks again guys.

Sunny

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Thanks all for the advice. I lubed the UJ's which did look rusty and tensioned the belt (which is only 1.5yrs old and looked fined) just to eliminate it but neither made any difference. Then I bled the system. And that's when it got interesting; I bled it about 15 times, hard lock left, then right, then central and bled for about 10/15 secs before the oil flowed smoothly. Then I 'd do it again and again and again. Steering got easier but by no means normal. Oh, and strangely the fluid level went up at one point which gave me false hope thinking there was just a mother of an air lock in there but 10 bleeds later still no joy.

Rang the local Landy parts supplier and they reckon it's the pump rather than the steering box because there should have been (if the pump was working) a strong jet of oil coming from the bleed screw which sometimes hits the bonnet. Whereas mine just dribbled out.

I bought the pump (£170 ouch) and will fit it tomorrow. For that price I hope I've found the right solution. I'll post back the results so anyone with the same symptons will know the solution.

Thanks again guys.

Sunny

Hope the replacement does the job. Happy spannering.

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Good news, changed the pump and everything works fine. In fact the PAS is lighter than it was before so perhaps it was failing slowly before going completely kaput. I'm glad it wasn't the steering box as the pump was fairly straight forward and finished by lunchtime.

Thanks again for the advice :)

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