Taxi Driver Online

My motor has had 5 "Brand new" power steering pumps and a brand new steering rack since January of this year. The latest one was yesterday and it lasted all of 10 minutes before it started acting up and losing power steering.

Well if it isn't a record it must be damn close.

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Grandad,

I note the "" in the "Brand new" bit, i assume you think maybe they may not be quite as new as brand new?

why not source a PAS pump yourself and have it fitted?

plan B, go to Ford

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

First one was from Ford, that lasted two weeks, the 2nd one was a Auto Factors one as Ford wouldn't exchange it because it'd been on a Taxi. The rest have all been replaced by the Auto Factors.

Last night a feckin injector decided to give up the ghost leaving me only working on three injectors, I'm thinking that the injector might have been the trouble not getting enough power to the power steering pump making it scream like a mofo.

Injection and PAS are seperate systems - they wouldn't affect each other.
Did they flush and change the power steering fluid each time ? If that's contaminated that could be the problem.

Actually there's not much to go wrong with the steering, it can only be pump, fluid or steering rack and a couple of valves which I think are part of the rack. Possibly air in the system but it's self bleeding and something that would get done when a pump is changed. I presume the drive belt and tensioner are ok and not slipping which would have been the first thing a decent mech would have checked.

Injection and PAS are seperate systems - they wouldn't affect each other.
Did they flush and change the power steering fluid each time ? If that's contaminated that could be the problem.

Actually there's not much to go wrong with the steering, it can only be pump, fluid or steering rack and a couple of valves which I think are part of the rack. Possibly air in the system but it's self bleeding and something that would get done when a pump is changed. I presume the drive belt and tensioner are ok and not slipping which would have been the first thing a decent mech would have checked.

I don't know, I'm just going with the injector acting up, it's been acting up for a few weeks now, I'm swaying to the thinking that if I'm asking it for extra power when turning the steering wheel there might be less power coming through with the injector being goosed?

i know this will sound daft but has the PAS pump brackets been checked? if it moves at all everything goes tits up

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

No it's not daft I was thinking the same, there's also a filter inside the reservoir which you can't clean out, I'm thinking that's fecked and filled up with [edited by admin] and not allowing the fluid to get through.

maybe 1 of the retaing bolts have stripped a thread, maybe not

this where you need a MECHANIC not a YTS with a laptop

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Nah, pump is driven off a pulley which provides high pressure to the steering system, doesn't have an effect on engine power (or very little). There's enough pressure to drive the steering at idle and at higher rpm any extra fluid pressure is diverted back into the fluid reservoir - in other words if the steerings ok at idle it will be even better at higher rpm.

No idea about the bracket issue, I'd have thought as long as the belt is spinning the pump enough pressure would be generated.

Looking at Haynes steering troubleshooter it says for "Lack of power assistance" :-

Broken or slipping auxillary drivebelt,
Incorrect power steering fluid level,
Restriction in power steering fluid hoses,
Faulty power steering pump,
Faulty steering rack.

You can clean it out (done it myself) but it's a right pain.

You need to remove the reservoir and empty out all the old fluid. Then with fresh fluid put a bit in and give it a good shake, keep repeating until the fluid stays the same colour.

if his pump and rack have been changed so often the fluid should all be new

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Ermm spoke to the mechanic and he's not changed the fluid.