Power steering kaput

GeoffL said:
In my case, the issue was a leaking rigid pipe. I noticed it first when doing a three point turn and the steering got very heavy accompanied by the 'graunchy' noise. Luckily, I was only a few hundred yards from a branch of Halfords at the time and so was able to get a litre of power steering fluid, which got me about thirty miles to where I store the van with enough left in the bottle to top up the reservoir to get it to a mechanic a few days later. Unfortunately, it then took over two weeks for the replacement pipe to be delivered.
Click to expand...

I'm keeping fingers crossed it might be something as simple as this, Geoff (y)🤞🤞🤞
 
barryd said:
You have my sympathy Marie. Yours is the same engine as mine. Finding good people to work on them is not easy. It took 11 years to properly sort out my cold starting problem. Nope. Thats not a typo. Various garages tried all sorts from injectors to glow plugs and whilst it improved a bit it was never cured. I always said it was something to do with voltage but they all just said it wasn't. I had a new relay fitted recently and then a new starter motor and for good measure a new battery and finally it's sorted!

I found a cracking bloke in Newton Aycliffe though now to at least do work on the body work and the odd service etc. When my usual garage refused to do the major welding work it needed two years ago he took it on and reckons it's all really good under there now. When he couldn't get the handbrake cables and bits he needed for the MOT anywhere he made them himself. Peter at Bluebell workshop Aycliffe. Might be a bit of a hike for you. Not sure what they are like on engines though.
Click to expand...

We may well end up checking your garage out if any welding etc. needs doing, Barry, thank you. Newton Aycliffe not all that far from us.

Have just got back from calling in at a local (recommended) garage who has proper old-fashioned, time-served (and ancient! lol) fitters and is used to dealing with a wide variety of old campers and cars. They are stowed out with work for several weeks, but they have a lock-up and have said they can work on our camper in between other jobs. The van will be going up to them next week so watch this space. 👍🤞

As for the Picasso, that is going down to a local auto-electrician next week to get a verdict on whether it's a possible repair & rescue, or whether it's a scrapper.

Oh well. Slow progress. At least we still have one working vehicle left between us, Neil's Mum's little Ford Ka he's inherited. He was going to sell it, good job he hung on to it for now. Hope it's not tempting fate for 3 in a row..! :oops: 🤞
 
Picasso booked into the auto electrician next Wednesday.

We called in and had a word with them on the way back from my regular gardening job today (Neil had to take me there and ended up giving a hand :ROFLMAO::cool::devilish: )

Auto electricians say there's every possibility it's fixable and a reconditioned steering unit will do the job just as well as a new one.

Looking hopeful! 🤞🤞🤞

Taking camper to the other garage after this weekend. For the verdict down the line watch this space! (y)🤞
 
If you wind up having to refurbish the existing rack, get the rigid pipes off it and go to a hydraulic repair place. A local mobile mechanic did this with ours and the whole job including having new pipes made was about £90.

Good luck.

Cheers

H
 
Reconditioned motor for the Picasso power steering arriving (hopefully!) next Monday. A new one was £500 + vat, this one is half the price at around £250. Also, if your old motor is sent to them they give you another £50 off. With any luck should be back on the road sometime next week. 🤞🤞

Camper is going in to another local garage to hopefully get its power steering sorted, but not until October as they are stowed out with work until then. So that job will be a slow burner, but it’s a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. 👍🤞
 
Mine too was one of the rigid pipes (VW T4) The pipe was in excellent condition apart from one spot where a bracket had been welded on in manufacture. Reckon the welding damaged the plating on the pipe causing rust to get a hold. Bit of a nightmare removing the pipe which was a weird shape around the engine and chassis but once off the van a bit of brazing around the bracket sorted the problem. So not always a major and expensive job!
 
I know it is a long shot, but if all else fails it might be worthwhile searching out a hydraulics specialist company.

In the past I had a power steering problem with my Landrover Defender and thought the prices being asked by LR specialists was stupid, so I went along to one of the local Hydraulic specialists (Pearsons Hydraulics if my memory serves me correctly), showed them the problem parts which in my cas were a couple of hoses and all the associated fitment and they sorted me out in next to no time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top