v8james

v8james

Member
Wife just phoned to say she was driving to work today going round a slight left hand bend at 45 mph and steering went light when she lost all steering and went straight. She stopped and started again and seams to be ok until she goes above about 40 mph and steering goes light but still has control.

Any ideas??
 
Going to pick it up on a trailer tonight.
If its only doing it intermittently steering box or pump?
 
IMO it has nothing to do with the pump cos if it fails the steering becomes stiff not light, IMO it's something between 8 and 4 in the pic(including box internals and except 12)
 

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If it was the box or pump i would expect it to go heavy not light. Light suggests the wheels are not connected to the steering arms. you need to get under it and have a look.
 
Just went to pick it up, wife description wasn't quite the same after she calmed down. She didn't completely loose steering just got very light.

All ball joints on steering ok (new steering box to OS wheel bar and joints replaced 2 months ago) and no play in steering box or front wheels. So had a drive, steering is a bit light above 40 mph and if you make quick short changes of direction at that speed and above it is a bit pointy with quite a bit of body roll.
Front two tyres are down to 2mm so will get them changed and tracking checked.

Any suggestions on what other parts of the suspension to check.
 
My 90's steering went very light [was fault inside the steering box] you could turn the wheel with your little finger,nice off road but very touchy on the black stuff.Went to leak shortly after so changed it.
 
sierrafery said:
IMO it has nothing to do with the pump cos if it fails the steering becomes stiff not light, IMO it's something between 8 and 4 in the pic(including box internals and except 12)
Click to expand...

if it is going light its cause would be box input shaft which works on torsion between inner and outer, if it becomes worn (loose) steering become erratic and light

though that is if it is light and not just a uj thats stiff in one plane so it going tight then normal
 
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Thanks for the replys, steering is light all the time.
Have ordered recon steering box, can't wait to be covered in power steering fluid :p
 
v8james said:
Thanks for the replys, steering is light all the time.
Have ordered recon steering box, can't wait to be covered in power steering fluid :p
Click to expand...

Deep joy ! I recently fitted a 2nd hand pas pump - it gave me back pas but it leaks air into the circuit so I've just ordered a new one.

When it arrives I also will be covered in atf :eek::(
 
Hey Dave, you'd be better covered in PAS fluid for the longevity of your new box ;), even if ATF is used without problems the dedicated PAS fluid is much better believe me, IMO the savings you make on less than 2l of fluid is too small compared to the benefits of the green stuff ... if you see how the weather behaves lately you can wake up in a winter morning with -20*C outside then you'll kill your steering box with ATF, and not just that, the previous owner of my car used ATF and it was changed before he sold it to me but i was stubborn enough to put the genuine stuff in the system and it became silenter and smoother instantly... each on his own though
 
sierrafery said:
Hey Dave, you'd be better covered in PAS fluid for the longevity of your new box ;), even if ATF is used without problems the dedicated PAS fluid is much better believe me, IMO the savings you make on less than 2l of fluid is too small compared to the benefits of the green stuff ... if you see how the weather behaves lately you can wake up in a winter morning with -20*C outside then you'll kill your steering box with ATF, and not just that, the previous owner of my car used ATF and it was changed before he sold it to me but i was stubborn enough to put the genuine stuff in the system and it became silenter and smoother instantly... each on his own though
Click to expand...

Hi Fery, I hear what you say but I don't agree that it is necessary to use the LR product, which in any case is just another hydraulic fluid which is all the std atf's are.

If you are talking about the std Dexron III fluid getting too thick for temps encountered, it is worth knowing that the Pour Point (the temp at which the fluid because too thick to pour) is:

- 46 °C in Castrol Transmax Dex III Multivehicle (formerly Castrol TQ DIII) ATF;

- 50ºC in Fuchs TITAN ATF 4000 Multifunctional Automatic Transmission Fluid;

So in terms of the relatively moderate climates of the UK and France we never reach minus -20°C ambient temp, never mind the -46 and -50°C that the fluids above are good for. The coldest I've had it here in the last 12 yrs is -18°C and that's without taking into account any heat generated from the engine.

As always use good quality fluids and change them regularly and I don't believe there will be any issues with them at all.

When it comes to electronics, "you da man", but when it comes to mechanical stuff I'll trade punches with you :D:D

Cheers
Dave
 
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thebiglad said:
As always use good quality fluids and change them regularly and I don't believe there will be any issues with them at all.
Click to expand...

Then please tell me IF you put Dexron III instead of the recommended PAS fluid how often would you renew it in the PAS(or ACE if fitted)?

also there is a cheaper option of STC50519 made by Ravenol at £11/l so for the £4/l difference from a Dexron III i think you must renew it more often than the STC50519 which must be renewed at 156K miles together with the reservoir cos otherwise is not stated but i think LR made the maintainance check list assuming there will be the recommended fluid in the PAS not ATF:rolleyes:
 

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sierrafery said:
Then please tell me IF you put Dexron III instead of the recommended PAS fluid how often would you renew it in the PAS(or ACE if fitted)?

also there is a cheaper option of STC50519 made by Ravenol at £11/l so for the £4/l difference from a Dexron III i think you must renew it more often than the STC50519 which must be renewed at 156K miles together with the reservoir cos otherwise is not stated but i think LR made the maintainance check list assuming there will be the recommended fluid in the PAS not ATF:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

personally i fit a rubber pipe to bleed nipple and run engine filling at the same time till fluid runs fresh, lr recommendations are most often far later thans best
 
i agree... i dont want to contradict you nor Dave, what i know from my own experience is that i replaced a fairly new ATF(it had a nice red colour) from the PAS and ACE based on the recommendations and both sounded better after that... also -25*C is not something miraculous around here in the winter so ATF would not be an option for me, not even according to the NAS recommendations;)... i'm not gonna start a debate on that but if you'll have the patience like me to deeply study the specifications of the PAS fluid and any Dexron III you'll see that there are some noticeable differencies, it's enough to see the viscosity index 205/cold climate PAS fluid and 180/Dexron III which is not neglectable...what i'm saying is that the PAS fluid is the best for the system not that ATF is wrong
 
sierrafery said:
i agree... i dont want to contradict you nor Dave, what i know from my own experience is that i replaced a fairly new ATF(it had a nice red colour) from the PAS and ACE based on the recommendations and both sounded better after that... also -25*C is not something miraculous around here in the winter so ATF would not be an option for me, not even according to the NAS recommendations;)... i'm not gonna start a debate on that but if you'll have the patience like me to deeply study the specifications of the PAS fluid and any Dexron III you'll see that there are some noticeable differencies, it's enough to see the viscosity index 205/cold climate PAS fluid and 180/Dexron III which is not neglectable...what i'm saying is that the PAS fluid is the best for the system not that ATF is wrong
Click to expand...

its just getting hold of cold climate oil isnt quite as easy as atf ,as everyone stocks that, and pas system is basically the same as tdi and that worked well on atf ,though if i have cold climate i use it
 
sierrafery said:
Then please tell me IF you put Dexron III instead of the recommended PAS fluid how often would you renew it in the PAS(or ACE if fitted)?
Click to expand...


I would apply the same approach I use for items such as brake fluid, coolant, autobox fluid etc etc. Every two years unless I've had to do work on the given system in which case the fluid is replaced immediately.


Dave
 
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