Help please, MK3 Mondeo 2.0 TDCI, Power steering fault

L

lazybones

Well-known user
Mar 31, 2009
1,422
443
Loughborough
Hi all, thanks for any help in advance, my son got a problem with power steering or loss off, went and had a look and drove it home, and there is no power steering.
Had a look, belt is on and under tension, fluid is full although its black (possible seals, not just dirty black), if you try to turn steering it sounds as though the pump may be trying to strain to supply pressure but dosen't, also whilst trying to turn steering if you look into resevoir can't see any movement of fluid, suspect pump may be shot. anyone have any knowledge of these, didn't know if there was any electrical sensors in system that may cause problems, as you get in the electrical power steering systems that are around, i know that most of this is a mechanical system but they do addd senors/valves in attemps to "improve" system
whilst driving it might have seemed a bit easier as revs increased, but could just be as speed picked up it was a bit easier to turn as wheels were rolling
cheers tony
 
Procomm said:
Hi mate, I have a 2001 mondy and my powersteering definately has no sensors, just mechanical, the fact that your fluid is black would suggest the seals have gone, depending how long its been like that it may have blocked up the pump aswell, hope that helps (y)
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Yup, I agree with Paul, as I also have a 2001 plate TDDi Mondy and mine doesn't have a sensor either. The fluid should be red in colour as far as I know.
 
Many thanks to Paul,Tim, and Tony for your replys, i went out to it yesterday afternoon and stuck finger in oil again (with gloves on)and put it on to a bit of kitchen roll, oil is very thin, slight smell of burnt oil and black seemed like seal type black, so figured pump has gone based on all info, unable to know when it started or if it had been playing up for a bit, as son's and there other halfs only bring there cars round when they've gone wrong or needs work for mot etc, anyway popped it off, had a browse on web found some service exchange units between £65 to £100 so may get one of these, as some of the used ones's on ebay are similar price,but they come with waterpump attached, can't be bothered to drain cooling sytem as well, as for the fluid its a 2003 model and handbook say's it the later spec fluid which is green and thinner,which might explain why it looked thinner as transfered to kitchen roll and there was no hint of red, sods law that, got loads of the normal stuff, so emailed paynes as they sell both on website to see which is correct, just need to flush old oil out and get pump ordered on monday may even get fitted if there's a local one with one in stock, also need to get adjuster/idler bearing as well as bearing is noisy found place that sell just the bearing/pulley without buying adjuster as well

THANKS again for your help and your replies
 
right then got service exchange pump, during week fitted this afternoon, thought "flush system" so connected large funnel to pump inlet pipe and filled with fluid, extend return hose and put into large bowl, turned steering lock to lock, wheels off floor, engine not running, run through about 3 ltrs till it flowed red, connect all back up top up and fluid and turned lock to lock whilst still in air. box it all up and took of drive and ive got powered steering to the left and sod all to right, tried turning to right and left going in circles, but still no joy, checked oil that i drained gave it a stir and loads of silver in it as well as being black, so it looks like the rack might be gone as well, possible extra pressure of turning right for a while might have done the pump? so looks like rack change now as well. unless anyone with suggestions pretty please
 
no when you stir the old oil round and round, you can see a lot of silvery content to the oil, leave it a while and it settles, may have been bearings starting to go or something starting to break up? but no large flake
 
Put the fluid in a non metal container then hold a magnet underneath and drag it to the side and up to the top. If you see the silver gathering then, well, the rest is obvious ;)
 
TopCat1127 said:
If the bearing can be removed, Tony, you may find it cheaper just ordering a bearing off fleabay, probly only be a fiver
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cheers for that Tony, don't have access to a decent vice at moment though


V6SINGH said:
Put the fluid in a non metal container then hold a magnet underneath and drag it to the side and up to the top. If you see the silver gathering then, well, the rest is obvious ;)
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cheers Kully


left the oil for a few hours tip slowly into another container and the silver had settled out and form the thin silvery paste that you get when it seperates out along with the black which as previous said in post 1 looks like minute seal bits that were suspended in the oil.
the rack may have been geting stiffer for a while and eventually took the pump out due to extra pressure

As a footnote does anyone know if rack can be removed without dropping subframe, cheers:)
 
It sounds to me like the power ram internal to the rack has failed , hence the metal deposits in the fluid .
If i recall you only need to drop the rear of the sub-frame to give you the correct clearance to remove the rack so leave the front bolts in and drop the rears down and wedge the sub-frame down with a block of wood and you should be able to wiggle the old rack out :)
 
lottysvdub said:
It sounds to me like the power ram internal to the rack has failed , hence the metal deposits in the fluid .
If i recall you only need to drop the rear of the sub-frame to give you the correct clearance to remove the rack so leave the front bolts in and drop the rears down and wedge the sub-frame down with a block of wood and you should be able to wiggle the old rack out :)
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Many thanks, will have a good look later and see if i can get it high enough on the drive with axle stands etc
 
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