Losing power steering fluid

[AquaS2]

I've had my ABY off the road since december, it keeps losing the power steering fluid after a day or so, and this is when the car is not running.

I've had 1 bloke have a look at it and he reckons it COULD be my steering rack on it's way out, but he didn't seem entirely sure.

Now where should i be looking for any signs of the rack being on it's way out? Pics would help.

Also what are the chances of the fluid just leaking from the pipe to the bottle? Again i'll have to degrease that area to properly check... I've already gone through bottles of fluid and the car has hardly moved more than a mile


If it is the rack, i'd appreciate if someone could give me some hints and tips, or again a pic guide, because we'll be doing the work ourselves

Thanks
Harry

[PeteUr]

Are you able to park it on some paper so you can see where the fluids dripping from?

there are two connections on the rack in the area behind the downpipe one on the behind and one in front from what I remember, then its possible the seals are going on the end, you could try looking at the ram part behind the bracket and see if that looks like its got any fluid on it.

its worth finding out first if possible where its coming from and I hope that its not the rack as its either a engine or gearbox out job from what i've seen.

[shaun5]

I've just replaced the steering rack on my parents car, first thing is to check and see if the rubber boot is split. you'll have to look in over the engine. Its most probably the rack seals My parents car is a 80 with a 2.3 engine. so the rack wasn't to bad to get out. I to recon it could be an engine or gearbox out job on an S2

[Evilgoat76]

Just a suggestion. On My S2, the 100 and Robs S2 the silly crimp on hose clips at the botom of the reservoir are all weaping. On my S2 it got bad enough I replaced them. Have a look down there at the bottom of the reservoir.

[Azman]

As Evilgoat said. def look at and replace the clips on the entry and exit to the reservoir I lost alot of fluid that way .

[s2driveruk]

yep, check the rack end seal hasn't gone, leaks into the bellows at the point where the ram moves in an out of the rack unit. loads can stay in there, then either drip and be blown back whilst driving, though if its been stationary you'd have thought you would see a wet patch somewhere. Definately a PITA to replace, though access is better on an ABY that a 3b believe me having changed my 3b one it was engine and other gubbins out to get at it. If you do go down that route, change everything whilst you are in there so you dont have to do it again as its a sh**ty job and a bloody sticky one too!

If you remove the upper air cover/shroud that sits on top of the radiator and look down into the inside of the nearside wing, is it wet and dirty there, if so then definately coming from the reservoir and/or hoses that run to nd from it...

HTH
David

[sam80quattro]

i changed a rack on a 80 last year dueto the end that pokes through into the drivers wheel arch was rotten and fluid was squirting out onto the wheel lol might be worth a look too.

[AquaS2]

Thanks alot, tomorrow i'll give the area a good clean down, but for now we did spot a puddle of fluid just beneath the pipes and bottle. So i'm hoping it's just a matter of replacing the clips/pipes....

The pump was recond last year, but ever since it's been losing all the fluid, it makes noises even after i top it up with fluid... Wil this get better and quieter once the fluid settles in the system or does it seem like my pump has had it AGAIN?

Cheers

[s2driveruk]

noisy pump could just indicate you need to bleed the circuit of air...does it get noisier when loading the pump through turning to full lock and in both directions or only one side?

[AquaS2]

Right basically we cleaned the area, and then checked a few hours later.. surprisingly only a bit of fluid was lost this time from what seemed like a pipe or most likely a clip, BUT the rest of the fluid held inside! It's sitting at about the 3/4 mark full on the bottle and staying.... And there's no whiney power steering pump noise either anymore..

Any thoughts?

[s2driveruk]

sounds a bit odd that its self-healed but hey what ever works I'd renew any pipework or clips that look messy to rule them out. Pirtek or a similar hydraulic pipe supplier will have hose which they will cut to length and can also reuse the end fittings if needed too...

Is the fluid new? if not, prob worth a flush too, this stuff should be thin and bright green in colour when new, as it ages it turns darker, thicker and stickier. If you dont know when it was last changed, worth and hour and £15 to refresh the circuit to be honest. Oh and clean the strainer/filter too

[AquaS2]

We hope we've sussed the power steering fluid, it SEEMS that the pipe coming from the bottle is loose, and the clips just aren't doing their job, so that's a new pipe piece and clips there... Hopefully that'll be the cure of ONE of the leaks