Calling OCUK mechanics.

cymatty · 19 Oct 2006 at 22:39

helpimcrap said:
in my experience a knackered CV joint doesnt always knock, normally does it when loaded up on one side already normally the opposite to the knackered one.

This does it in both directions of lock, so when the wheel is like \ and /

cymatty · 20 Oct 2006 at 12:23

Been to the garage today they had a 15 min look and charged no the gran total of £0, that it the only bit of good news.

They said they didnt know what the problem was and to ask at the Citroen garage across the road to see if it is a common fault. I went over and they said it could be anything so back over to the original garage I went.

The guy said it sounds like it could be either the steering rack or the power steering pump both of which the prices are eye wateringly expensive.

N43436 POWER STEERING PUMP SAXO PAS PUMP (BLACK TYPE) 179.00
N43030 STEERING RACK SAXO PAS 125.00

So I am hoping it is something simple and less expensive than either of those, It is booked in for next Tuesday for a full suspensiomn strip down which also wont be cheap.

-westy- · 20 Oct 2006 at 12:50

Why don't you try getting a PAS pump from a scrappy first, instead of shelling out nearly £200 on one?

edit: same goes for the rack too.

timbob · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:23

Can you feel the knock through the footwell of the car with your feet?

Firestar_3x · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:27

My saxo used to clunk when i was turning lock to lock sometimes, it was after i fitted bigger wheels and was the PAS pump, it went on like that for 10k untill i crashed it.....

agw_01 · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:32

What Si forgot to mention, is that the noise is there when the car is stationary/moving very slowly.

When travelling normally, there is no noise.

timbob · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:35

agw_01 said:
What Si forgot to mention, is that the noise is there when the car is stationary/moving very slowly.

When travelling normally, there is no noise.

Might be the droplinks? My Anti-Roll Bar used to knock when going slowly over bumps, and when turning the wheel from lock to lock. The noise would disappear once I was up to speed.

merlin · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:36

Checked the suspension top mounts?

burns · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:42

I'm slightly confused about what this noise is like. Do you get it whilst holding the wheel at a turn off centre and going in circles? Or is it only whilst turning the steering wheel? Do you get it whilst staitionary and turning the wheel?

agw_01 · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:56

The noise is apparent while turning the steering wheel to full lock, each way, when the car is at a standstill.

Checked the top mounts. The noise is definitely coming from the bottom of the suspension.

Drop-links were new a few months ago.

-westy- · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:00

If its happening while the wheel is turning (still moving the steering wheel, yes?), then I'd guess at the steering rack.

cymatty · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:07

Cheers for all the help guys, if it is the pas pump I will probably look for a secondhand one, I do not want that to fail as I will lose all steering. If it is the steering rack I would rather get new than an old one that has had a bad life.

-westy- · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:17

cymatty said:
if it is the pas pump I will probably look for a secondhand one, I do not want that to fail as I will lose all steering.

Err...no, it'll just be a bit harder to steer when you're going slowly.

cymatty · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:19

-westy- said:
Err...no, it'll just be a bit harder to steer when you're going slowly.

Err ask El what happened when his went

, if the PAS pump fails usually you lose the assisted steering, in the VTR you lose almost 97% of steering.

-westy- · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:21

cymatty said:
Err ask El what happened when his went , if the PAS pump fails usually you lose the assisted steering, in the VTR you lose almost 97% of steering.

I know, he ended up in a hedge.

I think it was a case of the steering suddenly becoming harder, which he wasn't used to, so didn't turn the steering wheel hard enough

Its not as if the steering rack drops away so you can't steer at all

cymatty · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:25

-westy- said:
I think it was a case of the steering suddenly becoming harder, which he wasn't used to, so didn't turn the steering wheel hard enough

Its not as if the steering rack drops away so you can't steer at all

In the vtr you cannot turn the wheels until the enigne is turned on even when the steering lock is off, I think it has something to do with the pump being electric or something :confused:

but if it does not work or is not on you cannot turn the wheels.

-westy- · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:29

If thats the case, then its a **** design. Its meant to be power assisted steering, not have steering that relies on an electric pump to work.

Hold on, does that mean that if the engine dies while you're travelling, you have no way to steer yourself?

cymatty · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:30

-westy- said:
Hold on, does that mean that if the engine dies while you're travelling, you have no way to steer yourself?

Yeah it does, no engine power = no steering, that is what happened to El.

D4VE · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:39

agw_01 said:
The noise is apparent while turning the steering wheel to full lock, each way, when the car is at a standstill.

Checked the top mounts. The noise is definitely coming from the bottom of the suspension.

Drop-links were new a few months ago.

balljoints/track rod ends?

top mounts definately ok? how did you check them - take the struts out?

Demon · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:41

Sounds fishy to me..

All though that's just based on several experiences..

1. Ford Orion, PAS belt snapped, steering went so heavy it felt like I couldn't steer, but you could, just mammoth effort required.
2. VX Astra, switched ignition off accidentally when going along - Steering went mentally heavy again (Electric assistance), but was driveable.
3. Citreon C4 hire car - completely died when going up the motorway, no electrics, no anything, steering was again very heavy but it would turn, or I'd have died, as I was doing 80 and straight ahead was a corner with no barriers just a big ass ditch..

Granted in the Orion, I found it very hard to turn, and I was a Gym 5 days a wekk veteran at the time.. if I was not so strong, I'd have really struggled, it did nearly cause an accident, as I went to turn a corner, and nothing, just panic made me give it a huge effort, and it did turn..

Update: we've just tried my mates saxo VTS, engine off, ignition on, and with some effort we can turn it on the spot...