Steering went stiff on roundabout

boyzie · Post by **boyzie** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:10 am

Hi everyone.

My wife reported that the power steering seemed to fail on a roundabout yesterday and then came back on a second later.

I have found an earlier thread but it is now locked and there was no solution found.

Tonight Im gunna check the fluid and see if any of the belts are glazed.

Any other things I should check out.

cheers

boyzie

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:39 am

Check the belt is not slipping also if she drove through a
puddle of water it may have splashed up on the belt and
made it slip for a short wile, My last car did this but not
had it on a Bongo but you never know.

mick · Post by **mick** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:48 am

Maybe the engine 'cut out' for a second or two ?

ebygum32 · Post by **ebygum32** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:53 am

yep mine did the same when i was nearly out of diesel engine started to cough and splutter thought i could get the last mile home put her into a left turn and engine cut out no power stearing managed to get her home though

moonshine · Post by **moonshine** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:42 am

Most likely cause, I would have thought, would be low fluid level in the power steering. I had it happen on a bus once, and this was the cause then. Only happened when I put more than a certain amount of lock on. Overtaking, sweeping bends, wide corners, it drove perfectly, but when I had to turn a sharp corner it suddenly went very stiff as there was no longer any power assistance. Straightened up and all was fine again until the next corner.

Grahame at work · Post by **Grahame at work** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 1:17 pm

this happend to me a week or so ago.
As I pulled off the main road into a slip road to turn left the streeing went stiff, appeared OK as I made the turn but for some distance I kept getting a stiffness feel. Got home OK just round the corner.

I contacted the person that posted the original locked theard to see what had happened to him in the end. He said his trouble went on for a few weeks but dissappeared the day before it was due in to the garage?

Mine has not done it since.

Mind you i'm just waiting to hear if it passed the MOT today.

Regards Grahame

missfixit70 · Post by **missfixit70** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 1:40 pm

Mine did the same a couple of months ago as I was going to full lock & back quite quickly, lost assistance for a second or two, no engine problems & fluid level fine, happened twice in a matter of a week or so, then not happened again. Had forgotten about it until I saw this thread.

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:34 pm

Interesting thread. Mine used to go "heavy" when accelerating on a cold engine which I put down to the fluid being cold and viscous.
I changed the fluid last week and it's much better now - the old fluid was a bit dirty and streaky.

brorabongo · Post by **brorabongo** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:51 pm

dandywarhol wrote: I changed the fluid last week and it's much better now - the old fluid was a bit dirty and streaky.

Is that an easy job to do, dandy?

Veg_Ian · Post by **Veg_Ian** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:51 pm

Yes I would concur with Dandy. Had similar symptoms on another vehicle. Changed the fluid and the problem went away.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:59 pm

Is it a boy Bongo? Maybe it just saw an attractive girl Bongo down the road.

Sorry, just couldn't resist it. I'll get me coat

helen&tony · Post by **helen&tony** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:44 pm

Gosh...reading this has got me scared....my left elbow is knackered, and I can't lift a 3 litre bottle of cola without severe pain....I don't know if I could handle a car if the steering suddenly went very hard. Is there any preventive maintenance that could forsee such a problem? Whilst on this note, is there a good schedule of maintenance for complete problem prevention , other than the service schedule....namely normally occuring problems (other than the cooling, as we've got that taped)
Helen

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:41 pm

I experienced this in the past with another car, the level was actually too high! It didn't help matters that the fluid was a little bit manky. A fluid,and belt change sorted the problem.

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:07 pm

brorabongo wrote:
dandywarhol wrote: I changed the fluid last week and it's much better now - the old fluid was a bit dirty and streaky.
Is that an easy job to do, dandy?

Pretty easy but could be messy!

Have a 5 litre size container/measuring can handy.

Remove the return pipe from what looks liks a spout in the pic

Put the pipe into the container - some fluid will spill out.

Have 2 litres of fresh ATF/power steering fluid to hand and start the engine.

The fluid will gush from the return pipe at an alarming rate and needs to be replenished as it empties - it'll empty the system in seconds!

Turn the engine off when the fluid looks clean.

Reconnect the return pipe. Top up the resevoir to the full mark.
Start the engine and turn the steering from lock to lock 3 or 4 times to bleed any air out.

Recheck the level and Bob's your great Auntie

The whole thing can be done in 15 minutes and allow for 2.5/3 litres of new fluid

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:15 pm

Good write up dandy!

May do mine soon....

Whist on the subject...I take it the bleeding is done with the cap OFF alan?

Steering went stiff on roundabout

Steering went stiff on roundabout

stiff steering