Strange steering noise...

[FK Mon Sta]

Hi all

I had a recon steering rack fitted last week, as the old one had a persistant leak. This was done under it's 3 month warranty after months - 14 or thereabouts - of trying to get the dealer to fix properly rather than just topping it up as I'd taken it to him within the 3 months warranty period.

So I pick up the Bongo on Monday, looking thru the bonnet it looks like a new rack is on there, looks as dirty underneath tho.

But now as I drive along there's a squeaking noise, like little mice in the steering. and when I turn left, especially hard left, there's a grinding noise - not the sort of grinding that it makes when all the PS fluid has leaked out though - it's of a bit lighter grinding.

On the school run this morning it the grinding seemed a small amount better, it's quite damp and rainy today. I drove it around for 5 mins with lots of left hand turns and not too bad,...better than yesterday. But still, the new noises are there ...

I've had enough of going back to the dealer, and I'm sure he's had enough of my bongo! I haven't called him yet about this as everytime I phone him I get fobbed off, then he'll say bring it down, but its a long way, it'll take me 1.5 hours to get home without the bongo, then I haven't got a car, and I've got uni deadlines and a kid. And I might explode.

Do new racks have to 'bed in'? If anyones got any ideas at least of what it may be or what I can do I'd be grateful.

Thanks

[bigdaddycain]

I've never changed a steering rack i must admit, but i have had one replaced on another car i've had in the past with similar symptoms! The upshot was there was a scrap of plastic of unknown origin trapped between the steering wheel and steering column. Plus the steering had become heavier... I took the car back to the garage, he agreed something was amiss, he basically removed the rack, greased everything, and re-fitted (it was during the re-fit that the steering wheel noise became apparent).

[MAZABON]

was it just a rack taken from another bongo from a breakers or a reconditioned one? i ask this because in my experience recon parts tend to look brand spanking new all over,

i would be a bit suspicious if its still dirty underneath that it is still your original rack tinkered with to fix the leak and given a little wipe over ?,

if that fixed it that would be fine but it sounds like your problems have got worse

steering racks dont need to bed in, just the new fluid bled by running the engine and turning the steering lock to lock so it can burp itself with the resevoir cap off.

the only time you should ever hear anything from your steering rack is if you hold it on full lock for a short period of time, almost like as swooosh type sound

the squeaking noise may not be from the rack at all, its a bit odd that its less apparent in damp/wet conditions ( is the wet weather temporarily lubricating something ?), it may be that something has arisen due to the work carried out on the rack but from the track rod ends, droplinks, basically a disturbance to the steering geometry

very difficult to know without hearing it first hand