Power Steering

[Bongoplotter]

Many thanks to Geoff for replying to my post about this earlier in the week. I've taken a video to try to illustrate the noise made in both park or drive, but for some reason I can't upload it here. A local garage changed the power steering fluid and flushed the pipes a couple of weeks ago as the steering was feeling erratic (sometimes fine, other times really heavy) and since then, the van has made this groaning/whining noise, which changes with the engine note (e.g with gear changes), and fades once the engine warms up. It's worse when you turn the wheels, but still there even when wheels are straight. The van has been back to the same garage but they're pretty clueless now and just concluded the van needed a new power steering pump. Second opinion from Ian Taylor (by text), who has never had to change a power steering pump in a Bongo, suggested the aux belts might need to be replaced and to spray them with WD40 as an experiment to find out whether that made any improvement. It didn't. There is a power steering fluid leak as the reservoir regularly needs topping up, but that's nothing new, although it has worsened. The steering is now worse than it was before the fluid change so does anyone think it could be the pump after all? Thanks

[g8dhe]

Best to put video on Youtube and then link to it, otherwise files sizes get silly! However there is only so much one can advise when remote to be honest, the recorded sounds lack direction etc that we rely on when listening normally.
Assume you have greased the U/J on the steering column, if that hasn't cured the problem its sounds like there is a problem with the steering system so really need a garage to check it out.

[Bongoplotter]

Geoff, you were right. Best to get a garage to check it out. And not just the local "Bongo - friendly (not)" garage who assured me the power steering pump needed to be replaced.
Took the van to Simon in Harbury today who found a split in the high pressure power fluid steering hose within 60 seconds. 90 minutes later all was well and the van is steering like a dream again.

[Bob]

I've heard he’s good.

Well done.