Please help! Steering has gone really stiff!

[attila_tdi]

Hi, i have a 2.0 tdi 2008 which ihas been brilliant. All of a sudden though the steering has gone really hard.

The weird thing is if i steer quickly it gets even stiffer whilst if i steer slowly its not as hard (but still harder than before). On the move it gets a little better but if i need to turn aharply its pretty dangerous!

I’ve done an scan using vcds and nothing has come up. Any ideas??

[FrenchAudi]

Maybe you hava fluid leak. Have you checked the level in your power steering reservoir?

If you need to top up make sure you use the correct fluid as marked on the reservoir cap and in your handbooks. It should be green mineral oil based fluid.

Also check the power steering pump belt is tight/not slipping under load (watch the belt while someone turns the steering wheel from side to side)

[Rob69]

At the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, are your tyre pressures ok and are there any creaks or groans from track rod ends etc. Have you got 'servotronic' steering ? check your fuse diagram and fuses, google relay 640 faults if your belt etc seem ok.

[attila_tdi]

Hi all, thanks for the responses - have gone through and checked all the above and no difference..


However you are going to love this bit...this is why I simply don't trust garages.

So I take it to an indie - nearby, I work away from home so don't have time. I explain its an intermittent fault that sometimes goes hard. I get a call the next day to say they have found the problem!! Hurrah. Apparently someone has gone and put brake fluid in the power steering fluid system...

Really? I ask. He says yes. I said how do you know? His response is that it smells funny! He said it will have damaged the power steering pump also. I said but its intermittent, not a mechanical failure?

So he goes and changes it car comes back and makes absolutely bugger all difference and cost me £100.

Now they are saying its a power steering pump and rack plus every component on steering system £2500!!! I said can they explain how an intermittent problem can do this? They are now not sure and I'm left with no solution but with a conclusion that this garage (which I have used for some time and used to rate it) does not know how to diagnose a car.

I wish garages that didn't know about how cars work would just advertise themselves as fitters. i.e. they take one piece off and put a new piece on. Anyone can do this. Actual mechanics who understand how things should work or to diagnose the problem are few and far between.

I am left with a very heavy steering wheel and £100 lighter and no faith in garages.

I have scanned it fully and no warnings. It's also a mechanical unit not electric as far as I can tell.

[attila_tdi]

Quick update. Problem sorted no more heavy steering after fitting a new power steering pump (bosch) from ECP.

really glad it wasn’t the rack

[mhurer]

Thanks for letting us know. It's always disappointing when a thread is started but no solution to the problem is ever posted - frustrating for those searching for solutions to similar problems.

Really appreciated.