New power steering pump - now steering locked solid

[A4B6Cab]

Had a new pattern PS pump fitted to our 3.0 v6 sport a couple of weeks ago, needed a new infeed pipe which was fitted today. On starting, the fluid began to circulate etc. Then, went to turn the steering and it turned OK for one lock-to-lock, then it as good as siezed completely

Any ideas please guys? Struggling here

Mechanic is blaming the new power steering pump?

[Crasher]

It won’t move at all either way?

[A4B6Cab]

not really, well with huge amounts of effort Crasher - As it both arms and really straining

It did do lock to lock once, then it just went hugely heavy. Have checked fluid level in reservoir, and id expect to see a flow on fluid, but nothing. Mechanic says the pump shaft/impellor has seized or snapped hence no flow of fluid? surely not, as its a new pump on there

[Crasher]

It sounds like it has “just” lost assistance, rather than actually suffered a valve body contamination lock but IF the pump has sheared its shaft or suffered disintegrated vanes, the reconditioning company are just going to say that contamination caused the previous failure and the system has not been run flushed after the new one was fitted, nobody bothers except me. Tomorrow I will be getting the rack from a Toyota Peaso returned from reconditioning which I have modified to fit in a Scirocco GTX and the pump has been stripped, ultrasonic tank cleaned, rebuilt and the hoses are brand new. Even then I will “run flush” a litre or three through before I allow the return feed from the rack return into the reservoir.

[A4B6Cab]

Thanks Crasher, your theory does make sense with it having just lost assistance. Next question, how would I check to see if it has lost assistance rather than total mechanical failure of the new pump?

Slowly losing the will to live here....

thanks again

[VAG-Abound]

I don't think it'll really help as we have the electro mechanical (?) power steering which I expect you don't based on car model / age, but... Occasionally and for many years we get a brief-ish problem where on start up car effectively has no power steering. After hauling wheel around to get off of drive it starts to appear, and will be fine all journey, days / weeks afterwards, etc. I offer this in the hope that if you can get moving for a minute or so yours will also come to life. Hopefully trying that wouldn't further damage it.

[A4B6Cab]

Thanks VAG-Abound, will give it a try as we only had it stationary yesterday on the drive while trying it out. I can reverse straight back out and see if it gives me PS again, if not then I can get it back off the road. My local garage has offered to look at it but it’ll mean driving it there with no PS - it’s about 4 miles away, would you risk it?

[VAG-Abound]

I wouldn't drive without PS. Almost no ability to steer around corners, parked cars, etc. If your odd driving style attracted police attention I think it'd be reasonable for them to report you for driving an unsafe vehicle.

[Crasher]

Slowly losing the will to live here....

now you know why all grease monkeys are bad tempered manic depressive grumpy sod's, if it is't the car, it's the parts.. or the owners!

Without any assistance happening it would be fair to assume the pump has died, as to why you will find out when the rebuilder strips and reports. Certainly there is no way I would connect the reservoir return up on that until I had blown the system out both ways with compressed and and then run 3 litres tough visually clean before restoring the return circuit. I think it is safe to assume that the pump is kaput and you will be told it is contamination damage. If you want the pump rebuilding properly, talk to Western Power Steering.

[A4B6Cab]

Thanks again gents

Spoke to Western Power Steering Crasher (thnaks for the pointer) but they cant get the parts in for that particular pump, but he said hes rather a genuine 2nd hand pump from eBay than a cheap copy from the Far East.

Would you guys say the same? Or bit the bullet and buy a branded new one such as Bosch etc? (not sure wheres best to get a decent brand new one from?)