Steering rack may need replacing.

[frank-59]

Hi guys.
After intermittant loss of hydrolic fluid over the last few weeks, I've had greater problems over the last few days, with the fluid tank emptying in a matter of hours.
Took it in to a local mechanic, who had a quick look round in engine bay, and couldn't find any loss from tank, pipes or pump.
He suggested it could be a seal in the steering rack that had gone. I'm taking the car back to him tommorow, he's going to remove cover from underside of engine, give it a steam clean then start up and use steering to look for leaks.
I've ben told from someone else, a new steering rack costs around £130, then labour costs.
Is it a complex job to change steering rack ? And how long should it take ?

TIA. Frank.

[kenney]

There is the chance it is a steel pipe, which corrodes,but unfortunately it is not a spare part.If you are lucky you will be able to repair the pipe,by removing the rack and brazing the pipe.It is roughly a 3 hour job.

[frank-59]

Got the car up on ramps yesterday.
As soon as the engine underside cover was off, we could see a drip, it was a pipe right in the bottom corner of the engine bay, that had a small split in it, re-joined that, had a good clean round under engine, looked everywhere else, all seemed fine.
Phew ! What a relief that was.
Just out of interest, I asked him what the cost would be, if it turned-out to be the steering rack. He said it would cost about £450, and take about 2 days to do, as the gearbox needs to come out ! Ouch..

[chips]

I had to change the steering rack in my car a couple of months ago, B5 1.8 20v. It took about 3 hours to do, and the gearbox does NOT need touched. Its not a complex job, the hardest part is getting at the nut on the back of the rack.

I'm glad you got yours sorted so easily.



All the best



Chips

[frank-59]

Thanks for that info chips.
I'll think twice about going back to that garage in future.
He must have been able to tell I know absolutely nothing about car engines.! Or more to the point, how to fix them.

Cheers.

[chips]

No problem Frank, the garage must not be too bad, as they could have told you the rack needed changed rather than fix the pipe.

My brother had an unfortunate experience, oil cooler went, he took it to a garage, came back the next day. They told him the engine was beyond repair, they blew the gunk from the expansion box all over the engine bay, then the boss offered him a couple of hundred quid for the car. When my brother declined his offer they charged him almost 200 quid or doing nothing, they never even changed the cooler, which is a half hour job. Some garages are bad, and some are ridiculous.


All the best



Chips