power steering problem

[Ritchie]

[quote][/quote]Orange stuff in pas bottle and pump whining thnk power steering pump is on way owt nt sure what orange fluid is

[planetc]

If it's not ps fluid then that would probably explain why the pump is whining?

[Ritchie]

Its pas fluid bt within ten mins i turns orange and it hus pas fluid

[mini paul]

I think you may need to change the fluid should work fine then.

[planetc]

Has it got enough in it? You check it with it running as the level drops when running and if it's low the pump will cavitate and aerate the fluid, which changes its colour?

[Ritchie]

the level dosent seem to drop it rises which is a bit strange defo hink ithe pas pump is knackerd will go and get a second hand pump on tuesday and change it

[Spectralcav]

the level dosent seem to drop it rises which is a bit strange defo hink ithe pas pump is knackerd will go and get a second hand pump on tuesday and change it

The level should rise to the second mark on the dipstick on the PAS fluid cap as the fluid warms up.

Just wondering if you've changed anything in the PAS system recently and there's air in the system which may cause the pump to whine. There is a bleeding procedure described in the Haynes manual involving going from lock to lock with the fluid cap off - air makes the fluid fizz as it comes out.

PAS fluid (Dexron II) is an orangey red colour - normally more red than orange! Maybe it's just very old and not lubricating as it should.

[Ritchie]

When a fitted my new gearbox aye draind it down and and put fresh power steering fluid in and it been fine up in till now its like its boiling the fluid turning it orange

[Spectralcav]

When a fitted my new gearbox aye draind it down and and put fresh power steering fluid in and it been fine up in till now its like its boiling the fluid turning it orange

When I changed my rack, pump and PAS fluid, the pump was noisy on initial start-up until bleeding the air out. I guess that using the vehicle would bleed any air out sooner or later though, and it sounds like your gearbox change was some time ago?

I did the work to my car because I found metal particles in the fluid reservoir - looked like glittery fluid - so also removed and flushed all the pipework. The steering was operating perfectly normally but I think the rack was slowly chewing itself up internally. Is your fluid clean, just changed colour?

May be worth removing the drivebelt and turning the pump by hand to see if there's any roughness or restriction. Used pump will probably be pretty cheap and easy to change - much easier than the rack itself (the only other part in the system other than pipes or hoses)! Not heard of it happening, just thinking possibly there's an airlock or some kind of restriction in the pipework...