Strange Steering

[MULLEY]

Anybody ever experienced the following symptoms?

Steering feels notchy, like the power steering is cutting in & out, once the car has warmed up it seems to be ok & doesnt always happen everyday either?

Any ideas of what may be up? Please let it be a cheap fix

[Tim Leech]

Yep had that problem before, changed the LHM did some citroenaerobics and it went away, Kitch is probably the man to ask more indepth if thats doesnt clear it. Maybe the FDV on the way out?

[DLM]

There's a long list of possible causes for this. Unless notchiness or resistance is alarmingly bad, be patient. The best approach is to start with the simple & cheap and work methodically.

Car stopped - engine off. Check the pump belt - is it tight with very little deflection on thumb pressure?

Are there any knocking sounds from the pump when running? Or on startup/lift-up? Does the red warning light show during initial lift up - is the lift-up slow?

Is the lhm clean and bright green? When was it last changed? When was the reservoir last emptied and cleaned (including the filters)? Are there bubbles in the lhm?

Check these before anything else, and note whether the problem's worse according to temperatures at the time you start up - and how long you leave the car between trips.

[kiwi]

Sounds like either the power steering Ram on its way out or the FDV got some muck in a filter.

A blockage in the FDV can show up some weird symptoms that come and go as I found out after installing a filter incorrectly.

[DavidRutherford]

Experienced exactly this before now.

The diagnosis of duff/dirty LHM is the most probable to begin with, as it's viscosity is clearly changing once it's hot.

[kiwi]

The diagnosis of duff/dirty LHM is the most probable to begin with, as it's viscosity is clearly changing once it's hot.

Which explains why it took most of the summer here for the problems I had to become more evident.

[Jaba]

Yes I agree too. First step clean the LHM filters and renew the LHM.
Next put another pump on. They do exactly this as they age and wear.

In fact I tend to leave lhm changing and filter cleaning until I get exactly your symptoms. They disappear and things return to normal after this for 2 or 3 years.

[Vanny]

I seem to think you've changed the LHM in the not so distant past Mulley, so i would tend to suspect either a weak pump or dist in the system. PAS Rams on the BX never fail if at all, they are way over specced for what is needed.

Just out of interest, and not teaching to suck eggs, make sure that it is definately the PAS and not simply the mechanical steering system. If the steering column is fowling something it might appear notchy, like wise the hardy disc (rubber disc in between rack and column) has been known to catch on knacked heat shields. Also you might get a notchy feeling if the track rods or any other part of the steering rack is fouling on something. These things would probably be more noticeable at low speed. You make no mention if these problems are at stationary, low, or high speeds!

[MULLEY]

Never done an lhm change on the txd, will shortly though. The pulsing/notchinerss is at all three, stationary, slow & high speed which makes for interesting driving/excitement

I dont think it can be anything fouling, as it disappears when everything is upto temperature. Hopefully using some of that hydraincage stuff will clear out the system. I'm also going to have a look into fitting a filter onto one of the lhm pipes to see if that can catch some crud as well.

Will advise of what happens etc...

[kiwi]

Hey Mulley

I am also running with hydraincage at the moment after refitting the FDV for the second time. Theres a definate differance with faster rising from the front and more responsive steering (well fixing ithe FDV filter helped ) I also had a weird pulsing from the steering which felt like wheel balancing out. This has also gone with Hydaincage, so maybe it will work.