Hydraulic pump failure.....

Kevin B · Post by **Kevin B** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:23 pm

Today when driving back from the MOT station of all places, and just congratulating myself on another year of BX motoring, I saw the stop light come on (as you do), then the steering starts to get heavy.

Upon stopping the car, and fully expecting to see LHM pouring out of somewhere, I could see nothing

Upon further investigation the pump belt was checked OK for tightness, there is fresh LHM in the resevoir and its at the correct level.

My initial thoughts were that it may be an air lock, so I briefly opened the bleed screw on the accumulator, with no effect.

So admitting defeat (for now), I drove the last few miles home with no suspension, power steering, or brakes

Could this be pump failure ? or blockage on the suction line to the pump. As all hydraulic services are effected. As I have never experienced a hydraulic failure of this severity before.

rmattila · Post by **rmattila** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:26 pm

Air leak inwards rather than blockage, I'd guess.

Kevin B · Post by **Kevin B** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:42 pm

rmattila wrote:Air leak inwards rather than blockage, I'd guess.

Thanks, that could indeed be possible, I will look at the pipe from the resevoir to the pump, for signs of damage

rmattila · Post by **rmattila** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:59 pm

A simple way to make sure is to take the hose off the reservoir end, lift as high as possible, fill it with fresh LHM and start the engine. If it was air leak, the LHM level in the hose should soon start to fall and the pump sound change.

(Had my share of those: usually the hose cracks by the pump nipple and can be refreshed by clipping off the rotten 2 cm at the end.)