the dreaded heavy steering

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 7:37 pm

got into the bx19 petrol sunday and all the power had gone from the steering...

no change till today so ive just whipped off the fd but all seems fine...

the little filters ok and intact and no real gunge but have left the fd soaking overnight...

and will reassemble tommorrow...

had a look at the belt and it seemed tight, 1cm play, but i dont think this would lead to complete loss of power steering...

soooo...

if fd and belt is ok, does that mean that the pump is definitly knackered????

pump was exchanged with one from plaides, reconditioned, about 3 years/20000 miles ago...

wadya think

charlie

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:00 pm

Yes

I think FDV failure affects the rest of the circuit more than the PAS.

Strange it should suddenly go rather than a gradual degredation under stress - and so would normally say belt - but you have checked that. Is the hose from the reservoir free from perishing and are the ends really good, properly clamped and sealing well?

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 9:08 pm

Mine did this. But changed the pump for a known good one, and changed the FDV for a known good one. And still absolutely nothing.

Post by **docchevron** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 2:31 am

The FDV would be the first thing I'd look at, really, really carefully.
If not and the pump is working then could be pinion/ram but it does seem odd it went all at once?

Maybe the security valve has given up?

I trust the rest of the hydraulics work as Andre intended?

Cheers
Chris G

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:34 am

Security valve? Whats this you speak of?

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 12:25 pm

The security valve is the device tucked around the back of the front subframe which operates the low pressure warning light. It allows all available pressure to be used for the brakes - and when it detects enough for the brakes it opens and allows high pressure LHM to flow to the suspension.

It cannot have anything to do with the correct function of the steering as its the other side of the pressure regulator - which will form a break in the circuit due to its valves etc.

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:27 pm

have refitted all but two lower joints on the fd...

decided would be best to remove acc sphere cause its in the fu@@in way!!!

but can i shift it

can i

fu@@!!!

so its back to basics

...

as i lie underneath should i be turning the sphere towards the sump or towards the radiator to get it undone???

i'm using a rubber belt strap thing that has always worked in the past, as the sphere should only have been fitted hand tight, but if i cant shift with this is it a chain wrench job and where can i get one from asap???

your thoughts again good people would be welcome as i am getting well pissed off....

charlie

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:35 pm

The accumulator undoes - so if its pointing to the left hand side its bottom towards the back of the car.

You will need a plumbers double row chain chain wrench - the type sold for oil filters will break - promise

I use a home made tool - made from the hex bar centre of the last chain wrench with a strip of steel welded to opposite flats so that it wraps when turned by the hex bar and tightens.

citroen7 · Post by **citroen7** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:37 pm

got confused with this on myself,the easy way to remember is look at the acc. sphere from the drivers side of the car instead of from underneath, pull the belt wrench towards you, i bought a chain wrench of fleebay 2 weeks ago and although it is a bit fiddly to get around the acc. sphere it works a treat and was only £18
i changsd the acc. sphere on the auto on saturday and i would not budge so i put the chain wrench on and took a swing at it with the sledge bingo!

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:43 pm

There is an alternative for removing/replacing the FDV Charlie - radiator out. Whether that's any more convenient/inconvenient I'll leave up to you to you to decide.... The space you liberate to do the FDV job makes it as much of a doddle as such a thing can ever be.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 2:34 pm

DLM wrote:There is an alternative for removing/replacing the FDV Charlie - radiator out. Whether that's any more convenient/inconvenient I'll leave up to you to you to decide.... The space you liberate to do the FDV job makes it as much of a doddle as such a thing can ever be.

A good tip. Only takes 15mins to get the rad and fans out on a 16v.

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:46 pm

charlie wrote:
decided would be best to remove acc sphere cause its in the fu@@in way!!!

but can i shift it can i fu@@!!!

your thoughts again good people would be welcome as i am getting well pissed off....

charlie

The most painless way to remove the accumulator sphere is with a cold chisel and club hammer. I did it this way at the recommendation of the citroen specialist and it moved with 2 taps.

Place the cold chisel at an angle against the circumference of the sphere at the seam in the direction of undoing, tap chisel with hammer and as soon as it moves you can undo by hand or with the weakest of chain/strap wrenches.

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 6:36 pm

thanks everyone for the quick replies

went the radiator out route as could do this straight away....

now fd and radiator back together

filled the radiator, got the bx to rise up and backed off the ramps and hey presto...

temp light came on with car rising and falling

so tommorrow will need to get the air out of both systems and find out whether power steering has come back!!!

wish me luck...

charlie

BX Bandit · Post by **BX Bandit** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:23 am

Hi Charlie,

If you need a sphere removal tool, i have one you can borrow, I'm just up in Llantrisant. I had intermittent heavy power steering and also had a weep from the pinion, I doubt whether the two are connected but when I replaced the steering rack and the ram all was ok. However, i also had flushing oil in for 3000miles and there was a good amount of crud in the filters afterwards so it could of been dirt. It's an easy job to change the fluid to hydraflush and could save a bucket of time taking things off/investigating etc. (If you do use hydraflush, replace it after max 3000miles as it has reduced lubrication properties vs LHM). I also have a spare ram if you're interested.

Cheers & good luck

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:00 pm

thanks for the offer of tool

i would of snatched it off you yesterday but the radiator off route was suprisingly quick and in the end ok. is a dodgy ram a common fault ???

because first impressions of ressambled fd not good...

steering still heavy so have brought hydraflush and will tighten belt up some more later...

as a matter of interest how tight is tight as i remember last time i tried difficult to got leverage...

anyways enough for today as i'm off to spend some beer tokens

charlie