Hello every one ! I have serious and sudden total fluid leak from the steering rack somewhere near the steering pipe connection.

I've  replaced the small rumbber  O rings on the two steering pump lines to the rack as it looked  like it was leaking from there, But no joy. It seems pours out at full lock from up behind the steering column. It might well be the actual steering rack pipes. I need to get the rack out and replace either these pipes or get a second hand rack.

I can't seem to find any tutorials for my Mk2 model on-line.  Can anyone offer any guidance on the best way to do this please.  It has the remote electric steering pump located behind the headlight in the front wing. I understand the subframe needs to be lowered /come out. There seems to be a another pressed steel cross brace that also attaches to the subframe further back. Which subframe bolts do I undo  and what else is there to be wary of etc?.

It's up on stands ATM awaiting my attention. I have two trolley jacks and a bottle jack to play with. 

The car has done 200k and still goes like a train and I love it!. I was told it was an ex-police car so might well have been re-mapped.

I much prefer it to my previous 2009 Volvov50 1.6D  which blew an engine in France!

Any help gratefully received, Cheers, Mick in Canterbury, Kent

They normally leak at the Union which requires a full hose setup replacement. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323893052312

Thanks for your reply FOCUE. My leak is at the steering rack end at the push fit rubber o ring joints. I need to a replacement the steering hose set as I have replaced the rack with S/H unit now. But the only ones I have seen on ebay say 'not suitable for automatic ( I have manual) or with electric pump'. The one you shown in your link is like all the others I have seen. My hose does not have that black welded bracket on the line at the line at the pump end. I think the one you showed me is for a belt driven Power Steering Pump.. So I am very confused about all this. 

Here are the hoses to the electric pump under the offside front wing. I think I have worked out that it is it is    Part number  4M513A212FD. Can  anyone confirm this please? cheers

2 hours ago, notrehte said:

Here are the hoses to the electric pump under the offside front wing. I think I have worked out that it is it is    Part number  4M513A212FD. Can  anyone confirm this please? cheers

Yeh was just an example and that code returns this so should be correct. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173863545127

Thanks very much for confirming this part number. Ian.  My local Ford dealer would not give me the part number! 

I'll search the web for a new set of hoses then and  I hope it'll work this time. It seems such a rubbish way of securing the hoses to the steering rack, with just a push fit O ring seal? The retaining C clamp that tightens the two hoses to the steering rack with a small central bolt just does not seem secure the metal hose shoulders tight enough to the rack. There is slight play in the fitting and the pipes wobble so fluid pours out when under pressure.  If I tighten it up  too much  the aluminium  thread in the steering rack will  strip. I've put two sets of original o rings in the original hose set so far and it still leaks, so now i'm going to fit a brand new hose set to see if it cures the problem.

The car has covered nearly 200K so this retaining clamp system must work though. All the original O rings and hoses/ rack bores looked in good condition, so I don't know why it busted in the first place.The car just suddenly loss all fluid. I let you know how I get on.

Ford dealers with never tell you cos they want the sale / job themselves. 

Update:

I have now fitted a S/H rack and a S/H pump and hoses set as they came together. All fitted up and no leaks. Hooray! the replacement pipes just snipped in nicely. The replacement electric steering pump was filled with fluid and purged of air. All good and steering turnied well whilst the car still up on stands.

The next day I changed the oil and put a new serpentine belt on. Refitted the wheels and lowered the car to the ground. 

Turned ignition on, all good no warning lights. Started the engine  and Steering is locked solid and dash warning came on  'Steering Assist Failure' .

It was all working fine the day before when it was in the air! So all connections must be fine. My Autel MD806 Pro Scanner seems to indicate no sensors working at ECM. Live scan shows no input readings for steering sensors.

Is this a reprogramming  problem?

I've cleared error codes,but they come back. 

The battery was low so needed a jump to start initially the day before but it all worked anyway.  I've charged the battery up  now and car starts no problem. I have the original electric pump that I could refit, but I am assured that the newly  fitted S/H replacement pump works too. I can't understand how it all worked fine yesterday but doesn't today! The Steering is locked up pretty solid even with ignition off,  Pump does not run. Any Ideas very welcome!!

I have just done a forced reboot (connected battery leads together) and still no joy.

Error codes are still there - B1342 ODDTCs and  B1342-FO CMDTs  - ECU Defective.  So presume its the EHPAS module which I presume is within  the electric pump body. The steering angle error code i got has now gone though. i had no dash warnings before fitting this replacement pump, but as I said it was working yesterday! So why throw an error code today! Any ideas anyone!