Hi

I've got a 2007 KA studio with 86,000 miles on it. I've owned it from new so I know it's full history.

Suddenly in the last day I have noticed a rattling sound coming from the engine. The pitch of the rattling sound increases with the speed of the engine so at first I suspected at clutch / pilot bearing type problem.

However, when I turn the steering wheel there is a loud howling sound as well. This sound is quite noticeable when I turn the steering wheel quickly from full lock to full lock.  

So next I suspected the steering pump was on the way out?

There is also a red fluid leaking from the front near side of the engine compartment (just forward of the prop shaft). I assume this red fluid is power steering fluid?

Given that the steering pump is located in offside of the engine compartment and the fluid is leaking from the nearside I'm a little confused as to what is going on?

Also there is a black sooty deposit round the filler cap of the power steering reservoir, I know that wasn't there a couple of months ago when I did a service on the car.

Performance wise the steering seems to work ok and there is not change in braking (it doesn't pull to one side when braking).

I have checked the fluid level in the power steering reservoir and it has fluid in it.

Anyone got any ideas as to what might be going on here? Have I got a steering ram on the near side leaking and a steering pump failing at the same time? Seems a bit of a coincidence to me?

Thanks in advance

dvd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update

The fault was the power steering pipe that goes from the power steering pump to the steering rack. It's actually two pipes with the connection between the two pipes being behind the front nearside wheel arch.  The pipe had corroded close to this connector which was the cause of the leak.

I have replaced both pipes because the other one failed as I was removing it.

I also replaced both of the unions that fit to the pump and steering rack ends of the pipes.

I filled up the system will fluid and gave it a run, everything seemed fine for about thirty seconds then all of a sudden the pipe blew out of the union at the steering rack end.

I spoke to a mechanic I know and he told me I had fitted the union incorrectly. Instead of putting the union on the pipe and then ***** it into the rack I should have fully screwed the union into the rack and then the pipe just pushes in and is held in place by an internal locking ring in the union.

I bought another union and did as he advised and fitted it as per his instructions.

However after I had replaced the union with the new one the pipe wont lock into position when I push it into the union, I just comes out again with little or no force.

Anyone got any experience with this problem? What am I doing wrong?

This KA is driving me nuts, I've spent around 300 quid on spare parts (they are genuine parts from Ford btw) and I've still got a dead KA.

 

dvd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 4/11/2017 at 10:18 AM, ***** vandriver said:

Update

The fault was the power steering pipe that goes from the power steering pump to the steering rack. It's actually two pipes with the connection between the two pipes being behind the front nearside wheel arch.  The pipe had corroded close to this connector which was the cause of the leak.

I have replaced both pipes because the other one failed as I was removing it.

I also replaced both of the unions that fit to the pump and steering rack ends of the pipes.

I filled up the system will fluid and gave it a run, everything seemed fine for about thirty seconds then all of a sudden the pipe blew out of the union at the steering rack end.

I spoke to a mechanic I know and he told me I had fitted the union incorrectly. Instead of putting the union on the pipe and then ***** it into the rack I should have fully screwed the union into the rack and then the pipe just pushes in and is held in place by an internal locking ring in the union.

I bought another union and did as he advised and fitted it as per his instructions.

However after I had replaced the union with the new one the pipe wont lock into position when I push it into the union, I just comes out again with little or no force.

Anyone got any experience with this problem? What am I doing wrong?

This KA is driving me nuts, I've spent around 300 quid on spare parts (they are genuine parts from Ford btw) and I've still got a dead KA.

 

dvd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, I know this is an old post. I'm having the same issue and wondered if you did end up fix this?