BXProject

Drove the couple of miles to town, went to park, no PAS? No warning and no other faults. Any ideas?

dirt in the steering valve. Try going lock to lock a couple of times to see if it revives.

Failing that then its dirt in the FDV which means an over haul/replacement unless you can get the filters out to clean them. (Yes, there are filters inside the FDV!)

Turney turney no fixy fixy

Will have to manage for now, hopefully it'll clear itself under its own steam otherwise i'll deal with it during the full medical at the end of the month...

Fudgenuts

The red one I used to have had occasional loss of PAS when cold, I put it down to clogged FDV filters (they are tiny). Vera had a great trick of losing PAS and dropping at the front when braking and turning left at the same time.

Father Ted wrote:Vera had a great trick of losing PAS and dropping at the front when braking and turning left at the same time.

Signs of a weak pump, rather than an FDV fault.

Vera was a weak car full stop, they way she caught fire was a bit of a clue - the fuel system had more holes in it than a sieve.

jayw wrote: Will have to manage for now, hopefully it'll clear itself under its own steam otherwise i'll deal with it during the full medical at the end of the month...

Maybe an LHM dump & refill with the magic Hydraflush will sort that out along with a rejuvenated suspension ride?

Way2go wrote:Hydraflush will sort that out along with a rejuvenated suspension ride?

Normally i'd agree but it rides perfectly, always has.

It does sink quite quickly (comparitively) but with 45 second clicks on the accumulator there doesn't seem to be an issue with it.

jayw wrote:

Way2go wrote:Hydraflush will sort that out along with a rejuvenated suspension ride?

Normally i'd agree but it rides perfectly, always has.

I was thinking only of it's ability to clear any sh*t out of the LHM steering circuit for you, anything else was just a bonus.

Hydraflush wont clear shit out of the FDV.

Given these additional symptoms, i wonder if the problem is actually a shot rear strut? I suspect braking was involved shortly before parking, dumping a lot of pressure, then once actually parking the fluid loss through the rear strut is continuing the drop in pressure and the secuity valve/FDV combo is deliberately taking pressure away from the steering?

Before my rather seivey rear cylinder gave up the ghost, it was leaking quite severely into the bellows and return pipes. It never affected the steering or anything else for that matter, at least until it blew altogether
Provided the returns are feeding fluid back to the reservoir in sufficient quantities, the security valve shouldn't act.

I think you're most likely right about the blockage vanny, it does occasionally return to working very briefly (half a turn or so)

Thats when it comes a bit of the PITA, mid way through a high speed and tight corner (for example Brimstage Road, Clatterbridge) when it suddenly springs to life, sending you towards and over the centre line (bless front wheel drive understeer or there might have been a hedge ditch sky ground sky event), then drops off as you correct resulting in cock all correction and a near miss with an oncoming.


Have i told you about my deep hatred for the FDV?

Vanny wrote:Have i told you about my deep hatred for the FDV?

As far as I can see (and this applies to all hydraulic systems with a security valve) If there is no dirt in the system and no obstruction in the return flow, pressured or non pressured, then the valve should not intervene. only a lack of fluid should bring it into operation.
If this is ocurring, as you suggest, albeit momentarily, it's more likely to be other issuies, ie, system cleanliness, blocked returns, that causes the problem, rather than the valve it's self.

sounds like typ[ical FDV fuckedness to me.
Or the RAM seizing, that happened to mine, but the steering went SOLID, even when moving at speed.

Vanny wrote: wonder if the problem is actually a shot rear strut?

Is there any quick way to diagnose this? PAS keeps coming and going (usually in conjunction with braking). Most of the time the steering is dead and ALWAYS dead when actually driving and only coming back to life occasionally briefly during manuvering (braking/steering/back and forth).

Yes! Carefully prise back the rubber bellows at the rod end (opposite to sphere)
If much green stuff appears, cylinder could be holy, or you have a blocked return.

nooo! dont touch the bellow! it'll most likely disintegrate!
Pull the return pipe out, not the vent, and see how much fluid escapes over 2 minutes at idle.. anymore than a drop and the cylinders a bit lose. Cant get cylinders anymore, but you cn get rebuld kits!

Will check this later today... what i don't get is how it could affect the steering???

Techy info please