Intermitent PAS

Need technical Q/A then you're in the right place

Moderator: martauto

clipper
E30 Zone Squatter
E30 Zone Squatter
Posts: 1980
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Madrid

Post Mon Jan 28, 2013 9:44 pm

Not really sure what is happening but sometimes the steering is hard to turn.

It seems that when driving normally there is PAS , but when the car is stationary or moving very slowly, the assistance fades away...

If I parallel park for example, the first time I turn the wheel to reverse into the space it starts to turn OK, but gets progressivley harder as it gets towards full lock, then each turn in any direction gets harder and harder. If its tight space which means going back and forwards a few times I can hardly turn the wheel by the end of the manouvre.

With the front end on stands I can turn the steering from lock to lock by pushing either of the front wheels easily and the movement is smooth and free, so there's no mechanical resistance. I've bled the system and there's no air / bubbles rising through the fluid.

Fluid level is fine, and the rack has no fluid behind the gaitors....

Any ideas ?
These are sensations as hard to forget as they are to ignore.....
clipper
E30 Zone Squatter
E30 Zone Squatter
Posts: 1980
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Madrid

Post Tue Jan 29, 2013 3:15 pm

Been told on another site that it might be the pressure relief valve sticking.... anyone heard fo this?

Fixable? Or new pump time?
These are sensations as hard to forget as they are to ignore.....
Rav335uk
E30 Zone Meets/Events Team
E30 Zone Meets/Events Team
Posts: 27978
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Mad mad mad

Post Tue Jan 29, 2013 3:50 pm

Belt slipping?
Image
If you Got "Haters",Then your doing something Right!
CR24v??? Where's it all gone?? LOL
clipper
E30 Zone Squatter
E30 Zone Squatter
Posts: 1980
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Madrid

Post Tue Jan 29, 2013 8:44 pm

No sign of it. No screeching, no glazing on the belt, tensed up properly....
These are sensations as hard to forget as they are to ignore.....
clipper
E30 Zone Squatter
E30 Zone Squatter
Posts: 1980
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Madrid

Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 6:14 pm

Just in case anyone else has a similar problem, I followed a recommendation to try to "unstick" the pressure release valve by draining the old fluid.

I actually removed the pump and reservoir, sprayed them full of light oil (not WD 40 as I thought that it might be a bit too agressive), shook and drained a few times, repeated the process, left to drain again over-night and then refitted it all with new ATF.

May be coincidence, may just be the new fluid, or it may even be only a temporary fix, but it has worked, for now.
These are sensations as hard to forget as they are to ignore.....