e30 power steering

[fb]

Hi guys,i have a 325 sport,can anyone shed some light on why my power steering is so heavy when i first start up and move off? Any help will be appreciated.

[Gavla]

You have checked the power steering fluid level?

[fb]

Yes checked all that,at the max mark.

[Gavla]

I am no expert...(hopefully one of them will dip in on this)... but if the fluid is ok then it may be that your power steering pump is on the way out...

My E46 steering started feeling heavy and 3 days later the pump needed to be changed...

[Brianmoooore]

Yes checked all that,at the max mark.

and what colour?

[fb]

Thanks Gavla,i will run it for a week or two then i will look into replacing pump.


The steering fluid is red/cherry colour,which was changed about two years ago!

The car only does about two or three hundred miles a year!

[clipper]

Mine does exactly the same.

When the weather's cold it is as if there is no power assist at all, fully manual. Then as it warms up, the assist comes back.

I changed the pump for a known good one, but it made no difference. Changed the fluid three times now, using different brands, but still the same.

It seems to be called "morning sickness" at least in the US and seems to be due to shrinkage of the seals inside the rack which lets fluid past until the warmth expands them and the "seal" again.

Mine started to do it after being parked up for 3 years, so it seems to be related to a lack of use.

[fb]

Thank you clipper,glad im not the only one this has happened to,guess as you said maybe lack of use.

Your info was of great help,gonna keep an eye on it this summer and see how it goes.

[arrisbmw]

power steering fluid. ALL no ONLY USE ATF IN OUR E30,S please note. recommendation is detron II

[clipper]

I have a bottle of stopleak kicking around, and I'm wodering if that will keep my rack going for a while longer, but then I'm worried about what it might do to the pump...