Power Steering Help!

[knac1234]

Hello,

I have a 03 Disco and I think my power steering fluid is leaking. Just below low on the reservoir and bubbles in it, and a horrible groan to boot.

I've looked at the RAVE manual.....hoping for some advice.

I want to start with the lines. It looks (but there's little space to see) like the line from the reservoir to the pump might be leaking at the pump end.

-Can you replace with a generic line, or must use a genuine LR one?
-What do I remove to get down there (to replace the line and see the pump)?!
-How did you bleed it once you refilled it?

Any insight would be much appreciated!

Standard 03 Disco SE....only 36K original miles!

Regards,
Julian

[bkreutz]

3 potential leak areas, pump, gear, pressure hose, and return hose. (that's 4, so I can't count). You need to clean and trace down the source of the leak. I've seen all of those areas leak (worked as a LR tech until I retired a couple of years ago) The pump and return hose are easy, the pressure hose is tricky, and the gear is just messy and heavy (and very difficult without a hoist). I'd recommend a factory hose. If the ends aren't oriented perfectly when manufactured they can be impossible to get on. Not much to bleed in this case, on all except the gear, fill up the reservoir, start it up for a few seconds, shut it off, top off fluid. Do this a couple of times. If you replace the gear, fill up the tank, without starting the engine, turn the steering wheel lock to lock a few times then proceed with the above mentioned procedure. I'm assuming you don't have ACE(active cornering enhancement) on this, if you do, that could be your leak and that system is 2 kinds of horrors to work on. HTH

[knac1234]

Gale,

Thanks for the input.

Since posting, I have removed the pump (you are right, other than clearing the fan it was relatively easy).

It appears that the low pressure (reservoir to pump) hose might have been leaking as it was saturated where it connects to the pump. It leaked down, of course, so anything above was dry.

I am rolling the dice here, as I disconnected everything before testing it. Even though I have 36K miles on it, as you know hoses can go due to age, so am starting with replacing the low pressure hose. I will then reassemble and fill with full synthetic Royal Purple fluid and see how it works.

I am hoping it is not the pump, due to low mileage and a visual inspection of its middle gasket. We will find out, as the hose is due in at the dealer on Monday.

No ACE.....which is good! I thought I would have to bleed the system as there is some kind of nut on top of the gear box for that purpose. Air is going to be definitely in the system now......any tips? Do I just open the nut and connect tubing to it with the other end in the reservoir?????

Cheers,

Julian

[bkreutz]

I've never had the need to bleed one like brakes. The air purges itself quickly especially when changing anything but the pump. After replacing the hose and going through the little "fill, start, stop, refill" procedure I talked about before. Just start the engine and cycle it from full lock to full lock a few times. That's all I've ever had to do to clear the system of air. The fluid in the tank will be a bit foamy to start, but that goes away. Have fun, all in all a simple system (without the ACE which IMO was designed by a guy named Goldberg)

[knac1234]

Thanks Gale....will have a crack at it Mon or Tues when I have the hose. Glad to hear it should be as simple as filling the reservoir and turning lock to lock! There was foaming before as my fluid level was low.....I am hoping the pump's OK!

Julian

[GM13]

Check here:http://www.discoweb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=72564 (post 23) before refilling with synthetic. Maybe it is set in stone somewhere(I couldn't find it) but it seems non-synthetic Dexron 3 ATF is the thing to use since the spec'd Texaco cold climate 14315 is apparently NLA.

[bkreutz]

We used Dexron at the dealership where I worked. (if that's any help)

[knac1234]

Ideas??

I replaced the low pressure hose as it was saturated when removed. Decided to roll the dice on the pump, given it had only 36K miles on it.

Wiped down everything pretty clean so that I could observe leaks if still there when reassembled.

Put everything back together, and filled the system with Royal Purple synthetic fluid. Ran it, turned the wheel lock to lock several times (fluid at max), and observed no leaks.

It still howls and the fluid in the reservoir is frothy/bubbly. Do you think I might have a leak elsewhere, or would the howling/bubbles/froth indicate the pump? I am letting it sit overnight with some cardboard underneath to see if any fluid appears.

The howling makes me think the pump, but I am wondering if it is just air in the system, either by a leak that I cannot find or by somehow needing to bleed it.

Any advice appreciated!


Cheers,
Julian

[bkreutz]

This is one of the problems about doing repairs on a forum, kinda hard to interpret noises and how long you ran it. (no way to correct the "long distance" thing though) Thinking back, I don't think I ever spent more than 10 minutes before the air was purged out of the system. Having never used synthetic fluid I'm wondering if the air bubbles in the fluid are more difficult to purge??. Try it again after giving the fluid a chance to clear up while resting. Hopefully it will work. On an aside, I have seen both pumps and gears suck air and cause frothing without any external leaks, but hose failure is the most common thing.

[knac1234]

Gale,

Spoke last night with a local former LR tech and serviceperson who was also very knowledgeable.

He's pretty sure my pump is toast....so getting that ordered. He also mentionned the other two hoses (I replaced only the one from the reservoir to the pump).

In the midst of the conversation, he mentionned that those underbelly panels are useless and to get rid of them as he and others have.

I am thinking (hoping) that what I see as a leak on my cardboard is actually the remnants of the ton of fluid that was on the underbelly panel. The panel (I tried removing it) is lodged sideways, and I THINK the fluid might be trickling onto the cardboard.

When you add that to the fact that I see no fluid leaking anywhere and my reservoir is still at max, it is worth my ripping out the panel, driving it around the block, parking it overnight with new cardboard, and see what happens.

If I do have to replace the hoses, any insight? The one from the reservoir to the gear looks easy, but what about that very long one (part QEP105481)??

Cheers,
Julian

[bkreutz]

Could be a pump as well, but I'd have to hear it in person before I'd condemn it (I'm kinda cheap so I don't like replacing parts unless I'm convinced it's bad). Trying to remember if there's anything weird about changing the hoses and nothing specific comes up (but then again it's been abut 5 years since I retired and my memory is getting more suspect every day) I think one of the fittings on the gear is tough to get a wrench on. (high pressure I think). I remember 2 different approaches, one was to take the other hose off first then the hi press one, the other was using a long extension and a crowfoot wrench on the end. Hope this is helpful.

[knac1234]

Gale,

Looks like its definitely the pump. I ripped off that underbelly panel and trashed it. Then I was able to run the car and watch fluid drip from the pump to my new low pressure hose (hose was bad too, but turns out its the pump also).

At least that looks like it.....so I will save $150 on the other two hoses that appear to not need replacing.

Will update later next week when the pump shows up!

Cheers,
Julian

[knac1234]

All set! Rebuilt pump with lifetime warranty, low pressure hose, and full synthetic fluid. Quiet, no leaks, no bubbling or frothing in the reservoir

Next, in the course of reading up on the ps pump, I read I should swap out the ujoints on my driveshaft to the greasable kind, else it may freeze up and blow through the tranny Driveshaft will come out next week hopefully.

Cheers,
Julian

[bkreutz]

Glad you got that all handled. One thing about these is that you never run out of things to do.

[knac1234]

Got that right Gale! Freelander headlamp went out.....pulled the bulb (not a complete unit ) and checked all fluids everywhere on the Series.....it was a Land Rover weekend!

Julian