Power Steering Failure

Thornebt

Thornebt

Joined
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Autosleeper Cotswold
I've driven up to Mansfield so I can take my van to an auto electrical place at 8am tomorrow morning to get my Webasto heater fixed. Arranged to stay in a nearby pub car park overnight. Whilst driving across the car park there was a bang from underneath and the power steering failed! I can't believe it!

I'm only three miles from the place that are fixing the heater. They have said if it's simply a belt they could do it. If it's an electronic steering pump they know people locally who could fix it. There's no belt on the floor. I can't see a belt under the bonnet and the level of the power steering reservoir looks normal.

I can phone the recovery people but if they recover me to the garage then they obviously won't recover me to anywhere else.

So I'm thinking I have a meal at the pub then when the roads are quieter I struggle three miles to the garage where they have a forecourt I can stay on. At least that leaves me a recovery option.

I'm guessing it's an electronic pump on my 2010 Peugeot Boxer but it's dark out there! Has anyone else had a bang from underneath (I didn't drive over anything) followed by power steering failure?
 
Isn’t the same belt used to drive alternator and power steering. So if power steering belt has failed, you also have lost alternator belt.
Is alternator light on? Off?

I also think that on a 2010 that it will just be a mechanical pump.
 
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There was no bang when the power steering failed on my BMW 320 a few years ago, but it was definitely a belt failure. I could see a "vacant" pulley under the bonnet. The car was completely undriveable after the last vestige of "power", had dissipated. I know we're talking different vehicles but the principle must be the same.

So I wouldn't try driving your MH anywhere if I were you, you could easily find your self in a tricky spot unable to move your vehicle.
 
I've just checked and the alternator light goes out when I start the engine - so at least the battery is charging. I've found the pump on this eBay link. There's a triangular flange which a pulley may bolt to but I really don't know.

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Thornebt said:
I've just checked and the alternator light goes out when I start the engine - so at least the battery is charging. I've found the pump on this eBay link. There's a triangular flange which a pulley may bolt to but I really don't know.

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Yes you are correct. The triangle flange is where you bolt your pulley too.

What engine do you have?
 
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Thanks very much everyone. This forum is so helpful.
 
Thornebt said:
I'm guessing it's an electronic pump on my 2010 Peugeot Boxer but it's dark out there
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No it will be belt driven as you have a reservoir. I believe also that you have the ford puma 2,2 tdci engine in that as well?
I cannot remember on my mates one, which also has the ford engine, but on my actual Transit with the same engine be very careful if it is plumbed the same as the power steering & water pumpn are back to back on the same shaft & have acoupling in the middle .They are also driven off the crankshaft at the very bottom by the "stretch belt" which on most sensible vehicle is used to drive the A/C pump. Keep an eye on temperature gauge
 
gus-lopez said:
No it will be belt driven as you have a reservoir. I believe also that you have the ford puma 2,2 tdci engine in that as well?
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Yes. I'm sure it's the 2.2 Puma engine - 100hp.
 
Thornebt said:
Yes. I'm sure it's the 2.2 Puma engine - 100hp.
Click to expand...

Looks like the Puma engine has a separate belt for the power steering pump, and looks to be a reasonably easy fit.

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Thornebt said:
Yes. I'm sure it's the 2.2 Puma engine - 100hp.
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Sorry. My alternator working, same belt scenario was based on the fiat/Peugeot engine.

Sounds like it could easily be the stretch belt. Easy fix if it is.
 
Thanks Two on Tour. The video is brilliant. Looks like the auto electrician should be able to fix it fairly easily.
 
If it is a broken belt, the AA or RAC will replace it rather than recover. Check it is snapped and that the pump is not seized before calling them.
 
Two on Tour said:
Looks like the Puma engine has a separate belt for the power steering pump, and looks to be a reasonably easy fit.

Click to expand...

That looks like it drives the power steering pump only on the peugeot/citroen? so would be an easy fix.
On the ford the water pump is driven off f the backof the power steering pump.

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I managed to drive to the garage. The alternator light went on and off. Power steerIng is heavy. I can see the alternator belt and another belt are very oily but it's difficult to see much inside the engine bay even with a torch, especially when you're lying in puddles!

I believe oil is leaking and has contaminated power steering and alternator belts making them both slip very badly. Maybe it's a split oil pipe. I will post an update tomorrow.
 
I'm now thinking that what I thought was oil is power steering fluid. Everything was fine until there was a bang underneath the engine. Power steering immediately failed. So I'm guessing something broke and fluid now leaking contaminating belts. What I thought was oil is very thin and black. Just doesn't seem like engine oil.
 
Are you sure it’s not just wet spray from driving?

You mentioned before that levels were ok

And reading into the Tdci engine this belt failure isn’t a rare thing.
 
Thornebt said:
I managed to drive to the garage. The alternator light went on and off. Power steerIng is heavy. I can see the alternator belt and another belt are very oily but it's difficult to see much inside the engine bay even with a torch, especially when you're lying in puddles!

I believe oil is leaking and has contaminated power steering and alternator belts making them both slip very badly. Maybe it's a split oil pipe. I will post an update tomorrow.
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Good luck with it all tomorrow.
Hope it's an easy fix.
If I may ask, who is the Auto Electrician / repair garage ?.
 
Thank you. It's PB Auto Electrics. They are a Webasto service centre.

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Auto electricians had a look at power steering pump etc. Turns out that the crankshaft pulley has come off and 'pierced the engine casing'. Phoned garage close to home and they said they have seen this before. They said as it still drives ok it is hopeful that it will just need a new timing cover and crankshaft pulley.

Phoned breakdown people (Caravan Guard) who are very efficient. I just need to phone them after the heater is fixed and they will recover me nearly 200 miles to the garage near home. Van won't be done until January but I had no plans anyway.

So hopefully I'm not looking at a new engine! What would that cost? £10k?
 
Wow, that sounds dramatic 🤯
I guess it'll depend on what is pierced on how easy to repair ?
Good luck for a successful outcome 👍
 
Good to hear it's not too expensive but it would be interesting to hear what caused the Crankshaft pulley to become detached, especially if it's not a one off? 🤔

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L' Hobo said:
Good to hear it's not too expensive but it would be interesting to hear what caused the Crankshaft pulley to become detached, especially if it's not a one off? 🤔
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Seems like metal fatigue on one of the crankshaft sprockets. The centre part is still bolted to the crankshaft but the outer part has totally detached.
 
sounds like a 13 year old rubber belt hardened by the cold just eventually let go. Easy enough to change, but make sure the tensioner pulley is still good
 
TheBig1 said:
sounds like a 13 year old rubber belt hardened by the cold just eventually let go. Easy enough to change, but make sure the tensioner pulley is still good
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It's more that the pulley has let go and is now in two separate pieces.
 
Thornebt said:
It's more that the pulley has let go and is now in two separate pieces.
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missed that post. They do fail after a few years of use, but will do so quicker if the belt is over tension
 
Thornebt said:
Auto electricians had a look at power steering pump etc. Turns out that the crankshaft pulley has come off and 'pierced the engine casing'. Phoned garage close to home and they said they have seen this before. They said as it still drives ok it is hopeful that it will just need a new timing cover and crankshaft pulley.

Phoned breakdown people (Caravan Guard) who are very efficient. I just need to phone them after the heater is fixed and they will recover me nearly 200 miles to the garage near home. Van won't be done until January but I had no plans anyway.

So hopefully I'm not looking at a new engine! What would that cost? £10k?
Click to expand...
If the actual engine casing is cracked, it is normally deemed beyond repair, but could be welded. If it's a case of the belt cover then cheap and easy to find. If the engine needs replacing, go with a used engine on a van this age, many scrap or accident damaged vans about. Just be picky about mileage and expect to pay £1000 to £1500

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