ZX Power Steering.

[russellfowden]

Think I may have an impending prob. The fluid is a really funny dark colour and the steering feels somehow heavier, especially if you go from lock to lock (seems to not keep up) - is this likely to be a new pump required or something else?
Cheers all.

[Jon]

Pump could be on its way out, although they do give warning by either leaking or becoming noisy.
The other possibility is a fault with the PAS Ram, which is not uncommon.
I reckon that you should drain the old fluid from the resevoir, clean the inside, and refill with fresh red ATX fluid to see if that makes things better before departing on more expensive fixes like the ram.
You've just reminded me to change my PAS fluid, unchanged in 121,000 miles. Oops. I'll try and do it this weekend!!!

[jeremy]

Our ZX has always had dirty brown fluid in the PAS which I found rather surprising as its mileage was only 53,000 when we bought it.
I remember a thread on here extolling the virtues of auto trans fluid as its laced with friction modifiers which is a nice name for abrasives. Having seen that thread I've been able to justify my laziness in not changeing the fluid on the basis that while new fluid looks good, what is the real point of introducing a load of new abrasive into something that is working perfectly well.
Am I sensible or just lazy?
jeremy

[Guru Meditation]

Ha! My steering binds when removing left lock i.e. I wind on left lock then remove it quickly the rack totally binds. The only way to clear it is to stop trying to steer for a couple of seconds or force your way through it which requires probably 10-20 times the effort than is normally required to turn the steering. Luckily it doesn't happen at normal speeds because most bends don't require enough lock to get to the point where the steering binds but parking is a bitch-the tighter the space, the more you need your power steering, the worse the binding is because the quicker you wind the left lock off the more it binds-very frustrating. I'd rather have a non assisted rack than a PAS one that binds. I tried whipping the steering lock to lock with the engine off and both front wheels off the ground-there was no binding whatsoever so I conclude it must be the ram. Can only think of either changing the ram or trying a friction reducing additive-any suggestions?

[jeremy]

Sounds like a touch of good old fashioned belt slip like I used to get on my truimph Stag in the wet! Cure obvious.
If all is well with the belt then I recon your pump is the problem - its simply not producing enough pressurised oil to keep supplying the ram. Fresh oil might help but I'm not that optimistic, but there is always a chance that the real cause is a sticky valve or something and new oil may flush it out.
I think that if the pinion valve was the problem it would respond to fast movement but not to gentle. Also once it had started to provide assistance it would go on doing so providing you kept turning the wheel.
Jeremy

[Dave Burns]

Guru Meditation, its your power steering ram, brothers ZX TD did it years ago, replaced ram, steering perfect again.
This is a potentialy dangerous malfunction and advise its replacement ASAP, he put up with it for a while untill it scared him ****less one day, then it was off the road untill we found the problem.
The piston head works loose and its this that binds in its bore.
Dave

[Guru Meditation]

In reply to Jeremy-the steering definately binds rather than going extremely heavy ie force your way through it and you feel it 'ping' as though whatever was holding it back has suddenly come unstuck like if you were pulling on a rope hard and then it snapped.
Dave I think you're right, I've read your story below before. I guess it is a potentially dangerous fault-if it were to bind on a motorway bend at 75mph---I'm gonna fix it as a priority. P**ses me off too much when parking any how, bugger safety