Xantia Power steering fault and really loud rattling

[daniel.bain]

Hi

I wonder if anybody could help me please?

My car's engine management light came on about a week ago, but the car was still running as normal, until the other day when the car refused to start, i eventually got the car going but once it had started it was making a loud rattling noise which became even louder also it startid making a loud scraping noise, i went to start my car this miorning and the loud noise was there again but my power steering has now failed, i cant even move the steering wheel, well i can a little bit but its mega mega stiff?

Has anyone got any ideas what could be wrong?

Cheers

Daniel

[CitroJim]

Hi daniel and welcome to the forum

It would help us enormously if we knew more details of the car, especially the engine.

My initial thought is that the crankshaft pulley (a dual mass type) has broken up and the auxillary belt has come off.

This would account for the very heavy steering.

Is your STOP and hydraulic warning lights on?

One thing that ofen happens in the case of the crank pulley breaking up and the auxillary belt shedding is that it goes through the timing belt covers, jams the timing belt and makes it jump a few teeth.

I hope this is not the problem in your case.

[daniel.bain]

Thanks for your reply

The aux belt has not snapped it is still very much in one peice, the stop light wasnt on but the battery light kept coming on, i think i know where the rattling is coming from, i took the drivers side wheel off and there are some round wheel things that the belts are on, well the bottom right hand wheel which has the belt atatched is making the rattling sound, it is sort off connected to a punp of some sort below the alternator.

the car is

Xantia 2.0 HDI, 2000 V reg, manual, the timing belt was only replaced in November last year and has only covered 8,000 miles since, checked LHM fluid and is at the correct level.

[admiral51]

Hi
At a guess i reckon its the Air Con compressor that you are looking at.The bearings are known to give up.

It sounds as if the belt is not actually moving as the pulley is jammed.This would mean you have not got the HP pump running or the alternator hence no power steering and the battery light on saying its not being charged.

Im sure that this compressor can be bypassed just to have a look for the thread.
Think its in CitroJims blog or maybe Xacs

Colin

[Xaccers]

Sounds like its your aircon compressor.
Does the sound change when you turn on the air con and do your radiator fans run at the same time?