Help! Steering has gone light!

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Lilshewolf
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Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by Lilshewolf »

Hi,
My citroen picasso 2004 2.0 hdi has gone weird! The steering is exceptionally light! I had new front tyres last month and its booked in for a service and mot next week but all of a sudden the steering has gone so light I can turn it with my little finger, the problem improves a little at times but majority of time it's just too light. It started last week I drove it parked up and returned 3 hours later when I started it up and reversed out of a parking space it felt like the steering was lighter than air, It was roasting hot that day and assumed it was just warm tyres/fluid but the problem has persisted. I'm worried it's gonna be a major problem
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by xantia_v6 »

Does this car have electric power steering or old-fashioned hydraulic?
It might be helpful to post your VIN number, so that someone can look up the specification.
Lilshewolf
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by Lilshewolf »

I actually have no idea whether its electric or hydraulic.. Sorry I'm a woman without a clue about cars but here is the vin VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by Lilshewolf »

Edit vin VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by bobins »

It shows as conventional power steering. The pump sits in / on the tank and is belt driven.
Xsara pump
Xsara pump
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Lilshewolf
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by Lilshewolf »

Wow that's a lot of parts that could go wrong
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by myglaren »

Welcome to the FCF Lilshewolf :wave1:

I can't answer the question but wonder if there is a pressure regulator in the system that has failed?
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by Lilshewolf »

All I know is there is no lights on the dash and the only steering issues people seem to have is that it goes stiff not the opposite, I've checked fluid levels and tyre pressure
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by Gibbo2286 »

I wonder if you've been driving it with poor tyres making it heavy and replacing them has made it light as it should have been before Mrs Muscles :-D
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by xantia_v6 »

With a purely hydraulic system, very light steering is usually caused by a failure in the steering pinion valve. This is bad news for you, as it would mean that the complete steering rack must be replaced.
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by Lilshewolf »

Damn was hoping for the former reply but will probably be the latter reply, is it expensive replacing the steering rack? :(
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by bobins »

To buy a rack - 2nd hand ones from £50, reconditioned ones in the range of £100 - £300 - you pays your money, and takes your choice :) Fitting would be extra. It might be worth Googling to see if there are any steering rack reconditioners in your area, as some of them will offer a drive in-drive out service, as in.... you drive it in in the morning, and they'll swap the rack for a reconditioned one, and you drive it out later that day. It's not a particularly difficult job to do.
Bear in mind that it's extememly difficult to diagnose precisely what the problem is via the forum - a second opinion from someone who can actually see the car would be better. It might be worth phoning up a local steering rack reconditioner and seeing what they have to say.
For info - book time to replace the steering rack is just under 3 hours.
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by Stickyfinger »

"my mechanic friend would also like photographs of the problem part/failure that clearly show what is wrong" ..... is never a bad thing for a Woman to say when going to such establishments (sadly). If they umm/ahhh or say no to that Walk Away.
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by Lilshewolf »

I've took it to a local garage to be looked at, dead nervous :-s
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Re: Help! Steering has gone light!

Post by bobins »

Realistacally, It'll probably be either the steering rack or the power steering pump that's gone. Neither are eye-wateringly expensive or particularly difficult jobs to do, and just about any garage would be able to do either job if they wanted to. If it's the steering rack that needs doing, then I'd start to think twice about the garage if they quoted north of £450 to supply and fit a recon rack - although it's a little difficult to be accurate about that because not all racks are reconditioned the same.... some reconditioned racks are more expensive than others ! If the garage gets an off the shelf recon rack from Eurocarparts (they are many garages 'go to' place for spare parts) then they may charge you over £350 for the rack on its own before fitting it, but the plus side is they'd be able to do it quickly. Shop around and be prepared to wait a few days for delivery and a rack can be bought for a lot less.
Sadly no longer a C5 owner :(
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