Power Steering ?

Bit stuck now really. Timmus got back to me as well and confirmed he also will be away for the next 2 weeks. He was also of the opinion that it is rare for the Power Steering Pump to fail, so not to dive in and pay for a new one to be fitted.
 
Do you mean Fuse 38 please ? Or is there a Fuse Local to the Pump ? Can’t see why water would have got in now and not at any other time in the last 15 years. Looks like we will have to go down the road of taking the A2 to Harpers in Carlisle who can diagnose it. Not got their price for fitting a New Pump yet but I’m expecting it to be in the order of £1000
 
depronman said:
I don't think you will get Tom at the moment, he was with me yesterday and said he was off to Norway next week, then had to move out of Lancaster in the next few weeks, it was all sounding very busy for the poor chap
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66Beetle said:
Timmus got back to me as well and confirmed he also will be away for the next 2 weeks.
Click to expand...

Yes, unfortunately, I'm not in a position to be of any great help. I got home 3 days ago, having been away from home for the preceding 7 weeks, but am about to fly to Norway. I'm also in the process of moving house. 20 years of personal and business stuff needs to be packed up and relocated, so I have not a minute of free time until that process is complete.
I currently owe many people replies to PMs - apologies if you're reading this; I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Andrew said:
Fuse 38 according to Sarge, but a whole stack of equipment on this fuse I think you would have noticed a failed fuse.
Click to expand...
Fuse 38 is an ignition trigger. It's a 10A circuit that simply informs a huge array of equipment throughout the car that the ignition is switched on.
The power steering pump draws a huge electrical current. It is fed by a dedicated 80A fuse that's located in the front-left (passenger) footwell, just in front of the CCCU. It's definitely worth lifting the carpet and ally panel and verifying that this fuse isn't blown. However, if it is blown, there has to be a reason that's happened. This reason could be a failed pump, a chafed wiring loom, water ingress, etc.
66Beetle said:
I’m expecting it to be in the order of £1000
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I realise you need a solution sooner rather than later, but surely it's just not worth paying £1000 to fix this issue when a little less urgency will allow you to fix it for just a fraction of that.
In my 9 years of playing with A2s, I think I've heard of one failed power steering pump. I imagine that @A2Steve has removed oodles of them but has had precious few requests. This doesn't mean yours hasn't failed, but it does mean that a replacement ought to cost you peanuts and that you should be confident in buying/fitting a second-hand part.
The replacement process is also fairly straightforward for anyone with some familiarity with the A2. Remove the undertray and front wheels, then the wheel arch liners and the headlights. This allows the front bumper to be removed, at which point access to the PS pump is easy. Possibly the biggest challenge will be removing the hydraulic lines from the existing pump, simply because they won't have been touched since initial assembly.
What alternative transport options have you got until @depronman is available? A 1966 Beetle, a car borrowed from a friend, a hire car, the local Stagecoach bus...? I know that nothing I suggest is going to be as convenient as using your daily driver, but it's got to be more convenient than paying silly money for a job that can almost certainly be resolved with club member diagnosis, parts and labour. I'm just sorry that my availability doesn't coincide with your hour of need.

Cheers,

Tom
 
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Tom,

Thank you.

Yes me too ( sorry your availability does not coincide with my hour of need ) ?

I’ll have a look for this 80A Fuse under the floor for a start. The 1966 Beetle is away being a Painted, as our Daughter wants it for her Wedding Car in November.
 
What drives the power steering pump on these cars? Is it a belt drive? If so, could the belt have snapped?
 
Kleynie said:
What drives the power steering pump on these cars? Is it a belt drive? If so, could the belt have snapped?
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It is hydraulic pump. There is not any belts there.

Should check all pipes and wires and look for a new (used) pump.

a2-584.png
 
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Thank you for the drawing. Just need to find out if the Pump has failed, or if there is some other cause.
 
I have seen another A2 with a malfunctioning pump; also alot of A2 has small leakages from the steering rack and many never check the oil level above minimum; nottomention noone ever flush the oil.

Have flushed both my A2s...
 
depronman said:
owe it is special 'green' oil not normal power steering fluid about £18 per litre and you need around 2 litres to refill after a pump change
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Oooops! been replacing my PS fluid with standard stuff for years. Checked the manual and can't see a specification, would you have one depronman?

Sorry to but in on your thread 66Beetle but this info could be useful if your garage like me just pours in standard fluid.
 
timmus said:
Yes, unfortunately, I'm not in a position to be of any great help. I got home 3 days ago, having been away from home for the preceding 7 weeks, but am about to fly to Norway. I'm also in the process of moving house. 20 years of personal and business stuff needs to be packed up and relocated, so I have not a minute of free time until that process is complete.
I currently owe many people replies to PMs - apologies if you're reading this; I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Fuse 38 is an ignition trigger. It's a 10A circuit that simply informs a huge array of equipment throughout the car that the ignition is switched on.
The power steering pump draws a huge electrical current. It is fed by a dedicated 80A fuse that's located in the front-left (passenger) footwell, just in front of the CCCU. It's definitely worth lifting the carpet and ally panel and verifying that this fuse isn't blown. However, if it is blown, there has to be a reason that's happened. This reason could be a failed pump, a chafed wiring loom, water ingress, etc.

I realise you need a solution sooner rather than later, but surely it's just not worth paying £1000 to fix this issue when a little less urgency will allow you to fix it for just a fraction of that.
In my 9 years of playing with A2s, I think I've heard of one failed power steering pump. I imagine that @A2Steve has removed oodles of them but has had precious few requests. This doesn't mean yours hasn't failed, but it does mean that a replacement ought to cost you peanuts and that you should be confident in buying/fitting a second-hand part.
The replacement process is also fairly straightforward for anyone with some familiarity with the A2. Remove the undertray and front wheels, then the wheel arch liners and the headlights. This allows the front bumper to be removed, at which point access to the PS pump is easy. Possibly the biggest challenge will be removing the hydraulic lines from the existing pump, simply because they won't have been touched since initial assembly.
What alternative transport options have you got until @depronman is available? A 1966 Beetle, a car borrowed from a friend, a hire car, the local Stagecoach bus...? I know that nothing I suggest is going to be as convenient as using your daily driver, but it's got to be more convenient than paying silly money for a job that can almost certainly be resolved with club member diagnosis, parts and labour. I'm just sorry that my availability doesn't coincide with your hour of need.

Cheers,

Tom
Click to expand...
Sorry. Should have said it’s not as simple as just being my car for getting to work and back. My mother is 87 and can only walk with a Zimmer Frame. We have to take her to many Doctors and Hospital Appointments. The A2 is the only car we have can get her in and out of. That and she likes the Handle on the Dash for hanging on to !
 
Power Steering fixed ! New Pump £380 Fitted inc VAT. No idea how or why they did it for that price. Can only assume they passed a lot of their Discount on to me.

Just got to have another go at changing that one Rear Coil Spring myself now. Only took the lower Shock Absorber Bolt out on the side I was trying to change last time. Will try taking both out this time.

Steve
 
glad you got it sorted Steve,
jack car up and hold on axle stands with the suspension drooping down
remove the lower shocky bolt from both side, the spring will pull out, put new spring in place (are you only changing one spring ?)
You will need to put the jack under the suspension and lift it slightly to get the shocky bolt back in

job done in 1/2 hour tops

Cheers,
 
I tried and gave up last time when it needed 2 new Rear Springs. The A2 seems to be seriously lacking in safe places to use a Trolley Jack and Axle Stands, so it never feels stable enough to exert much force on anything whilst lying on my garage floor. The A6 is bad enough to Jack but it is do - able compared to the A2 !
 
if you look there are the jacking point for the 2 and 4 post rams may still have rubber grommets in them they are on kind of turrets hanging down

these are the correct and safe points to jack up on / use axle stands on two front two rear
 
Yes. Found them on the last attempt. Thank you. Got to remember that I’m a Pensioner used to working on Morris Minors, Ford Cortinas, VW Beetles & Type 3. You can Jack them up anywhere you like !
 
66Beetle said:
Power Steering fixed ! New Pump £380 Fitted inc VAT. No idea how or why they did it for that price. Can only assume they passed a lot of their Discount on to me.

Just got to have another go at changing that one Rear Coil Spring myself now. Only took the lower Shock Absorber Bolt out on the side I was trying to change last time. Will try taking both out this time.

Steve
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Maybe a good time to replace the rubber ring the rear spring sits on at the same time. The old one might have disappeared but there should be one, but I suppose only sensible if you are doing both sides.

Andy
 
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