At the weekend i noticed clear fluid under the car, its ever so slowly dripping and the steering boot is covered in the stickly fluid.

So ive booked it into a local garage for them to quote me on it.

Im guessing its the steering rack or pump, the car feels normal most of the time occasionally its starting to feel heavy for a brief second but im wondering what the exact cause is.

Because the steering column boot made a whoosh noise when i moved it back a bit across the bar im thinking its the rack.

Thing is i have no steering light error showing on the dashboard?

Guess im looking mega bucks to replace this, shame the warranty ran out last september :(

Edited 25 May, 201016 yr by Static

Hi Static

I think you could save your self some money, even canceling the booked in car

First of all the clear fluid will be from your air con, (Very normal)

2nd The steering is electric so no fluid there

But the sticky fluid on the boot I am not sure of, could be any thing, What colour is it ?

Radiotwo

2nd The steering is electric so no fluid there

Radiotwo

Electric pump yes, but pumps fluid still...

Kev

Is the fluid a green-ish colour? The fluid is green in the resivour, but maybe show up as clear in a small quantity. As the boot on my steering rack failed, and I needed a whole new steering rack fitted. The first person I called out just clamped the boot up, which stopped it dripping, but it still leaks as the seals are inside the boot. I got messed around loads by the garage who did mine, and the end cost was around £700 at cost, including an offical, brand new Skoda steering rack. If you go for a recon, it's around £150 I think - although I had a brand new one of these that leaked in three places.

RadioTwo - the system is electric, but it uses fluids too. The eletric pump pumps the fluid around, unlike FIAT who have it entirely eletric. *Edit* Darn - beaten by Kev.

Edited 25 May, 201016 yr by TriggerFish

Well it looked clear but i just wiped it with a tissue and now i would say green :(

Maybe i will ask the garage to clamp the boot up and see what happens....

Edited 25 May, 201016 yr by Static

Steering rack seals will have gone, new or recon rack required, expensive.

Oh well i will have to bite the bullet, car is only a 56 plate with 33k on the clock!

Do you realy have to replace the rack just for a rubber boot that seems mad. I have the same prob been topping up every month or 2 and using stop leak fluid to no avail. could I not glue the boot (or new Boot) like a cv boot? my car aint worth spending huge money on.

You could be right - but I don't think that you are, there should not be steering fluid in there!

Hi Static

I think you could save your self some money, even canceling the booked in car

First of all the clear fluid will be from your air con, (Very normal)

2nd The steering is electric so no fluid there

But the sticky fluid on the boot I am not sure of, could be any thing, What colour is it ? Radiotwo

I don't want to sound too harsh, but you seem to be dishing out a bit much "guessed" bad and wrong advice, in the spirit of these " seek and give help" forums, it is very bad form to give bad advice - could cost some folk a lot of money! There is no shame in not know - there is a nothing good about guessing and given advice based on guessing.

Do you realy have to replace the rack just for a rubber boot that seems mad. I have the same prob been topping up every month or 2 and using stop leak fluid to no avail. could I not glue the boot (or new Boot) like a cv boot? my car aint worth spending huge money on.

The steering rack boots are just to keep dirt out on this type of rack. The fluid is held in the system by seals in the rack, and if fluid is making it as far as the boots the rack is faulty. In older cars without PAS the boots did indeed hold in the hypoid oil for the rack, or in most cases graphite based grease.

Well they must be a poor design, going by the other numerous cases of this seal failure mentioned on this site.

Taking it into a garage today, see how much this will cost

Could try to get some good will gesture from Skoda as it's such an expensive part and has failed so fast? Mine lasted 9 years and 90,000 miles, it seems a bit unfair to expect 33k to be reasonable mileage.

Do you realy have to replace the rack just for a rubber boot that seems mad. I have the same prob been topping up every month or 2 and using stop leak fluid to no avail. could I not glue the boot (or new Boot) like a cv boot? my car aint worth spending huge money on.

I had to as the garage that tried to fix mine (I supplied the wrong part, not there fault) left a clamp on the main hydrolic pipe, which starved the rack of fluid over the drive home (20-30 miles), and caused the pump to overheat.

Well they must be a poor design, going by the other numerous cases of this seal failure mentioned on this site.

Taking it into a garage today, see how much this will cost :(

Numerous cases? Steering rack failure is extremely rare.

£440 to replace inc labour, not as bad as £700 that skoda would have charged

£440 to replace inc labour, not as bad as £700 that skoda would have charged

Very good price

Thats what i thought plus the garage is round the corner from me which is handy.

Got it booked in for next thursday, until then i will keep topping up the fluid chamber, that is once ive removed the battery, air filter housing and battery shelf doh !

Edited 27 May, 201016 yr by Static

Thanks TriggerFish and MoggyTech, good Info. I will look into 2nd hand racks but It looks like quite a big job. MoggyTech what colour Is your car (don't answer if you dot want to) I might have seen you around about If you get flashed by a white fabia(with steering fruid dripping from it) that'll be me.

Thanks TriggerFish and MoggyTech, good Info. I will look into 2nd hand racks but It looks like quite a big job. MoggyTech what colour Is your car (don't answer if you dot want to) I might have seen you around about If you get flashed by a white fabia(with steering fruid dripping from it) that'll be me.

Race Blue SE Reg SE---MKN

Got the car back today, all sorted.

So good to be back on the road, now i can plan my next mod.. 312mm upgrade