Hello everyone, so my power steering started to go wonky and then I realised I had the alternator signal wire issue. Got that fixed so the battery shows up on the dash, only thing is when I went in to fix it I realised that there was loads of oil underneath the car - light oil. Fixing the signal load wire didn't solve the issue - so I looks like me driving it has caused to loose the steering fluid. Anyone think this is true? What should I do?

Like it's a huge leak, car is absolutely dripping

Two issues, oil and PAS fluid aren't the same thing and 'wonky' isn't much use as a description of the fault. Start by telling us what it does/doesn't do, when and if it's repeatable or random etc. the more info the better.

Basically it when stiff with the first initial turn of the wheel but as you kept turning (say a long corner) it went back to normal - like the power steering was working again - this seemed dependant on revs

Check oil level and PAS fluid level, if it's genuinely dripping then one or the other will be low. Who did your last service and where they cack handed?

Got my friend to service it, so it obvs wasn't a proper inspection service but I was there and there was no leak 

Do your friend spill oil by any chance? Just it spreads a lot with heat and oil and Steering aren't related.

nah, was serviced like 6 months ago man. It must be fluid only looks like oil because of the dirt its accumulated from the car. Just crazy that theres so much of it leaking - I thought steering rack leaks were usually small

Edited 18 April, 201412 yr by cboyle7

Do your friend spill oil by any chance? Just it spreads a lot with heat and oil and Steering aren't related.

what are you on? the fabia has oil powered steering, the pump is in the nsf corner I would check the fluid level before doing anything else mate, I have seen the pipes leak where the flexi is crimped in and have seen lots of racks fail and leak all the oil out too. The oil is a green colour.

Avalon said oil and PAS fluid aren't the same thing and he's perfectly correct.

Res is not easy to get to but if the rack is leaking that badly it should be easy to trace in the daylight.

what are you on? the fabia has oil powered steering, the pump is in the nsf corner I would check the fluid level before doing anything else mate, I have seen the pipes leak where the flexi is crimped in and have seen lots of racks fail and leak all the oil out too. The oil is a green colour.

Pepsi rather than coke since you asked. Assuming you aren't colour blind then while yes they're both oil based PAS fluid is usually green or red, this is not the same as clean oil which is amber, they are quite different visually and in composition/additive packages.

Edited 19 April, 201412 yr by Avalon

Righto, got a proper look, power steering fluid was empty, jacked car up, gaitor on the nearside looks is quite wet, so looks like the steering rack has went :( Best place to source one?

Get a price from the dealer, try not to swear, compare to ECP and your local factor remembering that you have to pay the up front cost and then get a rebate for the old one, finally get a price for supply/fit from a trusted garage, you see while getting parts is the cheap way if you get someone else to fit them you run the risk that if something goes wrong the parts supplier will blame the fitter and the fitter will blame the parts. At least if the fitter supplies the parts then they have to fix it.

Edited 20 April, 201412 yr by Avalon

True that