Hi all

Yesterday my lad drove home from work and the little steering wheel light came on. He got home and switched the ignition off and went to get the manual to check the warning light, switched the ignition back on and started the car, no warning light? I remember reading somewhere that this light indicates an overheating steering pump, is this right? The car had a leak from the rack when we got it and I had our local garage check it and install some "leak fix fluid", now I know that it is usually snake oil but we considered it was worth a try, the car has not been dripping fluid since then so we assumed it had worked However now that the light has come on I am beginning to think maybe not.

What do you guys think please? I am starting to fear that I need to replace the rack, hell, where do I get one and the cost of fitting it will be awful I imagine.

Advice/suggestions please...

TIA

 

Keith

Check the fluid level before you go any further, not sure why you'd get a garage to install the leak stop, opening a container and poring it in is hardly a skilled job and it's a 5 min job to get the battery box etc out to make getting to the res easy. It could be the PAS fluid is now just leaking into a gaiter that's been tightened rather than onto the drive. As to the rack costs price one up at the dealer for the parts and fitted, try and control your laughter then have a look at carparts4less remembering that you pay the surcharge upfront and get a rebate when you return the old rack (ECP's sale means they're the same price as CP4L atm on most items, they are the same company). Then ask a few local garages how much to fit and supply/fit a new rack.

 

Remember, if you buy the parts and fit/have them fitted then in the event of a failure the parts supplier will usually blame the installer and vice versa, going with someone who will supply and fit the parts means they are liable for it being right irrespective and that means you have more protection in the event of something going wrong rather than being stuck in the middle.

Edited 25 April, 201412 yr by Avalon

I'm sure the electric pump will enjoy the 'leak fix fluid'.

Thanks for the replies, the reason the garage installed the leak fix was because I had them give the car a good look over and carry out an oil change when we first bought the car, so as it was there and they told me about the leak I went and got the snake oil and they stuck it in

I understand what you say about supply AND fit, it does make sense, although we are trying to keep costs to a minimum, so we may choose a different option. Do you rate "refurbished" steering racks? Are they worthwhile or not?

Will the leak fix harm the pump? I do hope not....

 

Keith

Nothing at all wrong with keeping costs down, but sometimes it can be worth paying slightly more to make sure you get a decent quality part and it's got warranty no matter what. By getting prices for all the options from a few places including the dealer you can make an informed choice, i've seen people pay way over the odds for things because they thought going to the dealer would be expensive when in reality the dealer was a lot cheaper for a new part than ebay was. I've also laughed when a dealer has quoted me for something that's just stupidly expensive and shouldn't be.

 

Refurbs can be great or they can be awful, a bit like buying pattern parts. For example if you know who the OEM is for a part and can buy it without a Skoda sticker/box for 25-50% less then why not? If it comes from an industrial unit at the other end of the country with a 3 month warranty then expect the worst and remember that labor isn't cheap. Your parts that you supplied fail and the fitter claims not to be at fault then you still have to pay someone to remove them, send the part back at your cost and wait for an exchange, then pay for the replacement to be fitted. If you are doing it yourself it's not so much of an issue, but if you aren't it can get expensive quite quickly.

Thanks for the advice Avalon, agree with you 100% although spending hundreds of pounds straight away on a car is a bitter pill :(

Thanks again

 

Keith

My daughter's boyfriend's rack change came in at about £400.

Ouch

Keith