hello everyone

 

i have just joined, my name is Robert.

 

hope everyone is ok.

 

anyway my power steering has just stopped working on my skoda fabia 2008 model. i have tried looking for the power steering fluid reservoir, at first i couldnt find it then realized its under the battery. could anyone tell me which nuts i need to unscrew to take the battery out please?

 

many thanks

I actually ended up dropping the pump out from underneath the wheel arch! that way I could actually see how much was in there, have you checked for leaks on the steering rack ? they do seem to tend to go on the Mk2, also ive heard the pumps can go as well but I think that was more of an issue on the Mk1's.

 

in relation to your question, you need to take off the battery cables and the plastic cage around the battery (from memory this just clips off once the battery cables are off.) after that towards the front of the car there is a bolt with a small plate that grips the bottom of the battery, should be able to take it out then.

 (could be wrong, was about a year ago I last messed about with my battery.)

 

28 minutes ago, Benji96 said:

I actually ended up dropping the pump out from underneath the wheel arch! that way I could actually see how much was in there, have you checked for leaks on the steering rack ? they do seem to tend to go on the Mk2, also ive heard the pumps can go as well but I think that was more of an issue on the Mk1's.

 

in relation to your question, you need to take off the battery cables and the plastic cage around the battery (from memory this just clips off once the battery cables are off.) after that towards the front of the car there is a bolt with a small plate that grips the bottom of the battery, should be able to take it out then.

 (could be wrong, was about a year ago I last messed about with my battery.)

 

thank you very much for your reply.

im thinking about taking it to garage as im not that technical with cars, it might be easier doing what you did with the wheel arch. how did you take the pump off please?

hey guys i have took the battery out and checked the fluid level. it was empty so i topped it up and now its working again. no leak as yet so will find out tomorrow. strange how it went empty though.

At a guess, I'd say its never been topped up since new...

 

Warning out there for all of us!

13 hours ago, mrgf said:

At a guess, I'd say its never been topped up since new...

 

Warning out there for all of us!

you saying that it was at the minimum mark when i got the car and that was enough to power the steering wheel then it got so low that my power steering went?

Its a possibility. I have never actually checked my own and thats the point I was thinking of... how many of us have? If you get the car serviced at the main dealer, I would expect them to at the very least, check the level. In my old Saab 900, the filler was so easy to check. I did it frequently but this one I have never done. I have recently started to do more of my own maintanance /service work so I guess I need to go the extra mile and check this, too.

 

The steering fluid does need a check and top up occasionally so perhaps as you say, it was at just the barest minimum to operate, then fell below that level rendering the power steering inoperative. Imagine if that happened to the engine oil!

 

Perhaps its gonna be a wise precaution though, to park with say, some white cloth underneath the car a few times if you have a drive/garage and see if there is a puddle and/or check the level of the fluid again in say, a month, just to see if its still full.

Edited 12 June, 20179 yr by mrgf

2 minutes ago, mrgf said:

...The steering fluid does need a check and top up occasionally ...

 

Shouldn't do, it's a completely sealed system, unless it's got a damaged seal somewhere.

Engines comletely sealed, so is coolant, air-con. Things DO leak, evaporate, etc. 

Edited 12 June, 20179 yr by mrgf

cheers guys, what about air con? how often do i need to fill them?

Edited 13 June, 20179 yr by froggy8

23 hours ago, mrgf said:

Engines comletely sealed...

Does yours not let air and exhaust in and out? No crankcase ventilation system that can't help but allow a small amount of oil (mist) to get into the combustion chambers?

 

A/C realistically will benefit from checking/topping up around 4-5 year intervals.

 

Skoda put stuff in the way of the PAS reservoir lid because it's very unlikely to need access.

1 minute ago, Wino said:

Does yours not let air and exhaust in and out? 

Thats just being pedantic. I meant that oil doesn't or isn't intended to leak. It is sealed in but leaks occur. Same with power steering. The "Seal" is just the top cap and they have a high and low level designed for top ups. The fact that its hard to reach is due o design. The brake fluid is too on my version, can be very difficult to see the levels, if not impossible.  Ford Focus' rear light bulbs are a complete pain to get to, compared with my Fabia and Yaris but you can bet your bottom dollar they blow frequently enough anyway. (My sidelights are a pain, headlights fiddly too but do-able).

 

Most manufacturers recommend a/c checks and regass every two years. Small losses of gas mean less cool interior and most likely, a harder working compressor. That said, three years intervals should suffice.

Pedantic but truthful, especially w.r.t. the crankcase ventilation system.

 

Loss of brake fluid, like PAS fluid, indicates a fault that needs correcting, not a servicing requirement.

 

 

 

thank you very much guys, might go to halfords to see if they can check my air con, see if it needs topping up.

mrgf, the mechanisms that cause the loss/usage of engine oil, coolant and refrigerant are well know and tolerated.

 

As said by Wino, there is no allowance for loss/usage of brake fluid - other than its liking for a bit of moisture, so it needs replacing every two years or so, likewise for power steering fluid - without the worry about any moisture, so it is in there for life, or until a system failure.

3 hours ago, rum4mo said:

 

 

As said by Wino, there is no allowance for loss/usage of brake fluid - other than its liking for a bit of moisture, so it needs replacing every two years or so, likewise for power steering fluid - without the worry about any moisture, so it is in there for life, or until a system failure.

.....And yet, at 40,000 miles or four years, according to the Hayes manual, power steering fluid should be checked. The cap even has its own dip-stick, with BOTH hot and cold measurements. Bit of overkill for something that is "There for life"? 

 

I think we are gonna have to agree to disagree here. I am NOT saying they are regular, once a month inspections but inspection IS needed and in this case scenario, it may have saved a bit of worry as to if the system was damaged. BTW, what would be the outcome if one drove the car without any fluid? I am guessing it would steer difficultly, perhaps potentially causing an accident and you MAY even damage some more, costly components by letting the fluid go too low. I therefor stick to my comment that a lesson can be learned as a warning to us all. It takes a wee while to check but can be worth it. 

Sorry but I'll have to agree with you over checking the power steering fluid level, it was just the idea of topping it up and accepting that "that is another job taken care of" that I could not agree with.