steering stiff Steering problems 1.4 vrs

[GT0161]

So iv had a new clutch fitted and collected the car today, 

 

on my way home the steering felt stiff a further mile or two and i was coming up to a sharp right bend, 

the car wouldnt turn, 

 

so gone back to the garage and explained it wasnt like this before having the clutch done...

 

spent two hours loosening rhe rack and sub frame etc to see if would change... nope nothing 

 

when the car is off the ground it steers 360 degrees fully soon as it back on the ground it will steer left (tightly). And then will only turn a quarter the way right its rather tight/difficult to go full lock right!  

 

It has give no codes as to what it may be checked steering fluid seems lol but was working fine before the new clutch went in 

 

the garage said he couldnt do anything else as ge didnt know the problem 

 

upon pluggingg his diagnostics in he said hasnt got the most up to date vagcom. 

 

And to go home and find a local dealer with vagcom to set up the steering ? Is this correct? 

Thanks 

 

[Ootohere]

@GT0161

?

What kind of cowboy outfit has fitted new clutch packs for you, and how much money have you given them?

[GT0161]

7 minutes ago, Roottootemblowinootsoot said:

@GT0161

?

What kind of cowboy outfit has fitted new clutch packs for you, and how much money have you given them?

All good reviews online and i paid £1000 all in  

Edited 13 April, 2020 by GT0161

[UrbanPanzer]

Well I was not sure what to say initially, however just checked workshop procedure and it states the steering unit needs to be removed, so with that in mind and you state there was not a problem initially,

 

this tells me the garage has caused this issue and they should therefore put it right.

 

Sounds to me like the sytem has air in it, or low fluid......

Edited 13 April, 2020 by UrbanPanzer

[GT0161]

1 minute ago, UrbanPanzer said:

Well I was not sure what to say initially, however just checked workshop procedure and it states the steering unit needs to be removed, so with that in mind and you state there was not a problem initially,

 

this tells me the garage has caused this issue and they should therefore put it right.

The steering unit needs to be removed to replace a clutch is that? 

 

Is the workshop procedure available online 

Edited 13 April, 2020 by GT0161

[Mickmartin]

7 minutes ago, GT0161 said:

All good reviews online and i paid £1000 all in no vat   

 

£1000 to the average Joe is a fair price IMO, Prices are dropping as you can pick the clutch pack up for less than £400 these days.

 

The labour on the other hand is what find questionable as someone who knows what they're doing can change the clutch pack in less than half an hour when the box is out.

 

 

 

 

As for your problem, Deffo's seems like they've knackered something. To me sounds like it could be the flow with the power steering fluid meaning the pumps dying or a component tied into it, Check for pinches in the line......Other than that its usually the subframe hitting something but you checked that.

[GT0161]

Basically they said go home, 

find a garage that has the most up to date vagcom software as they couldnt programme it ? ?  

 

I said i will send them the bill.... 

 

as there diagnostics didnt have steering options or something.

 

i have mild learning difficulties and find it hard to remember  and just lost my job today cos of covid19 so be gentle please lol 

Edited 13 April, 2020 by GT0161

[GT0161]

Tested power steering motor 

60amps left turn 

7amps. Right turn 

 

im guessing my power ateerig motor is knackered

but no lights on dash no fault codes etc i have no idea gonna get the AA out see if they can diagnose it maybe  

[Breezy_Pete]

On the mk1 Fabia there's a horrible gotcha relating to gearbox removal and the steering rack...

The bolt that holds the rear end of the dogbone mount into the subframe has a captive nut welded to the subframe right under the rack tube.  The bolt is an odd length - 61mm. This is because if you put anything longer in there, it pushes into the rack tube denting it, effing up the power steering.  Looks to be the same length on mk2's: https://skoda.7zap.com/en/cz/fabia/fab/2011-697/1/199-199025/

 

Trouble is there's a bunch of bolts that are the same size thread but 65mm long holding the gearbox to the engine, so if the bolts are just bunged in a pile it's easy to pick up the wrong one and put it in the rear of the dogbone mount.  You may be able to see if this looks to have happened, if the bolt tip appears to be pushing into the underside of the rack tube.  not sure what visibility is like on a mk2 vRS though, possibly better from below or wheel arch area?

 

If it does look to have happened photograph it for evidence before doing anything else...

 

Edited 14 April, 2020 by Wino

[J.R.]

What a horrible situation to happen at this current time, I do hope that you get a resolution.

[GT0161]

2 hours ago, Wino said:

On the mk1 Fabia there's a horrible gotcha relating to gearbox removal and the steering rack...

The bolt that holds the rear end of the dogbone mount into the subframe has a captive nut welded to the subframe right under the rack tube.  The bolt is an odd length - 61mm. This is because if you put anything longer in there, it pushes into the rack tube denting it, effing up the power steering.  Looks to be the same length on mk2's: https://skoda.7zap.com/en/cz/fabia/fab/2011-697/1/199-199025/

 

Trouble is there's a bunch of bolts that are the same size thread but 65mm long holding the gearbox to the engine, so if the bolts are just bunged in a pile it's easy to pick up the wrong one and put it in the rear of the dogbone mount.  You may be able to see if this looks to have happened, if the bolt tip appears to be pushing into the underside of the rack tube.  not sure what visibility is like on a mk2 vRS though, possibly better from below or wheel arch area?

 

If it does look to have happened photograph it for evidence before doing anything else...

 

Hi and thank you for tour help iv been back up to the garage and checked the bolts as you mentioned and there all fine nothing has come into contact with the rack all seems fine. I think it must be the pump with electrical readings we got 

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

What a horrible situation to happen at this current time, I do hope that you get a resolution.

Thank you  

[Breezy_Pete]

Thing is, the pump rotates the same way whichever way the steering goes, the pressurised fluid path is switched automatically by cunning mechanisms at the head of the rack, so there's no reason I can think of why the pump should be at fault here. I think there may be a 'out in the wild' copy of the Self Study Programme somewhere online that deals with this system, I'll try to find a link for you.

 

Seems much more consistent with a fault in the rack or the connections to it, than an issue with the pump.

[Breezy_Pete]

See page 18 onward here: http://www.volkspage.net/technik/ssp/ssp/SSP_259.pdf

It's the VW SSP, but the same system, TRW version on UK Fabias AFAIK.