This happened yesterday initially but its still doing similar, yesterday my steering went intermittently heavy and notchy I noticed the PS fluid was a little low so refilled it. Turns out a seal on the top is weeping slightly. This morning turning right is fine but left turns are still going through patches where it is heavy. Any ideas on this at all? Or do I just need to lock it a few times each way to spread the fluid?
Its most likely you have air in the system. You need to remove the filler cap and repeatedly go full lock in each direction i believe. If the seal is gone you're going to keep getting air in the fluid do need to replace the seal really.
If you've got a couple of jacks, get the front wheels up off the ground, secure the car and remove the PS fluid cap. Top it up to the correct level, start the engine and go lock to lock a few times and check the levels. If the level is dropping, check the hydraulic lines and ends of the steering rack under the car for signs of fluid leak. If no obvious leaks, top up and repeat until level stabilises.
Air would make sense it was a little on the low side, jack wise I have a pair of axle stands I can shove under it an work that way. Seal wise I will get that ordered just working out how it all comes apart, it was in a garage Friday for bits an they didn't note a leak from the lines but mentioned misting on the top of the pump.
sounds like it's blowing through when the system is pressurised then. When you say "the seal on top is leaking slightly", are you talking about the filler cap to the reservoir?
Not the filler but the actual top seal on the pump, heres a photo of the pump and reservoir off a car. Its leaking section with the orange plug, theres a rubber O Ring behind there ill probably do the cap at the same time. No belt on this one Cerberus, it has a take off direct from the crank.
OK, with you now. My old jap import Subaru used to leak out of a sensor that was burrowed into the pump housing and I just sealed it up with resin because a new pump shipped from Japan was ridiculously expensive and UK Subaru dealers wouldn't supply me parts with a Japanese VIN. Get some resin mixed up and give it a bash. From the picture above, you can still remove that part beneath the plug with a socket anyway so nothing to lose.
legoman, IIRC, you have a Saab of some flavour. If it's anything like mine. it uses special CHF11s or CHF202 hydraulic fluid in the steering which is green in colour. Have you been topping it up with regular ATF?
