E30 Steering Fault - Please help me!!

[Eeindee318i]

Hi,

My 1985 BMW 318i has developed a steering fault. It is leaving patches of power steering fluid on tyhe driveway.
I suspected it to be the power steering rack but then the pump started to become very loud. The leak seems to be coming from above the right hand side of the steering rack above the rubber boots (think it is the actual box on the rack, or the pipes) as it is leaking fluid onto the boots which is then ending up on the road!!

Thankyou,

Andy Faulkner,
Bournemouth,
England

 

[Big Daddy]

Top off the power steering fluid, start the car, while looking under the front of the car at the rack (make sure car is in park or netural with brake on) have someone turn the wheel back and forth from left lock to right locak and back again...slowly. If it is a pressure side hose or the rack you should see the leak. Take your time and work that wheel.

 

[Chesty Bonds]

Yeah my 318is developed a power-steering fluid leak too. The fluid was leaking at the actual rack and pinion area so there was no chance of simply replacing a seal. Ended up having to buy a BMW reco'd steering rack and pinion for $430.00. Wasn't cheap but you have to keep your baby in good order!

Hopefully, your leak isn't from the same area...

 

[mjbst111]

I'd like to hear of one e30 owner in which this has not happened to them.

Very common, leaks into the boot. Have to replace the rack. 300 dollars reconditioned here.

 

[jrt67ss350]

I'd like to hear of one e30 owner in which this has not happened to them.

Very common, leaks into the boot. Have to replace the rack. 300 dollars reconditioned here.

Hasn't happened to mine - knock on wood.

I did have to replace the pump, though.

 

[epj3]

I bought my steering rack rebuilt by ZF (manufacturer...) for $150 on ebay!! Wooohoo

 

[Eeindee318i]

Thanks for all your replies!
I jacked the car up today and had a look underneath. Also I topped up the resevoir and its now almost full.
I cannot pinpoint the leak as there is not enough fluid coming out. The only place I can see the fluid dripping out is on the bottom of the rubber boot (r/h side) but there is also fluid on the top which leads me to think it isn't the rack But im no expert!!!.
Could it be that a hose is leaking slowly and dripping onto the boot? There is also a bit of oil on the hoses that run parallell to the rack itself so it may be that one of the hoses is leaking its way all the way down???

Thanks again,
Andy

 

[Big Daddy]

Wipe the boot off and put something over it to catch any dripping oil, now run the rack back and forth and if any is coming out of the boot it is the rack! Some of what is on the hoses could be blow back from the boot, but unless you clean everything off and watch closely it is sometimes hard to tell.

 

[epj3]

Leaking boot = leaking seals in the rack. Time to replace it. That's what mine did. Put the car on jackstands in the front and without turning the car on, turn the wheel left and right (or grab a wheel and make it turn left and right). Chances are shit will squirt out.

 

[Rukus]

I ended up giving up on my rack and i run without power assist. i drive the 84 318i, and It handles well still and still has alot of control. Thats if push comes to shove and you arent interested in replacing your rack.

 

[Chesty Bonds]

I ended up giving up on my rack and i run without power assist. i drive the 84 318i, and It handles well still and still has alot of control. Thats if push comes to shove and you arent interested in replacing your rack.

I understand that this is one way to restore a little more directness into the E30's steering. I find it's a little slack at the straight-ahead but once a bit of lock is wound on it weights up very nicely indeed. Having said that, the steering is wonderfully communicative and so granular. I think it's just a little over-servo'd.

Getting back to the topic though, my rack was leaking very slowly and the only reason I noticed it was from tiny spots of oil on the garage floor (I had a garage at my old house, now I don't F*CKING have one anymore!). There was a slight steering-pump noise at certain stages too.

 

[mjbst111]

I curious as to how long you can go without the power assist. How does the rack stay lubed?

I mean certainly you could just disconnect the belt and as long as you don't have any leaks you'll always have the fluid lube but if its leaking.... did you shove grease in there or is there really not any need.

 

[epj3]

Fill the rack with atf fluid and plug 'er up probably.

 

[mjbst111]

but if the original problem is a leak at the boot? If you fix that you would be able to use Power steering again.... hmmm.

 

[Eeindee318i]

I spoke to a man at the parts store today and he said to me that if I took off the belt driving the power steering pump off then my insurance would be invalid.
Therefore, is it possible to fit a manual steering rack to my 318i as I cant really afford a power one at the moment!!

cheers

 

[Big Daddy]

He is just trying to sell you parts, there is nothing in your insurnace policy requiring you to have power steering.

 

[Eeindee318i]

I think I have at last found the fault!! I am pretty sure now that the hoses are perished, or one of the seals on the bolts has gone as I was working on the car and inspecting it for leakage from the rack.

I found that some liquid (Which I am sure is PAS Fluid) has leaked onto the engine block and over a period of about 10 minuites of having the car, and after turning the wheel from side to side there is a small amount of smoke coming from underneath the manifold right where the Valve body housing is (well the box with the hoses! dont know if thats the right name!
Which leads me to beleive it may be a hose afterall.....I also squeezed the rubber boots and it appears that there is little or no fluid inside???!!!

Cheers (Again!!)