Is it possible to drain PAS fluid? (V8V)
Discussion
A friend of mine was on holiday recently in his V8V and, finding himself in an empty car park with the exit behind him, performed what you might call a "rather enthusiastic u-turn without the traction control switched on". Other's may call it "half a donut". I can't really comment.
Anyway, my friend reports that immediately upon completion of this manoeuvre, the steering was incredibly heavy when pulling away. And subsequently at low speed. Once driving on the road at normal speed, things were fine, but anything below about 5mph and he says he needed Popeye arms to turn the wheel, and the car has developed a whine like a supercharger which gets louder at higher revs and larger steering angles.
On inspecting the car, he discovers the power steering fluid bottle is almost empty. Not "slightly below the line", but genuinely "struggling to see any fluid". Next morning, with a cold engine, it's the same. So he tops the fluid to between the two marker lines on the dipstick, per the book. Pulling away, all seems back to normal again, nice light steering, not much whining. But within two miles he says its gone heavy again. Checking the fluid level it is unchanged, between the lines. And next morning the same, still between the lines when the engine is cold. But again upon driving, although it starts out as normal, within a couple of miles the steering has gone incredibly heavy at slow speed.
Is it possible he somehow boiled the PAS fluid performing a silly manoeuvre with little fluid in the system? Or it has an airlock / bubble in it? Is there a way of bleeding the PAs system to refill it with fresh fluid?
I'll pass on any suggestions to my friend, thanks in advance.
Anyway, my friend reports that immediately upon completion of this manoeuvre, the steering was incredibly heavy when pulling away. And subsequently at low speed. Once driving on the road at normal speed, things were fine, but anything below about 5mph and he says he needed Popeye arms to turn the wheel, and the car has developed a whine like a supercharger which gets louder at higher revs and larger steering angles.
On inspecting the car, he discovers the power steering fluid bottle is almost empty. Not "slightly below the line", but genuinely "struggling to see any fluid". Next morning, with a cold engine, it's the same. So he tops the fluid to between the two marker lines on the dipstick, per the book. Pulling away, all seems back to normal again, nice light steering, not much whining. But within two miles he says its gone heavy again. Checking the fluid level it is unchanged, between the lines. And next morning the same, still between the lines when the engine is cold. But again upon driving, although it starts out as normal, within a couple of miles the steering has gone incredibly heavy at slow speed.
Is it possible he somehow boiled the PAS fluid performing a silly manoeuvre with little fluid in the system? Or it has an airlock / bubble in it? Is there a way of bleeding the PAs system to refill it with fresh fluid?
I'll pass on any suggestions to my friend, thanks in advance.
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