Mondeo steering issue

[Dr Jekyll]

An ancient (170,000 mile) Mondeo has very heavy and quite vague steering, it feels like the front tyres are very low on pressure but they aren't. Any suggestions?

[Dr Jekyll]

Thanks everyone.

It's a 2006 car. Fluid looks OK and no steering shake so alignment can't be too bad. Steering rack sounds a likely culprit.

[Dr Jekyll]

E-bmw said:

Dr Jekyll said:

no steering shake so alignment can't be too bad.

Don't see how those 2 statements go together, please explain?

Whenever I've had a wheel alignment problem it's been noticeable as a steering vibration above 69MPH or so. This car doesn't do that so I took that as a sign the alignment was OK.

[Dr Jekyll]

Scrump said:

Dr Jekyll said:

Whenever I've had a wheel alignment problem it's been noticeable as a steering vibration above 69MPH or so. This car doesn't do that so I took that as a sign the alignment was OK.

Are you sure you mean wheel alignment? Wheel balancing is the usual cure for vibration through the steering at that sort of speed.

That could well be it, I've had both done at the same time. Though I do remember a car that had that vibration after clouting a pothole at speed which I put down to alignment being knocked out.