Hi Chaps,

First of all, apologies for the long post!

I'm a new member of this site and need some advice on an issue I'm experiencing with my Mondeo ST220 (54 Plate, 58k miles).

I've had the car for just over three years now and it's always been a pleasure to drive. However, over the past month or so, l've noticed that the steering feels slightly stiffer, which I thought was due to a flat tyre at first. Tyre pressures were checked and ok, PAS fluid level fine.

In summary:

1. When started from cold the steering is fine but once the car is warmed up (after 10 mins or so of driving) the steering becomes slightly stiffer and doesn't feel as smooth or responsive. I'm not sure that the PAS system is to blame though because the car steers ok when parking.

2. There are no unusual sounds or knocks from the suspension / engine bay, or when steering.

3. PAS fluid level and tyre pressures are fine.

4. Car is not pulling to one side when braking (I had suspected a sticking caliper at one point).

5. Car has been checked by the garage who found nothing wrong. Also, 4-wheel alignment check carried out and the car was (more or less) spot on. Suspension parts (inc wheel bearings) examined and are fine.

After the garage check etc, I thought I must have been imagining things. However, after many subsequent drives, there is no doubt in my mind that the car is perfectly fine when you start it from cold but the steering definitely stiffens up and becomes noticably more awkward when the engine warms up.

Any ideas what could be happening here?

Thanks for your help.

 

My Focus does this and has been diagnosed with a broken/worn steering rack.
Although I have lots more symptoms.

 

Thanks for the post Bailes. I hope it's not the rack. As mentioned, the garage checked the car and said they couldn't find anything wrong. It's so annoying because it's not an obvious problem to diagnose.

Cheers.

 

is it at all like this? even ever so slighty?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATjdVu1Ff-Q

what colour is your pas fluid? it should be cherry red.

my focus rack is like the link above although nowhere near as bad. its the rack thats worn/seal buggered. i could only feel mine in car parks when i got it and a fluid change made it loads better but 2 years down the line i can now feel it again but also on the road so i need a new rack.

your best bet is to replace the fluid first and see if that helps.

 

Thanks for the video Phil.

Fortunately, my car is not making any knocking sounds, in fact no unusual sounds at all. The PAS fluid is the same dark colour (normal for ST) as it's always been with no loss due to leakages etc.

After warming up, it's as if the power steering loses 20% or so of assistance - just enough to stiffen the handling in an annoying way.

 

the bottom of the steering shaft next to the pedals will have a bolt which has worked loose

there is an updated bolt for this application and it takes but seconds to change

i'll try and find the link to show you how it's done, but it's a fairly common problem with them

 

Update:

Car has been driving fine for the past couple of days. Steering is smooth and responsive again. Nothing's been touched or fixed.

What's that all about then?! Can cars get sick and heal themselves?

 

The ps pump may be getting sticky, or rather the rollers inside it, try some Wynns power steering system conditioner, literally works wonders.
tabetha

 

Cheers Tabetha, I'll remember that should the problem recur.