I have a 56 plate s max 1.8 diesel, power steering pump has been getting noisy (whining when engine revved) so bought and fitted a recon pump on monday. All has been fine for the last 3 days, started it this morning and no power steering at all.
checked the fluid and belt tension and all is fine.
Any ideas?

 

Read here.... seems a common problem

http://www.justanswer.com/uk-ford/56...verything.html

 

Thanks but thats not the same problem, the 2.0 uses an electric pump where as mine the 1.8 is a belt driven hydraulic pump, I have googled the problem and they seen to have a common fault of the rack seals breaking down and clogging the filter but would that just not restrict the flow instead of having no power steering at all all of a sudden?

 

Try changing the fluid resevoir first, and change and flush the fluid at the same time, there is a filter in the resevoir that blocks which causes all sorts of problems

 

Need to drain the fluid and see if it has metal particles in it.

Rack can break up internally and block the valves in the pump.

 

I have learnt recently that the Mondeo suffers with a filter that blocks up which can then starve the pump/rack etc, maybe the same applies for yours bearing in mind they are based on each other?

The joys of modern cars

Martin

 

S-Max is exactly the same. Before I left Ford we went through a crazy spell of sorting these, usually new reservoir, rack, pump and pipes

 

S Max and Mondeo - same shit different badge eh!

Rack breaks up, blocks pump valves and reservoir filter, which starves pump.

Viscous circle.

 

Rack and resevoir mate, done dozens of these now!

 

I have a 2007 Ford S-Max and have been experiencing problems with my Power Steering, The steering is sticky at low revs and when turning corners at low speed, but is less sticky at higher speeds, noticed the reservoir was black rather than green fluid so changed the fluid, however problem is still there, replaced rack about 5 months ago. Please Help.....

 

yep what he said