Power steering leaking

[Supervinnie40]

Hi all,

Yesterday I had whining when turning the steering wheel, so I checked the fluid. It was very low. So I bought a bottle of DEX III, and filled the reservoir. The drive home was perfectly fine.

Then this morning there was a big puddle of purple/red fluid underneath my car. So I checked the reservoir again, almost empty again. So I'm pretty sure it is leaking somewhere. The reservoir is fairly dry, and the hose to the pump looks fine (also no wet areas). I have trouble checking the hose that goes down to the bottom of the engine bay, but I get the impression it is leaking there somewhere.

Is this a common fault? Is it difficult to fix myself? What would you reckon is broken? Any checks I can do to better diagnose the problem?

[DMGRS]

Check the cooling loop and its connectors behind the front bumper - mine was weeping from one of the connectors.

[Supervinnie40]

Thanks for the tip Matt. I tried to do some more checking. The problem is that I'm at work and don't have the time or tools to properly inspect the car.

As far as I can visually see from putting my head as far into the engine bay as possible .

- The front of the bottom engine cover is dry
- The hoses I followed from the reservoir or the pump are all dry as far as I can see them or reach them
- What I can see from the front hoses and such, it is all dry
- Down in the bottom of the engine bay, where the steering house is, there is a lot of fluid
- Seeing as a have a LHD car, the rubber cover over the "steering bar" to the left is very short (and largely covered in fluid). The long part to the right seems very dry and clean

[Supervinnie40]

I also asked this question on the AROnline Facebook group, they seem to think it it probably the Steering Rack.

I still need to get underneath the car to check if they are right. But if they are correct, and my steering rack is leaking. What would be my options?
Repair? Replace?

[Supervinnie40]

Just had time to look underneath the car and remove the undertray. The steering rack is soaked, almost all parts above it are dry. The only parts that are covered in DEX III are very near the steering rack. I haven't been able to determine if its one of the hoses/lines, but it is very locally to the steering rack area.

Now trying to see if I should repair the steering rack, or replace it. And how to repair/change it at all....

[Supervinnie40]

I just found something else that strikes me as a bit odd.
The steering rack has a sticker with the number: QAB102752 on it. But if I look at RimmerBros, I can't find that part. Also, when I Google it, it seems to be the steering rack for a 2.0 v6??

Could it be that my car has always been driving around with the wrong steering rack? Or is the QAB102752 the same as the QAB102452?

[Supervinnie40]

Well, i removed the broken steering rack. Seems there is a large hole in the rubber sleeve and liquid is just running out through the hole.
Now a matter of finding the new item.

Woukd anybody know if this partnumber would fit? QAB102452/QAB000231

The one i removed was a qab102752.

[slovcan]

Didn't the MG ZT and newer (Mk2?) 75's have a quicker ratio rack? If it's a bolt-on in place of the old slower ratio one, that's what I'd be looking for.

Cheers,
Glenn

[Supervinnie40]

Thanks Glenn. Would you know how i can find the difference between those two? Im not sure which one i have or how to find out.

[slovcan]

Originally Posted by Supervinnie40

Thanks Glenn. Would you know how i can find the difference between those two? Im not sure which one i have or how to find out.

Honestly Vinnie, I don't know. I have done a lot of research on these cars since I decided to buy one to use in Europe (we don't have them here). I saw that somewhere that talked about the differences between the Mk1 & Mk2 maybe. I see there is a sticky in the general forum area caled "The difinitive guide" or something like that. Maybe it was there. Or, you could google Rover 75 vs MG ZT steering ratios and see what that brings.

Cheers,
Glenn