My 1988 V12 has developed a very irritating noise when turning the steering wheel when stationary and at low speed. All I can describe this as is a groan, that resonates through the steering column and wheel. Has anyone come across this fault before ?
Tim

 

Could easily just be too low PAS fluid level

 

Hi,
That was my first thought, but it's at the correct level.

 

Have you checked the rack bushes? They wear and the rack can actually try to move before it shifts the wheels.

 

+1 on the rack bushings. If they are the original factory style, the rubber shears inside the bushing and can cause havoc.

You should also check your tie rod ends.

 

Thanks Steve. I have not checked the rack. I will get it up on the ramps this weekend and have a look.
Tim

 

If none of the above sorts it, try a test where you hold the revs at about 1500 and then see if the groan happens. It could be that the pump is complaining at the load on low revs and the judder is caused by fluctuating fluid pressure. If so, check the belt tension and if that does no good, fix the pump.
Greg

 

Thanks Greg I will that out as well.

 

Sad to say, if the rack seals themselves or the valving is going home a bit, the same symptoms can occur; but check all the external possibilities first.
If the rack seals are going or the valving is getting a bit iffy, then at lower pump speeds and thus lower pump fluid flow, if not pressure, in effect the power assistance is cutting in and out, thus creating judder as it alternates on and off. At higher flow rates, any leakage of this sort is overwhelmed by the greater flow.
Greg

 

Change the steer fluid. Simply syringe out the old and refill with Full Synthetic ATF. Run the engine, turn the wheels lock to lock to flow the fluid thru the system, shut it down, syringe it out again, and refill, and keep doing so until the OLD is the same colour as the NEW, repeat in 1 year, not 20.

This sorts many noises in that old Saginaw pump.

Next is a seized ball joint or 2 or 3, that will reek havoc in the "groaning" dept, and is simply old age related.

 

If I had to bet, in spite of all the fine-sounding advice I have just posted, I would bet a very large sum that Grant is dead right!
Greg

 

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I will work through the tips and let you know how I get on.

 

Not dead yet Greg HAHAHAHA, still annoying people and waiting for the floods AGAIN.

 

Grant , this is where my automatic power steering flush pays off , it drips out the bottom and then all I have to do is pour more in at the top , continually refreshed. I might add that I have no rust underneath the car !!!

 

If only everyone else understood the design feature of the V12, the Forums would be dead.

Mine was a bleeder when I first took it over, and that was the standard procedure I took, for trans and steer fluid.

Now with the 2 S Types life is boring.

 

Just adding that fresh fluid, as Grant mentions, has fixed many groaning steering systems over the years....Jaguar and otherwise.

Jumping now to weird stuff, has anything been done with the steering hoses that you know of? Any replacements with strange bends or kinks? With a bit of bad luck it isn't hard to inadvertently create a fluid dynamics problem and/or create a section were air pockets easily develop.

Cheers
DD

 

Good point Doug.

I remember the S2 6cyl replacement Genuine return hose was made differently than OE for some strange reason, and the steering groaned like hell.

I fitted an Enzed length of hose to ours and no noise. Took ages to isolate the noise due to the 2 hoses being "new", so the brain skips a few processes.

 

Yeah, groans have meant air in the system to me. Jacking up the front
end and turning lock to lock with the engine on have always fixed that.
On my Jaguar as well as on other critters.


An inherent air bubble trap, not encountered by me.


Leaks, oh yeah, tolerated or fixed. One way or another.


Squeals. Slipping belt. Learned early on. No belt 'dressing",
replace it.


Carl

 

That's an MOT fail over here so I am really looking forward to Thursday!

 

I bet you are.

You could always relocate to the Colonies, and forget MOT for life.

Just watch out for the Crocs, Spiders, Snakes, and few other minor things.

OH, and 40+C summers.