Another day, another woe...
Yesterday, tried to take the XK for a small journey and when driving out of my street I heard a screech (not sure how best to describe it, a sort of "krrrrrrrrrr" sound) when turning right.. Got the impression it what coming from right (driver side) but can't be 100% certain. I immediately stopped in the nearby street. Slowly turned a round...screech again. and sounded even when driving straight although less loud I think...
So parked th car back on my driveway and took my other car...

I tried to have a look underneath today but can see anything obvious. I looked at the steering fluid and it seems quite low (although car had full service a couple of month ago).
Any idea what it could be or what I can attempt to check the possible cause (whiteout causing more damage). Worst case I'll call AA but I like to have an idea of what I'm dealing with before.
Also wondering if to could be related to the intermittent noise I reporting in this thread

Many thanks

 

Could be the accessory drive belt slipping due to a worn belt, pulley or tensioner. Turning the steering increases the load on the belt. See if you can get it to make the same noise by blipping the throttle or turning the steering whilst standing still. If you can get it to do it again, spray some water on the drive belt and try again. If the sound goes away when the belt is wet then it is the belt.

Richard

 

Thanks, where do I find the accessory drive belt? Do I need to remove the engine cover?

 

No need to remove the engine cover. If you stand on the righthand side of the car (the driver's side in the UK) and look down at 45 degrees at the front of the engine block, which is only a few inches in front of the suspension top, you will be able to see a short stretch of the belt through a gap. It's tricky to see when the engine is not running but with the engine running it's more obvious because it is the only thing that is moving. A torch also helps as it's quite dark down there.

Once you have located the belt, it's easy to spray some water on it with a water pistol or houseplant spray gun. You can even use a WD40 aerosol as the plastic pipe makes it easy to reach but just a quick spray for a second or two should be all you need.

 

Had a look but really can't see much, its so packed in there!
Would it be through here?

 

Yes, through that gap. When the engine is running you'll see a short stretch of the the belt a couple of inches long and a half inch across. Spray some water through the gap and if the sound goes away or changes then it is the belt. It's very unlikely to be a serious problem. Ours made a chirping noise for a year before I got around to putting a new belt on.

Richard

 

Thanks Richard.
Did a little bit of testing just now. No clacking noise when starting (last time I had a couple of "clacks" when I started it) and I tried to turn the wheel when standing still and when driving in the street and it didn't reproduce the noise I had at the week end... 🤷‍♂️🤔 When turning the wheel to the max to the right it did buzz a little but nothing like last time.
I'll keep and eye on it but believe (and pray! &#129315 that it might be the belt indeed.

 

Also, you mention the fluid seems low. Is it low? Did you add? The PS cap is a dip stick with a full or max mark

 

Yes I believe it is low.
Sorry stupid question but do I need specific fluid to top it up (I mean specific to the XK)?

 

Yes look in your owners manual and find what power steering fluid your car needs.
Do you have the owners manual?
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Power steering pump in general often make screeching noises when complaining about low fluid during heavy turns. I'd fill it first before diving too deep into the belts -- eliminate the easy one first.

 

Thanks. Yes I do have the Owner's Handbook. Is says Dexron 3 power steering fluid so will go and get some to top up.

Thanks again for all the kind support, really appreciated!!!

 

Your welcome but do come back and post if you get it fixed?
We have so many dead threads where we never hear if it got fixed or not?
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will do!

 

Ok, steering fluid bought from EuroCarParts.
Manual states Dextrin III so hopefully this is the correct one.

 

Looks like the right stuff. I normally use a turkey baster and suck as much of the old crappy fluid out that I can. Then refill with fresh. I do this a couple of times depending on how the fluid I suck out looks. Put it in a clear container and compare it to your fresh fluid.
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