Power steering pump failed 300miles from home…

Is it safe to drive it home? Nowhere locally has a pump and they say it will be Monday before they do. We’re due to leave tomorrow morning.

The steering is VERY heavy but manageable(ish). Am I safe to drive this home and repair it there or am I risking damage to something else? I’m going to replace the pump anyway.

I wouldn’t. Imagine you need to take evasive action but you can’t because the steering is borked.

Have you got breakdown cover? They will likely recover the car home & save you the cost of fuel 🙂

I’d not risk it.

Do you have any “return to home” cover on any breakdown insurance?

I’d drive it a short distance but not on a motorway or at the kind of speed you’d need to be able to drive 300 miles in a sensible time frame.

Mine broke in the outside lane of the m6 a few years back, thought the steering lock had engaged.
It was definitely and “ooh shit! This is bad!” moment. No way I’d be attempting to drive it 300 miles.

Is you Arnold Schwartzenegger? If so crack on. I found it hard enough driving my van less than 1/4 mile to the garage when mine went.

It will probably be easier to drive on the motorway than at low speeds. You could top the front tyres up to the “ECO” pressures too if they’re labelled.

Depending on the age of the car and how the power steering works consider whether you may lose the alternator or water pump too.

If there’s a warning light associated with it the handbook will tell you whether it’s OK to continue driving.

Eee, the days before power steering and skinny tyres eh….

I love it when my van (no power steering but that’s not relevant) breaks down at the end of a holiday! Get it recovered home by RAC

No stressful drive home, no fuel costs and you can have beers in the pub while you wait!

I don’t know how the new electronic systems work, but the old purely hydraulic systems were basically just a manual system with power assist. As long as you are strong enough to turn the wheel, they are perfectly safe to drive. At low speeds they will be very heavy, at higher speeds, much lighter. Olden style cars and trucks without power steering used to have heavy steering, you just had to put a bit of muscle into it.

I had a Citroen Xantia once and the steering pump failed near the bottom of the M3 heading home to Southampton. The sudden stiffening and extra weight was a bit of a shock but the road was relatively clear and no sharp corners so happily continued. I had almost forgotten about it until I reached the roundabout where the motorway ends.

Trying to navigate a roundabout at 40 miles an hour with no power steering was quite interesting and I was very glad to be within a couple of miles of my home.

I would recommend the AA

Mine’s an old hydraulic system. I think the spindle on the pump has snapped.

Yes the initial point where it broke was a shock, but once I knew how much force to apply I’ve been driving it around town today trying to find parts/a garage to do the work.

Eee, the days before power steering and skinny tyres eh….

Ha, I was wondering what we used to do in the days before power steering, but had forgotten that tyres on everything now are roughly the same size as a F1 car.

Mine’s an old hydraulic system. I think the spindle on the pump has snapped.

Based on that, I’d drive it but, with a few checks. Is the belt that drives (or drove 😜)the power steering pump driving anything else like alternator or fan etc.
Have driven stuff when power steering failed, but also had one that the belt drove the fan I think. The pump was seized so eventually threw the belt.
If your pump and belt are isolated then crack on. (Or I would)

Wouldn’t bother me.

But I know mines is an assisted system rather than hydraulically driven.

(That is it’s mechanically connected by cogs steering wheel to the steering arm. )

Anything from this century I’d probably have it recovered.

Is the likelihood of an accident increased with not being able to steer the car as quickly as before?

Will your insurers, police or legal system look favourably upon you when the failed steering comes up?

I wouldn’t be driving

The pump is on the main serpentine belt that also has the crankshaft, alternator, etc, but the pulley is running freely and so is the belt. I’m just not getting any assist.

Is the likelihood of an accident increased with not being able to steer the car as quickly as before?

That’s not how it works.

As above, my old Defender had a basic hydraulic pump. Being a LandRover it decided to just dump all it’s fluid one day in the middle of Leamington. Once I had got over the ‘very heavy, very suddenly’ surprise it wasn’t too bad, its the abrupt transition from having it to not having it which was the worst bit.
Having said that I didn’t have to go 300 miles. I’d get a ‘free’ lift home on a breakdown truck

Is how a modern car feels when power steering isn’t working really the same as how old cars felt all the time?

I have a Fiat Panda so it’s not heavy/no massive wheels, but when I try and manouvre that without the engine/electrics on for whatever reason it’s borderline impossible – not really just a case of hoiking on the steering wheel more.

molgrips
Full Member
I’d drive it a short distance but not on a motorway or at the kind of speed you’d need to be able to drive 300 miles in a sensible time frame.

Is Barnard Castle nearby?

I have a Fiat Panda so it’s not heavy/no massive wheels, but when I try and manouvre that without the engine/electrics on for whatever reason it’s borderline impossible – not really just a case of hoiking on the steering wheel more.

If your not moving then yes that’s how it feels once you start moving it is fine enough .

I had an work Astra van with randomly failing electric power steering (kept me on my toes)), which would reset if you turned the engine on and off. Had to leave it in fail mode and drive it to vauxhall dealers like it so they wouldn’t keep fobbing me off. Felt awful and non linear

That was way heavier than my car with hydraulic assist when the belt broke, which was fine apart from parking, depends on how much assistance it needs I guess.
If you’ve ever driven the diesel jellymould ford escort without Pas specced, your idea of heavy might be different.
I’d try it and see.

I’ve driven with non functioning power steering. So long as your above about 30 mph you’re fine, below that requires a bit of additional muscle effort but perfectly possible and safe… these things are designed to be safe in case of failure.

you’ve ever driven the diesel jellymould ford escort without Pas specced, your idea of heavy might be different.

Hahaha my first car was a 1.8 with no mod cons. No power steering , no central locking and wind down windows

Is how a modern car feels when power steering isn’t working really the same as how old cars felt all the time?

No.

Older cars were lighter / had narrower wheels. Also bigger steering wheels.

If I understand it right, I think if the power steering pump isn’t operational, you’re also pushing against the weight of the hydraulic fluid too.

Is how a modern car feels when power steering isn’t working really the same as how old cars felt all the time?

No. Steering geometry, rack ratios, tyre width all play a part in it. A car designed without power steering, would be “easier” than a car with a failed power steering system.

Is how a modern car feels when power steering isn’t working really the same as how old cars felt all the time?

From experience… absolutely not.

Roadside recovery time for most modern vehicles.

these things are designed to be safe in case of failure

To get to a place of safety, yes. To drive 300 miles knowing this system is out of action? Hell no.

From experience.. Yep been there, pump seized but still had places to be.
Drove round for about a week iirc
Was fine above 20mph with 4 psi more in the tyres
Its parking thats the issue, was nicer to drive at speed as it seemed more stable.
Do your journey early doors, get home, get on ebay, gsf, ecp, etc and get one ordered in

Old vehicles before power steering had higher ratios, so it took less effort but more turns of the steering wheel to turn the wheels.

Power assistance uses lower ratios so you can turn the wheels quicker, but if the assistance fails, it means it takes quite a bit more effort to turn.

My experience of today is that it’s substantially more difficult to manoeuvre than my older cars that didn’t have power assisted steering.

I do have an AA membership, but it doesn’t include recovery. Just roadside assistance. I’ve upgraded the membership today and it will be active from 17:00 tomorrow.

I’ve already ordered a new pump, expansion tank, crimp clips and fluid. Which will be here on Monday.

I’m going to do a shortish (20miles A66) journey in it tomorrow to see how I get on and then decide before joining the motorway. If it feels wrong, I’ll just park up at Penrith and ride out the clock until I can get recovered.

AA recovery .- From a friends experience .
6 lorry transfers of various distances to get home as each lorry stays in its own area, So 24hrs to get from scottland down south. Wait for lorry , load , drive, unload, wait for lorry and repeat……

Old vehicles before power steering had higher ratios, so it took less effort but more turns of the steering wheel to turn the wheels.

Power assistance uses lower ratios so you can turn the wheels quicker, but if the assistance fails, it means it takes quite a bit more effort to turn.

I think 80s touring car racers used to run power steering racks without power assistance for the faster steering ratio. I remember reading something like that years ago.

Ha, I was wondering what we used to do in the days before power steering, but had forgotten that tyres on everything now are roughly the same size as a F1 car.

My split-screen ’54 Morris Minor had 5 1/2×13 alloys on it with appropriately wide tyres, and the steering was pretty light, but as mc says, more turns required. It also had front drum brakes off a Riley 1500, which were half as big again as the weedy little standard ones – sudden emergency stops were interesting, without seatbelts…

6 lorry transfers of various distances to get home as each lorry stays in its own area, So 24hrs to get from scottland down south. Wait for lorry , load , drive, unload, wait for lorry and repeat……

Green Flag.
13 relays between Dunkirk and Edinburgh. 13!!!

You could damage the power steering rack seals by running the system whilst dry. A rack replacement would be much more money than a pump.

I’ve upgraded the membership today and it will be active from 17:00 tomorrow.

Do they let you do that and then use it immediately? If so no point in paying for the cover until you actually need it !!