Update: It turns out for whatever reason, the power steering pump decided to stop working. After changing the pump, the problem seems to be fixed. Thanks to everyone that helped with this problem in this thread . During the process, we put together a video on changing the power steering reservoir which I'll link to the thread here: https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic39751.html

Sorry to everyone for asking one question after another and sorry for the long post. I wanted to get as much detail in as possible. Me and Alana were working on the car to fix our whining noise which seems to have been either the tensioner pulley, idler or most unlikely the belt. Anyway while we were out there we thought we'd change our power steering reservoir bottle because we are not sure if it's been changed in it's 14 years. Boy do we now regret it.

Our method was as follows:

- Sucked out the fluid from the old reservoir.
- Disconnected it from the supply line but left it connected to the return.
- Connected the new one to the supply line and filled to the max mark.
- With the engine off, turned the steering from lock to lock until the fluid got down to the minimum mark on the new reservoir or the maximum mark on the on old reservoir.
- Continued to do this until the new fluid was coming through the return line into the old reservoir.
- Sucked out the fluid from both reservoirs and removed the bung from the return port on the new reservoir.
- Disconnected the return hose from the old reservoir and made sure it was clicked onto the new reservoir.
- Filled up the new reservoir to the max mark and did lock to lock again with the engine off.
- Then did lock to lock with the engine on.
- All was good until...

We dropped the car down from it's axle stands. Steering seemed fine until I went to set off, touched the throttle and started lifting the clutch to drive off and the steering was super heavy! Tried rolling forwards and backwards to see if it would sort itself out both with the cap on the reservoir and with the cap off but to no luck. So we left the cap off overnight incase any air bled out and tried again today.

Fluid level didn't move overnight and the steering was still heavy. So the car went back onto axle stands, removed the fluid, removed the reservoir from both pipes and cleaned up the connections on the bottle and reinstalled.

The only thing we did different to above was instead of bleeding it with the engine off, we fired the car up and surprisingly the level didn't change which I was kinda expecting it too. Then did 30 full turns to the left and 30 full turns to the right with the cap off. All was fine and the steering was feeling great, until I revved the car and the steering seemed to go heavy, even on axle stands. Then low and behold once it was back on the floor, the steering was super heavy again.

I'm out of ideas on things to try. We have had a new steering rack put on the car about a year ago. The power steering fluid bottle was from eBay but surely a bottle is a bottle. I've been using Halfords green CHF oil which conforms to CHF 202 and 11S. There isn't any leaks from anywhere either.

So I'm once again asking for anythings I could try or ideas on what it could be.

Thanks to anyone that read to this point and can offer any help.  https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4

Last edited by Dean1234 on 10th Feb 2024 9:50 am. Edited 1 time in total

I have done this job several times with no problems so I am wondering (given the whining noise) if you have a power steering pump problem either an air lock or something else such that it can supply some assistance when the wheels are off the ground (where there is no ground resistance) but not enough puff for when on the ground. But how to test this theory? 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Well that has put doubt in my mind as i plan to do this very soon but will use genuine reservoir
(about £30 from ebay) and fluid to correct spec.
One thing about your description is on point 6 you mention sucking out fluid from both old/new reservoir and i have not planned to do this but would only suck oil from old reservoir!
Not sure if this would have any impact?
Could steering pump be at fault?

Just thinking about this and I always used the specifically recommended Pentosin CHF oil when I have done this job. Just doing some research on the web and on some of the forums people are saying that there is no real substitute, whether it's to do with it being mineral or synthetic based I don't know but I think I would start by flushing out the Halfords generic stuff and hope that you haven't screwed up some seals in the pump or rack.

 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

AT1963 wrote:

Well that has put doubt in my mind as i plan to do this very soon but will use genuine reservoir
(about £30 from ebay) and fluid to correct spec.
One thing about your description is on point 6 you mention sucking out fluid from both old/new reservoir and i have not planned to do this but would only suck oil from old reservoir!
Not sure if this would have any impact?
Could steering pump be at fault?

This is the reservoir that I brought from eBay and it looks and feels like a genuine bottle. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303324138763

Obviously i'd purchase another one from LR Parts if we end up buying a pump.

At point 6 I feel like you have no option but to suck out the fluid from both reservoirs. Even if you run the fluid down to the minimum on the new reservoir, as soon as you remove the bung from the return port to then connect the return line, the fluid all comes spilling out.

I fully expect the power steering pump to be at fault. But it confuses me how the power steering can go from working fine to not working at all with a simple reservoir change. Not only that, I'd like to know where I've gone wrong so I don't go wrong again with the new pump.

DorsetFreelander: For all I know, the whining noise in the last thread could be linked to this problem. In that it was actually the power steering pump whining and gave up at the same time that we changed the belt, tensioner and idler. But that's a very loose theory.

I get where you're coming from with the fluids. But surely if it's Central Hydraulic Fluid and conforms to CHF 202 then it's all much of a muchness. Whether it's Pentosin, Granville or Ravenol. I could understand if red power steering fluid was used. Plus it's the fluid Beavis Pits used in this video and it didn't cause him any issues:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvae3VJSy_4

If we end up buying a pump I'll get the Ravenol that LR Parts sell just on the off chance.  https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4

That Reservoir you bought is likely a Britpart make, I have never had a problem in using over three fluid changes. Just wondering; I assume the system was working before the change. I can't see in your posts if you tried re using the old Reservoir. I use Ravenol SSF with no problems but there again I am a sucker for blurb such as

Active Cornering Enhancement and Cold Climate PAS Fluid

Hi I Like Chips. We haven't tried putting the old one back on as of yet. I'm not sure if it will bug me enough to try the old filter and waste alot more fluid or just buy another one if it looks like we are heading down the new pump route.

We had the camera out with us so I've thrown together a very quick video of what we did incase any of you eagle eyed people can see something we have done wrong..

https://youtu.be/-KAuJ0ClSes

Out of interest which would you go for. This aftermarket pump from LR Parts for £95+vat: https://www.lrparts.net/lr006462-freelande...icles.html or have a company refurb the one already on the car for £110+vat+carriage.  https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4

Last edited by Dean1234 on 24th Jan 2024 2:58 pm. Edited 1 time in total

AT1963 wrote:

Well that has put doubt in my mind as i plan to do this very soon but will use genuine reservoir
(about £30 from ebay) and fluid to correct spec.
One thing about your description is on point 6 you mention sucking out fluid from both old/new reservoir and I have not planned to do this but would only suck oil from old reservoir!
Not sure if this would have any impact?
Could steering pump be at fault?

Dean1234 wrote:

Hi I Like Chips. We haven't tried putting the old one back on as of yet. I'm not sure if it will bug me enough to try the old filter and waste alot more fluid or just buy another one if it looks like we are heading down the new pump route.

We had the camera out with us so I've thrown together a very quick video of what we did incase any of you eagle eyed people can see something we have done wrong (the quality will improve by midday).

https://youtu.be/-KAuJ0ClSes

Out of interest which would you go for. This aftermarket pump from LR Parts for £95+vat: https://www.lrparts.net/lr006462-freelande...icles.html or have a company refurb the one already on the car for £110+vat+carriage.

If the PAS pump and steering were working OK before then to my mind the most likely explanation is that you have somehow got some air into the system.
Could the pump be air locked ?

Also if you take the RH headlight out and move the washer filler you'll have much more access to the hose clips.

 Jules

Dean1234 wrote:

The only thing we did different to above was instead of bleeding it with the engine off, we fired the car up and surprisingly the level didn't change which I was kinda expecting it too.

The JLR manual says bleed/flush the system using the engine (page 531). Trouble is , with the pump going it will flush 4L of fluid in 30secs (according to the manual) so its very easy to entrain air if you're doing it solo. Jules

Dean1234 wrote:

AT1963 wrote:

Well that has put doubt in my mind as i plan to do this very soon but will use genuine reservoir
(about £30 from ebay) and fluid to correct spec.
One thing about your description is on point 6 you mention sucking out fluid from both old/new reservoir and i have not planned to do this but would only suck oil from old reservoir!
Not sure if this would have any impact?
Could steering pump be at fault?

This is the reservoir that I brought from eBay and it looks and feels like a genuine bottle. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303324138763

Obviously i'd purchase another one from LR Parts if we end up buying a pump.

At point 6 I feel like you have no option but to suck out the fluid from both reservoirs. Even if you run the fluid down to the minimum on the new reservoir, as soon as you remove the bung from the return port to then connect the return line, the fluid all comes spilling out.

I fully expect the power steering pump to be at fault. But it confuses me how the power steering can go from working fine to not working at all with a simple reservoir change. Not only that, I'd like to know where I've gone wrong so I don't go wrong again with the new pump.

DorsetFreelander: For all I know, the whining noise in the last thread could be linked to this problem. In that it was actually the power steering pump whining and gave up at the same time that we changed the belt, tensioner and idler. But that's a very loose theory.

I get where you're coming from with the fluids. But surely if it's Central Hydraulic Fluid and conforms to CHF 202 then it's all much of a muchness. Whether it's Pentosin, Granville or Ravenol. I could understand if red power steering fluid was used. Plus it's the fluid Beavis Pits used in this video and it didn't cause him any issues:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvae3VJSy_4

If we end up buying a pump I'll get the Ravenol that LR Parts sell just on the off chance.

jules wrote:

If the PAS pump and steering were working OK before then to my mind the most likely explanation is that you have somehow got some air into the system.
Could the pump be air locked ?

Also if you take the RH headlight out and move the washer filler you'll have much more access to the hose clips.

We were happily driving around in it with only a whine from what we now know to have been the tensioner or idler. Now that muggins here decided to change the reservoir, it's now very broken. I wouldn't of thought that we would've got any more air into the system than the next person doing the same job. Thanks alot for the headlight tip as that will come in very handy.

jules wrote:

If you'd bled the system fully, once reconnected I'd expect the level to remain static as there should be no air to come out and be replaced with fluid.

When we removed the new reservoir and refitted it on the 2nd stab, I was only confused by the level not dropping because there should've been an element of air left in the system as we didn't bleed it with the engine off on the 2nd attempt. We went by the service manual and went straight in with the engine on just in-case that made a difference.

jules wrote:

The JLR manual says bleed/flush the system using the engine (page 531). Trouble is , with the pump going it will flush 4L of fluid in 30secs (according to the manual) so its very easy to entrain air if you're doing it solo.

I've seen Beavis Pits video and his reservoir emptied as soon as the car fired up. I didn't think I'd have quick enough reactions to turn the car on and off again before the reservoir ran dry if it tried that method.

Thanks Rommel for vouching for the part.  https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4

Right I'm not sure if this next video will make anything clearer or leave it more confusing. I went back out to the car and tried to bleed it again incase it's just air. The first oddness starts with this. With the engine off going lock-to-lock the reservoir bubbles away more than a bubble bath:

https://youtu.be/ikZB-Dagg0o

i initially thought, YAY, it's pushing the air out. Until I realised it was doing it pretty much all the time and never stops. Even when I did it again today, it just bubbles away. That obviously lends itself to air getting in right? Well that is until the car is fired up and running and there is 0 air to be seen anywhere no matter how much I go from lock-to-lock. Why would air be getting into the reservoir with the engine off but not with it on?

Also, after doing lock-to-lock with the engine off today here are my findings in this video:

https://youtu.be/CinG64_hzIA

I've kinda got a bit of power steering back providing I don't run above idle and I don't steer for more than a second at a time and can wait for 2 or 3 seconds.

I hope someone can make sense of whatever the car is trying to tell me because I don't have a clue. Have I lost anything by taking the pump off and then putting it back on again in case there is an air lock inside of it? Or will that make my situation no better/worse?  https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4

I just serviced mine today. I took a big syringe and sucked it full. Repeated until reservoir empty. Then clipped the two hoses off, then took off the bottle (original and now pretty yellow'ish), cleaned the bottle with a full can of brake cleaner spray, inspected it visually as good ad I could to be clean, and reinstalled it, and topped up with new CHF202 VAG (volkswagen group) synthetic green fluid, steered left right 6-7 times to dull lock, then sucked up old brown nasty stuff. Repeated until all was clear light green. Works well and no whining.

So, to your case, after reading your next attempt and driving out any trapped air, without engine on, I would repeat that a lot. A lot.

Then I'd see if more powersteering came back, so this way you know if you are on the right track.

On the thing bout leaving it over night, that method will not always work, for example on my Lotus Esprit, changing the clutch fluid, I have to take the slave cylinder off and leave it upside down over night. Then it works. In your case, air may still be trapped there. Same goes for venting the brakes on my motorcycle.

Please write back here how it goes, both if it doesn't go well and if it goes well, so we will all be more knowledgable for it.

Kind regards,
Redfox.