I've searched for other threads and there are some with similar issues but the failure seems to happen in different circumstances to those, and since there are so many things that could apparently cause this I don't know which direction I should be looking.
It started around a month ago.. I switched off my engine at a macdonalds drive through and when i started it again there was no power steering, so i switched off and started again. And again: no PS (with the light on the dash coming on only when the engine has started, and not at stage 1 ignition). After I had some trouble with the steering lock and the key turning I tried again and it started up this time with PS. Since then I have had no other problems, apart from today.
Starting this morning whenever I start the car I have no power steering (this time the light comes on the dash during stage 1 ignition as well as the engine starting). The first few times today It just took a couple of minutes to start working, but that couple of minutes has been getting longer as the day has gone on, the last time I let it sit for 15 minutes with nothing happening, switched it off and on multiple times, and cleaned the battery connection. After this (not sure whether it's related) but it only took about two minutes to come on.
So far today I've topped up the hydraulic fluid (which was low), so I'm ruling that out. People seem to say it could be the battery suffering from the cold but this problem occurred after a 70 mile drive which surely should have charged the battery fully. Others say the pump could be burned out but why would that be intermittent and not just a straight up failure? There are also mentions of the wire which connects the battery to the pump coming loose but it still seems pretty secure. I've also checked the fuses on top of the battery.
I'm assuming it must be the pump or the battery but it's a lot of money to dish out on a whim.
In summary, it's a problem that occurs on every startup, even after the battery should be sufficiently charged.
Any help is appreciated
Cheers
It started around a month ago.. I switched off my engine at a macdonalds drive through and when i started it again there was no power steering, so i switched off and started again. And again: no PS (with the light on the dash coming on only when the engine has started, and not at stage 1 ignition). After I had some trouble with the steering lock and the key turning I tried again and it started up this time with PS. Since then I have had no other problems, apart from today.
Starting this morning whenever I start the car I have no power steering (this time the light comes on the dash during stage 1 ignition as well as the engine starting). The first few times today It just took a couple of minutes to start working, but that couple of minutes has been getting longer as the day has gone on, the last time I let it sit for 15 minutes with nothing happening, switched it off and on multiple times, and cleaned the battery connection. After this (not sure whether it's related) but it only took about two minutes to come on.
So far today I've topped up the hydraulic fluid (which was low), so I'm ruling that out. People seem to say it could be the battery suffering from the cold but this problem occurred after a 70 mile drive which surely should have charged the battery fully. Others say the pump could be burned out but why would that be intermittent and not just a straight up failure? There are also mentions of the wire which connects the battery to the pump coming loose but it still seems pretty secure. I've also checked the fuses on top of the battery.
I'm assuming it must be the pump or the battery but it's a lot of money to dish out on a whim.
In summary, it's a problem that occurs on every startup, even after the battery should be sufficiently charged.
Any help is appreciated
Cheers