Power Steering?

[geoffong]

Hi all, I'm currently looking at buying a '98 VR-4 Legnum, but the power steering is busted! /Grrr

I'm hoping the car will go for a bit cheaper because of the problem. I was just wondering, is it difficult and/or costly to source and replace the power steering pump in these cars?

I have a friend with an engine hoist who's pretty good with motors, but if it's really hard to do I'd rather take it to a Mitsi dealer or something. Your thoughts?

[Subaru ETA]

kempys.co.nz is your best bet

[Nick Mann]

I've never taken it off, but I would imagine you can get at it from the bottom, with no need to remove the engine. Unless it is the rack itself? Even then I'm not sure it is an engine out job....

[bradc]

you should have bought my car Geoff, 4260 was a damned good deal!

Do you have a link for this one?

[geoffong]

yup i do have a link, and yeah i'm fully gutted that i didn't have the money for yours at the time!

here it is: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=124133367

[bradc]

it's a repo so be careful. check the engine oil colour and trans oil colour and make sure there are no AYC or other warning lights on the dash.

[Subaru ETA]

"Facelift model with the factory wide body mouldings. This model is far superior to the normal VR4. You can tell by driving it."

PFFFFFT! Bull****!

as for the rack, it looks easy..ill tell you next week when i pull mine out! you sure the belt hasnt just broken? have you gone to see it?

[Kenneth]

The only reasonably certain way of breaking the power steering pump seems to be by doing donuts/hellis...

[Kenneth]

and with the placement of that dent... I would be a bit dubious.

You need to check to see if the cam belt has been done too, check the AYC to make sure it works ok, and also the transmission. Definitely check the transmission fluid too... there should be plenty of references to what it should look like if you search.

If that all checks out, could be a good buy :) But make sure you get ALL of the fluids done ASAP if you do buy the car. Expect to pay about $500 on getting it all sorted with decent fluids. If this seems too much, then to be honest you aught to think about buying a car that is less expensive to run.

Other than that, good luck.

PS: I have a power steering pump you can buy off me if you get the car. (Not sure if it works to be honest, but obviously ill refund you if it doesn't)

[Subaru ETA]

or the rack or something has leaked and the pump has run dry...

[geoffong]

hey folks, thanks for all the help. i've had a look through the forums and made a checklist of all the stuff i'll check over when i look at the car. and that crap about it being superior to a "normal" vr4 is, well... crap.

i'm not entirely sure what's wrong with the steering (seeing as the person who's running the auction doesn't seem to know either) but if there looks to be anything else wrong with the car when i check it out i'll definitely start looking elsewhere, especially with it being a repo.

also is there another way to check whether the AYC bars come up other than swerving from side to side at low speeds (besides, say, throwing it around a wet roundabout)? because i'd imagine that would be quite hard to do without steering.

[bradc]

the ayc is quite easy to check, just turn the wheel from left to right, even without the power steering it is quite easy to do. Just make sure that when you turn it on, the red AYC light comes on and then off, and that the green lights also come on.

[KHK]

i am breaking my vr4 legnum, it seems to me that removing the power steering parts isn't that easy.
There are some small tubing connecting the the steering gear box, unscrew it seems a bit hard as there is one important factor, tiny space to put your hands and tools inside to do what u want

could some experts here advise whether it is possible to remove the stabilizer bar, power steering parts without dropping the engine and gear box?

1) removing mounting nuts of stabilizer bar is easy, it seems to me the stabilizer bar cannot be pulled out as it is not a straight bar
2) the cross member mounting nuts all unscrewed, can't take it out as there is not enough space to pull out

[KHK]

yup i do have a link, and yeah i'm fully gutted that i didn't have the money for yours at the time!

here it is: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=124133367

how can you test drive it as there is steering problem? it is dangerous to drive it indeed.

[geoffong]

how can you test drive it as there is steering problem? it is dangerous to drive it indeed.

i agree that it is potentially dangerous to drive the car if there is a steering problem. but if the person running the auction is correct and it's just the power assistance that's broken, it shouldn't be too risky if i take it easy during the test drive.

[KHK]

if the problem only lies in the power steering pump,
it is not expensive to repair it and it is easy. i guess it would be within 200 NZD
Ask the seller to repair it first of all,
if he is reluctant to do it, u've got to think about it why!

[bradc]

Keith - that place on trademe specifically deals with reposessed cars, their policy is to sell the cars as is where is for $1 reserve.

[Subaru ETA]

yeah they have stated it as is where is, which is fair enough.

if the red ayc check light goes out the system is ok.

also, if you aint going to drive it you got to remember that the trans may be ****ed. sdomeone on here bought a repo and the trans blew a couple of weeks later

[KHK]

replacement of the trans is ****ing expensive

good luck geoff then

[geoffong]

cheers for all the help folks. i'm going to check the car out tomorrow (leaving it a little late i know but what with exams and stuff it's been pretty hectic). hopefully everything else checks out so i can get the power steering fixed and the fluids changed. then i can start burning what little cash i'll have left on petrol! /rally

[KHK]

regarding to my previous question on removing steering gear box assembly and crossmember, i tried today : without engine and gear box off, cross member finally was detached, after that, steering gear box assembly can be off without problem

[KHK]

however, i need to say i 'd NOT consider to do it the 2nd time; and i 'd suggest others DONOT damage the steering gear box assembly

[geoffong]

right so i went to check out the car today- what a mess! oil was black, ATF was brown, AYC fluid was brown. the gearbox seemed ok though. needless to say, i won't be buying that one!

and thus the search continues.

[bradc]

you can't expect much more than that for the price you expect to pay.