Hi Folks,

Have been having on and off issues with my power steering (quite literally!) whereby most of the time it's fine but now and again during slow speed manouvres - out of junctions or joining roundabouts etc. - I lose all power steering and can barely turn the car.

Very alarming when it happens so when it originally happened a few months back, the first thing I did was check the power steering fluid level - found it was very empty so topped it up to full. The fault then stopped happening for a couple of months 'til recently when it's happened again a few times.

I needed the car serviced so put it into my usual local garage and also asked them to fit some ARB bushes I'd sourced (to elimate 'that' creak in damp conditions) and check out / top up the power steering fluid whilst they were at it.

The service got done and they reported that the power steering rack needed replaced as it was leaking and the reason for fluid consumption and the intermittent fault as described. Cue them trying to source the part, no luck through the local motor factors so resorted to Fiat who then took a couple of days to come back with £500 odd + VAT for a reconditioned rack or £800 odd + VAT for a brand new one. Garage reckons around £150 labour to fit on top.

Meanwhile I'd been hunting around for a GM part knowing much of the chasis / suspension / steering is actually GM and in common with the Vectra-C & Signum. I've seen listings on ebay for Vectra-C power steering racks from £110 - £250, all a damned sight cheaper than what Fiat are quoting but as there are a number of different racks available am unsure which one to order up. Can anyone help here with a GM equivalent part number to what is on our Croma's? Mine is a 1.9 JTD 8v 120bhp 'Dynamic' model on a '55 plate.

I searched this forum looking for others with rack issues and couldn't find anything - only P/S pumps failing which did make me wonder if the diagnosis by the garage is correct but also checked Vauxhall forums and found a multitude of rack failures on the Vectra-C and Signum so sounds plausible.

All help much appreciated - have instructed the garage to top up the fluid for now whilst I source the correct rack rather than bending over for Fiat.

I'm also told I have another leak coming from the N/S gearbox->driveshaft oil seal - anyone else had this one? Fiat quoted £19 + VAT for the seal so got them to order it up, couple of days to get in and I need the car for a long trip so holding off on this and the rack getting replaced 'til after thinking I should be OK given both are only slight leaks.

The ARB bushes themselves were an adventure with Fiat supplying the wrong part (too small) then stating that was the only part available. I had to get the GM part number stamped on the worn bushes from the garage then run round to the local Vauxhall garage for them who had them in stock and at half the price of Fiat funnily enough...

Cheers,

Brian.

It has been notes by some that if the car battery is getting old then the heavy current drawn by the electrohydraulic rack can be to much for the battery and with row RPM the alternator can't help either. Also car steering is always heavier at low road speeds.

All these factors add to gether causing a loss of the power steering.

I would get your battery tested to see if it is not fully up to scratch.

Sadly this will not solve the fluid leak.

I saw that thread and personally don't buy it - I'd say there is still an underlying intermittent fault there.

The car electrical system runs on the battery, the alternator charges the battery above certain RPM - you'd have all sorts of other noticeable issues before current available from the battery caused an issue with the power steering.

No issues with the battery - always starts 1st time from cold.

'Car steering is always heavier at low road speeds' - a bit of a strange blanket statement when referring to power steering designed predominently to help in such situations?!? Indeed PS has evolved to be light at low road speeds for manouvering and to then weight up at speed such as motorway cruising. I think I know the difference between the steering being a little heavy and me the 18 stone 6' 2" driver barely being able to get the car turned with two hands before mounting the centre of a busy roundabout lol

So back to my rack leaking being the most likely cause of this issue - anyone know the GM part number or could cross reference the Fiat one to find it?

Cheers,

Brian.

Whilst I am not wishing to pick any specific points with you all I would say is that neither you or I know how many amps a fully loaded steering rack will take. Could be well in excess of starter motor current etc. etc.

In answer to your specific question contact a GM/Saab dealer and ask about Vectra-C / Signum/Saab steering racks. Identify who makes the steering rack, e.g. TRW. Failing that just buy a new steering rack from Fiat.

Around 50amps on full lock from what I've read - starter motors draw the most current in the whole electrical system. On a high compression engine such as a diesel, it'll be somewhere around 250amps +

I can guess at the correct GM part from listings on ebay so not sure why guessing at a GM / Saab dealer helps any more? I'm trying to be specific without having to take the rack off and find the GM part number stamped on it somewhere like I had to do with the bushes in the end.

Are you willing to pay in excess of £1,000 to have Fiat supply and fit a new steering rack? I certainly am not, hence the reason for posting. Figuring these Fiat -> GM part number translations out helps all of us source replacement parts much more economically...

Like you I would not be willing to pay anymore money than I have to. I'm often stupid but not that stupid.

Can I just clarify something regarding my post about steering rack current. When a starter motor pulls 200+ amps this is to get the engine running. ECU volts could well drop to 10Volts or less but the ECU is designed to operate, at least for the start cylce, at this very low voltage. Steering racks and other devices to be powered under normal operating/running voltages (12V to 15V) will often malfunction at less than 12V. This narrow operating range of say from 11.5V is how device manufacturers can cut their costs.

I don't think one can cross compare duress starting conditions to normal running.

Many of the Fiat parts have the same part number as the Vauxhall and Saab part numbers. If you don't know the Fiat part number then you can use ePER on this website or post back your Croma chassis number and I will look up the correct part number for your vehicle.

Lets see if we can get you sorted.

Thanks s130 - I didn't know about ePER. Looks a nice parts system, one's I've used in the past for Toyotas have been clunky at best with having to partition your hard drive a certain way then mount ISO's etc.

Tried inputting my VIN but it tells me not recognised - the catalogue version says 2005 so is there a newer ePER version than linked to at the top of the forum?

Searching without the VIN takes me here where there are no less than 8x part numbers listed, from which I've no idea how to work out the correct one.

VIN is ZFA19400002012006

Looking on ebay these two listings seem most accurate given the pump sits on top of the rack looking at ePER and I'm not aware of my car having an ESP system:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VAUXHALL-VECT...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2ea76df4a8

^^ £120

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RECONDITIONED...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3caf567ef1

^^ £110

Will contact those sellers to see if they can shed any light.

For your VIN I see:

Power Steering Rack for RHD, 1900 JTD 8V 120 HP/88KW = 71740550

BUT if you also have Dynamic Vehicle Control (option code 392) then the part no = 71740552

For the Power Steering Pump I have only 71740538.

Thanks. Was that from a newer ePER or is there a trick to getting it to accept VINs?

Sounds a lot like the Vectra ones - pump on rack with or without ESP versions, ESP = DVC I'm guessing.

They look very similar so I'll probably just go for one of the ebay ones.

Perhaps somebody reading has access to the GM parts system and can check that part number there? My experience with the bushes is that Fiat give GM parts their own P/N though

Cheers,

Brian.

VIN number entry can be difficult.

Far easier to select Model and then Croma 2005 and then enter the last eight digits of your chassis number.

The Fiat Forum version is too early for you chassis number. I got your info from the ePER 42a Edition dated May 2008.

By the way you car was produced in 07/2005. If you want to know more then please PM me as I do not want to post additional info in public.

There are three topics with Croma power steering questions and they should probably be merged together. I am going to post to all of them and leave it to the admin to merge.

2005 Croma 150 171000 km, new and excellent battery (exide premium +30%), alternator charging (always can tell as I installed voltmeter in the cabin). Upon morning start yesterday (it was cold -2 celsius), the steering wheel worked normally reversing out and when steering to the left, but there was a definite resistance to even a slighest turning to the right. It was very noticable and didn't seem to change with the speed of travel. After 30 min of driving it seemed to disappear. No warning lights and no recorded faults. Voltmeter was showing 13.9-14V at all times did not dip below 10V when starting. So I guess it is safe to say it's not electrical, PS pump, rack or intermittent gremlins??? It happened before a few times but only on the first right turn at the traffic light next to my house, never this prominent and prolonged. Any ideas?