Steff95

So today I had a little fun at the wet asphalt, just drifting around a little bit. (Not much really, just for like 30secs, and it didn't struggle much since it was wet outside).

But when I stopped, I realized the steering wheel was VERY heavy! I started driving forward a bit, but still heavy... After a while it became a little bit better, but now it seems like it is very heavy sometimes.. Especially at low speed, while parking etc... When parking for example, it's like driving without power steering at all...

What could this be?! I tried refilling oil, but it didn't become any lighter... What can I do to analyze the problem? I need my car!! But I don't want to drive around, risking to wreck my servo/power steering pump(?). It could already be broken tho, lol..(?)

Any help is highly appreciated!! I'm starting to get worried about all these problems I'm having with my car now.. :/

Moviela

You need to flush the entire power steering system following the directions. You must also use the specified fluid. Auto parts store "power steering" fluid is NOT the correct product.

Check that your tires are properly inflated and the drifting did not cause a tread/belt separation.

Steff95

I used an oil from the garage that my dad stated was an expensive mercedes oil, which was probably for his ML.

I'm sorry, but I'm Norwegian. What do you mean by "inflated"? That they are not touching anything when steering/turning the wheels?

VVF

I think that's been discussed before.
PS pump dies if you do donuts in these cars.
Just I didn't expect that 30 seconds is enough for it...

Steff95

Is there any way I can confirm that the PS pump is dead? And if it is, can I just get an used one and simply replace it? Or is it a lot of work?

That's weak though.. I feel there's so many weaknesses on these cars. Starting to annoy me now.. I knew that when I bought the 203 though, just didn't think I would experience them all.

VVF

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...nctioning.html
Pay attention to Glyn Ruck's posts there.

https://mbworld.org/forums/c32-amg-c...-went-out.html
Some scary reading.

Steff95

That's bad of Mercedes, wow.. So that means my ps pump is dead? Isn't there any way of confirming it?

This means I can't even have fun at the snow in wintertime? Wow.. :s

I want a new car, haha

Moviela

The power steering fluid is expensive. Just check the can and be sure it is that specified for your car.

Don't feel bad, you are not the first person to be unsure of the changes made to English by Americans. When we talk of tire inflation we mean the air inside the tire which we measure in pounds per square inch (psi.) In Europe tire inflation pressure is measured in a unit called BAR. 1 BAR is 14.5 psi. There might be a decal on the driver's door frame that shows the correct tire pressure.

The other posters are correct in stating drifting can cause the pump to fail and send metal particles through the steering rack. The rack cannot survive with even the smallest amount of debris passing through. I hope this is not your problem.

Steff95

It is a mercedes logo on it, and it says 236.3. My tyres doesn't seem inflated though. I haven't checked with a machine, only visual. I don't see how only a little air missing in the tyres could cause this(?)

I recently talked to a mechanic here in Norway coming from Germany. He's been working on benzes for maaany years, but never heard of this, lol..

I'm guessing it's the ps pump as said earlier, but I want to be sure before buying a replacement pump.. No advices on how to test it fast and simple? I want my car up running again fast, taking the bus sucks...

turbonos7

This is the ONLY thing that should be going into the PS reservoir in your car...

http://www.pentosin.net/pressrelease..._CHF11S_V3.pdf

The MB standard that it is supposed to meet is actually 345.0 for our cars (w203) NOT whatever else you quoted above earlier. Plus, if you said the fluid you used has been laying around your dad's shop for a while it may no longer be what it was supposed to be. It could've degraded, absorbed moisture, saw dust, insects, who knows? So as a last ditch effort, get a couple of cans of this stuff, drain and fill the system and perform the MANUAL lock to lock procedure 30 times with the front of the vehicle off the ground and the vehicle OFF (hence the MANUAL in MANUAL procedure) and see how things are after that. You may notice an instant but not complete improvement. If you do, and the car is "driveable", let this fluid run through the system for about 2 weeks to a month while closely monitoring level, color, and metal content. Perform the drain and fill again and do the same. If your PS pump and or steering rack have any chance of being brought back to life it will be by putting the right fluid in first and letting the seals/system normalize itself over time. Good luck!

Steff95

Is it really THAT important to use 110% correct oil?!

Does anyone know if I can use a ps pump from the facelifted model btw? Plug and play? And will my steering be lighter than standard prefacelift?

C160

Fellow Norwegian here (heihei)
When you had your 30 seconds of fun, did you by any chance have full lock on the steering wheel?

On some cars you can remove the pump altogether, is this possible on our mercs?
Just had to replace streched timing chain, and winter is coming so I guess I should start saving up for new PS pump myself..

Steff95

Hei hei!

I think I might have had full lock, or almost at some point. I don't know what you mean by removing the pump altogether, I just had a look down there, and it didn't seem too hard to remove it though.
Well, do you really want to risk your car at winter? I'm thinking of fixing it and selling it for another car now... Don't know which car though.. I want a diesel, but I'm not getting a 203, that's for sure! You know you can whack your steering rack as well? And that's a ****load of work to replace.

But the pump itself can be bought cheap for like 2-300$ used.. I think I'll have to try that. I don't know where to buy my oil from cheap though... The PS system can't be THAT picky on which oil is used?
---------------------------
EDIT:

Today I found out that my power steering only works when using the gas pedal/revving. But I also discovered a noise from the PS pump, getting higher as my rpm gets higher.. So I guess the pump is dead, I just don't hope anything more is... But as said, the power steering works, as long as I rev the engine.

Carsy

Could still be air in the system.

Drain. Add correct oil. Prime.

C160

By removing i meant bypassing it
And what is the point in RWD and manual box if you can't "use" it during wintertime?

Your symptoms does sound like the second thread that VVF linked to..
Hope you sort it out, let us know how it goes

turbonos7

Yeah I think it's for the best that both of you part ways. The car will have a better future and so will you. You'll be free to enjoy your next car. If you get the diesel, you'll even be free enough to put gasoline in it and then talk bad about it when the engine goes, you can go to forums and bash on how picky your car is on the type of fuel you put in it. Not only did you not use the right fluid, you used the worst you could've used. ML's take dextron III which is nothing like pentosin CHF 11s. It's basically transmission fluid. Put power steering fluid in your transmission and see what happens? Anyways, good luck with your civic.

02C240

the 236 MB sheet is for transmission fluid. Are you sure you put PS fluid?

Steff95

The problem isn't that I filled the wrong fluid, jesus.. I had the problem already. It might have been a different oil, but the ps was still not functioning correctly in the first place.

Of course I'm allowed to complain about the car when I discover all these weaknesses on it. Why you even start talking about filling gasoline on a diesel, I have no idea. Or are you one of those who just hate diesels? I'm thinking of it because it's a lot cheaper than owning my current petrol car. Especially when I live in Norway.

But feel free to put your rage out on an Internet forum, it's very interesting.


Edit :and regarding the ps fluid, I can't say for sure. But it seemed like that was the number.

Moviela

Yes, it really is important to use the correct fluid in your car. The correct fluid is Mercedes Sheet 345.0. The ML is an American made car and the power steering uses a common automatic transmission fluid.

The W203 uses Pentosin CHF 11S. It is quite different from Mercedes Sheet 236.3 that goes in your dad's ML.

Pentosin should be easy to find in Norway.

http://www.pentosin.net/f_hydraulicfluid.asp

No ones knows if your pump and/or steering rack are damaged at this point. I would follow the following course.

Drain the existing mix of incompatible oils.

Run the correct oil through. Start briefly 10 seconds. This is to flush the system.

Drain that oil. Replace with new, and bleed the system to remove the air.

Now you may connect a gauge to the pump and measure the output pressure. I would suggest a well equipped shop to do this. They should be able to read and interpret the results.

One reason Mercedes cars are such a pleasure to drive and are eagerly sought by motorists on six continents is the engineering talent that takes ordinary automobile systems and makes them outstanding. They have done especially well designing fluids with hardware to produce a complete system.

The motor oil, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, coolant, and differential oil are specific types that are not used by many other cars, and not easily available from OEM's. The correct products can be had at less cost than MB dealers. You will find that ordering on the internet may be the best way to obtain these products.

I hope your initial difficulties do not sour you on the brand.

turbonos7

Amen to that! My comparison to you buying a diesel and putting gasoline in the tank is an analogy of what you are doing to the PS system... It calls for one fluid, and you filled it with a mixture of all the wrong ones, then went a did donuts and are now complaining that it doesn't work right or that it has "weaknesses". The reason we keep talking about the fluid is because like Moviela said, this may be the reason YOU HAD A PROBLEM BEFORE YOU HAD A A PROBLEM!!! Get it? ADDRESS THE ISSUE WITH THE OIL FIRST!!! Then we can make more educated guesses and try to help you better, but you keep blowing off this issue with the oil so... complain away....

Moviela... no use trying to share knowledge with someone who's not listening....

Steff95

I am listening, but obviously you got it wrong again, see? I did donits first, then refilled oil because I thought it was missing something. Not the other way around! Am I not allowed to ask regarding the oil? I know many people that are REALLY picky on the oil, without purpose. But obviously this ps fluid is really important to have 110% correct, okay now I know this. Am I not allowed to question/make sure the ml oil is good enough? No1 here told me it was kind of a transmission oil used on the ml until now.

turbonos7

Do you have the owner's manual for your car? including the booklet which has the list of apporved lubricants for your vehicle? In this booklet, it lists all of the approved oils/lubricants for your car. The other question is, do you know what was in your PS reservoir before all this happened? We can assume the right thing was in there but like Moviela said, a lot of people don't know how picky these cars are about the fluids you can use in them and maybe the last owner just put whatever in there also. We have to assume the wrong fluid was in there to begin with so let's start by getting the right fluid in there. We're all just trying to help.

turbonos7

Hope you can see this but here's a pic from my manual.

[img]
photo3.jpg


[/img]

Steff95

Yea I can see the photo. I can check when I get home from work, but I guess it should be the same oil as in your photo then?

turbonos7

Yes, Pentosin CHF 11s, Moviela and I think I also posted a link on here to a page of the product. From this you can tell what it looks like. You can find it on eBay, or try to source it locally. It is made in Germany so you should be able to get your hands on it fairly easy.