E39 steering heavy

[peaktorque]

Very occasionally when carrying out a low speed manouver in my 535 the steering becomes heavy, this doesn't always happen and out on the road it is fine.
I notice it more when reversing onto my drive-way. It almost feels like there is no power steering, but there is there is just more "resistance" (there are no strange noises)
Is there a common point of seizure on the steering box/linkage on the E39 or am I looking at a power steering problem? (yes I have checked the fluid!)

Any ideas?

Thanks

[peaktorque]

Well it now seems power steering is not existant! I bit of manoauvering in B&Q car park earlier was a bit "hard going". Power steering pump maybe?

Thanks

[blackspider]

Have done a few power steering pumps on these,not for a while though.

Other faults on the steering with these have been the idler arms,like the E38 they have a habbit of siezing in the bushes so its worth checking them and the joints,but from the explaination I would take a close look at the pump.

[peaktorque]

blackspider said:

Have done a few power steering pumps on these,not for a while though.

Other faults on the steering with these have been the idler arms,like the E38 they have a habbit of siezing in the bushes so its worth checking them and the joints,but from the explaination I would take a close look at the pump.

Thanks (again!) for your response blackspider,
I'm guessing that the pump is at the bottom of the engine?
Are there any 'real' tests that I can carry-out on the pump to check it's performance?
As for the idler arms are these the connecting arms from the steering box?

Thanks

[blackspider]

Unless you have a pressure gauge to put inline then there isnt much you can do or see short of slackening the pipes off and starting it up to see if it floods out-Not recommended.

The idler arm links the steering box to the track rod ends-red/orange in colour normally.

Just thought of another fault I used to see lots of and thats the servotronic motor on the steering column.Servotronic stiffens the steering at speed and aids parking slow manouvers.To check this one it needs a diagnostic test.

[peaktorque]

blackspider said:

Unless you have a pressure gauge to put inline then there isnt much you can do or see short of slackening the pipes off and starting it up to see if it floods out-Not recommended.

The idler arm links the steering box to the track rod ends-red/orange in colour normally.

Just thought of another fault I used to see lots of and thats the servotronic motor on the steering column.Servotronic stiffens the steering at speed and aids parking slow manouvers.To check this one it needs a diagnostic test.

So it pretty much sounds like a vist to Lilly and Constable then!

Thanks again b.s

[blackspider]

No problem.

The servotronic if yours was fitted with it is a little motor that sits on the steering column.What happens is the motor creates a resistance on the column.They always failed gradually-random heavy steering and then they would fail altogether making it heavy all of the time.

It feels the same as a failed PAS