C5 X7 Steering Rack - Again!

[GiveMeABreak]

Update:

Ok, so I finally got her back this afternoon. And can I just say, I highly recommend being without a car or in a non-hydraulic Citroen for 2 weeks and then getting back in your baby....absolute bliss on the short ride back home.

So as I promised, here are the pictures of the failed 'new' Citroen rack before I send it back to Autosteer.

These are high res photos, so you will need to click on each to zoom

(1) Here's the Full Rack	(2) The Label for Reference (a ZF Rack)
(3) The Other Label	(4) The Input Shaft
(5) Rusted to Hell	(6) Another Close Up

So if you click on Picture (5), you can really see how much the rust has eaten into this in just over 3 years and 20k miles since replaced. We've had no harsh winters here in that time.

I would suggest that there is the possibility of water dropping down from the scuttle area onto the rack - or that pressure washing may be a possibility as I pressure wash it every month - but will be making a concious effort to avoid the scuttle more than I already do now.

I am very pleased with the work. The guys did a fantastic job and modification with the boot over the shaft - and they left the tie boot purposefully open at the bottom to allow egress. But they all agreed it was a poor design to allow water to just sit in the input shaft seal area and rot the shaft.

At this rate of reconditioning / machining- I suspect the shafts will soon be the size of matchsticks!

I'm now going to go and pack up the rack to go back to the sorting office, bleed the car myself (so I know it has been done as per recommendation) and be back in time for cornflakes

[Paul-R]

That really is a rusty shaft (oo-err missus) you have there Marc. This has all made me so concerned about my own steering rack but I will have to endure another week or worry until we get back to the UK.

[white exec]

That exposed length of shaft looks well and deeply rusted along its complete length, and not just where water might be expected to sit in the annular recess just above the shaft seal. Can only guess how rusty it might be in the seal area itself...

Water will not be sitting on the shaft (well, it will be, when the rust really sets in!) - it will run downwards - so the conclusion has to be that the shaft material is just extrordinarily susceptible to rust. Wonderful.

See from pictures 5 and 6 that there looks to be just room enough to slide some snug-fitting protective plastic tubing over the exposed (and greased) shaft, and push it down into contact with the seal, and just into the annular recess in the casting. Some good grease at this bottom end might keep the water out.

Good to hear that fitting an over-boot was successful. Do you have any pictures of that, fitted, so we can see how it managed to deal with 'the lump'?

[GiveMeABreak]

Well I will be keeping an eye on it from now Paul - and I've just noticed that there have been 2156 views of this topic in the space of 3 weeks - so it of obvious interest to some!. Hopefully some of the modifications and the pictures we've all contributed to will help others be more aware (of they aren't already) of the issue and what they can possibly do about it. For me that Tie rod boot has simply got to be a winner I would suggest in at least keeping water away from the shaft from above and the sides and hopefully from splashes from the wheels too.

[Stickyfinger]

I am sure some clever chap could make a case that is a material problem rather than "fair wear & tear". Citroen should be ashamed they have never changed the spec of that shaft. "Legally" they have the upper hand in the Uk/Eu of course.

[bobins]

The rusty rack that you've just had removed was serial number 00003 - what you might describe as an early prototype !! I wonder if ZF are still churning out p/n 7832 974 264, or if they've modified the design again since then?

[GiveMeABreak]

Well no green Fairy liquid cap in there anywhere! Well let's just say that was a complete waste of a prototype 00003 indeed!

[EDC5]

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a serial number that low before. I always assumed manufacturers started at a random number as not to give away an details about production numbers!

[GiveMeABreak]

So I have been out looking for places to put copious amounts of Marine grease on my seeing as I now have 2 tubs of the stuff

A few bolts here and there and shoved a load in the new bonnet opening mechanism too.

Decided to bleed the system to make sure it had been done as the steering felt a little 'lumpy' this evening on a spin to town and I thought I would put a few pics up here showing how the fluid was and how it is after bleeding:

Fizz ... Full of microscopic bubbles	Going, going... Slowly clearing	... Gone Nice and clear

Usual procedure: Engine running, raise to high, lower fully, then 10 lock to lock SLOW turns, check level and then wait 2-5 minutes for tank to degas and any fizz to clear. I raised mine to high again and lowered it then performed another 5 or so SLOW lock to lock turns and let any remaining fizz disappear.

[white exec]

So I have been out looking for places to put copious amounts of Marine grease on my . . . . . . . seeing as I now have 2 tubs of the stuff

Readers can muse over the missing word...
You can't beat a well-greased Marine.

[GiveMeABreak]

Oops, slipped up there didn’t I? (no pun intended).

The excitement of getting my car back I guess!

[Rhothgar]

I've read just about every message on this post and then came to the last page regarding sending the rack back to Autosteer?

Earlier on. I was minded to say that I would ask Citroen Customer Services for their legal registered business address. Evidentially, most people know that a rack is rarely a problem so for it to fail within 4 years is most certainly not acceptable and therefore not fit for purpose especially given the fact that it could be a life critical issue if it failed catastrophically. Either way, it has not last 6 years and therefore you should be due a pro-rata refund of the original cost.

I would get online, sign up on MCOL and file a claim in the small claims court if that cost you £1500 or certainly file a claim of the cost to rectify the issue. With my latest post and then this, people are probably beginning to think I am all for litigiousness. I am not. You just have to do some things for the matter of principle.

[GiveMeABreak]

I appreciate your sentiments and feel exactly the same, but unfurtunately they won’t have anything to do with it. They also stated that they won’t warrant any parts for service life now.

I have posted my old rack to Autosteer this morning as I have to return it within 2 weeks and already had a slight delay as the mechanic was taken Ill.

So the last original failed in just over 3 years and the original prior to that in 5.

[lexi]

Great to get the proper Cit back Marc. You know German stuff isn't what it once was. Materials and all manner of build is sourced out to Turkey Hungary etc. It is one reason that VAG Merc has went downhill. I know that high carbon steel tends to rust, but all metal is not equal. I think there is just too much recycled metal being sold now, and it isn't as good as proper virgin ore made into steel.
I mean, when I heard these car were to be built in Opel factory, it seemed a plus point. It hasn't been so. A brilliant concept of a car spoiled in many ways. This should have been the epitome of the species. The engine, the suspension, the looks the lot! An untouchable package in it's class which has disappointed, with reliabilty and parts failures.
Ha ha I'm commenting and I don't own one or have suffered the expenditure of doing so.

[GiveMeABreak]

That's very true Lexi - some of the parts we know are now made in Eastern European places - which would explain why I can now get parts delivered from there and Poland cheaper than I can here!

The body work is generally good - I do have a wheel arch chip that need attention this summer - but the failings apart from the disastrous racks are the electronics of some components - the windscreen wipers are a good example - no real warning apart from the wiper arms playing Chinese Chopsticks all of a sudden and flicking a single wiper arm up at oncoming traffic

DMFs and Clutches, electric window regulators are another weak point and one of my greatest concerns now is the lack of underbody protection to the suspension pipes and spheres. I have had all mine cleaned up and protected - but will be doing that again regularly, The components are let down by cheap tinny based fixings and brackets that just rot or allow the festering to spread to other components - really bad oversight there on these critical pipes.

Internally, bodywork is is a lot more solid, with quality plastics used - so little to no squeaks or rattles and better sound proofing - but this is then let down by poor trim painting finishes - with thin rubbery plastic film that peels off very quickly. I took ALL mine off and painted and lacquered them by hand - now a proper tidy job that won't need doing again.

So good advances, let down by small annoying things that could of easily been prevented with a little more thought attention and not too much cost.

I still wouldn't buy German though - I will probably be in limbo if / when the X7 goes to the C5 graveyard in the future ...