C5 X7 Steering Rack - Again!

[GiveMeABreak]

By the way, just to confirm the issue regarding the different racks available are based on the wheel sizes according to the table below:

Wheel Diameter	16" Wheels	17" - 18" - 19" Wheels
Special Feature	Long Travel	Short Travel
Steering Rack Travel	92 mm x 2	90 mm x 2

[lkraav]

that's a real s*****r !!!

precisely why i leaned towards a Facelift and not another X7. doing the gas rams is a whole lot easier in the greater scheme of things

Hey. Which MY do we consider "Facelift" wrt to this particular steering rack issue? Noticed the failure poll today, and steering rack is at the top.. Wondering if my MY2012 C5 will have to deal with this.

[GiveMeABreak]

We generally refer to the C5 MKI from 2000 to August 2004, the MK II (or Facelift) from September 2004 to 2007 and the MK III or X7 from 2008 to 2017.

As far as your steering rack is concerned, yes, very likely it has a) already been replaced, or will need replacing. There is a design fault with them, where the pinion shaft rusts, and deforms the area where the seal is, resulting in a leak. I am on my third steering rack in 70k miles!

[lkraav]

We generally refer to the C5 MKI from 2000 to August 2004, the MK II (or Facelift) from September 2004 to 2007 and the MK III or X7 from 2008 to 2017.

As far as your steering rack is concerned, yes, very likely it has a) already been replaced, or will need replacing. There is a design fault with them, where the pinion shaft rusts, and deforms the area where the seal is, resulting in a leak. I am on my third steering rack in 70k miles!

Thanks for the breakdown. I went through my dealer service export PDF and while nearly everything else under the hood has been replaced in the first 100K km (it had all standard issues: turbo blew, timing chain stretch etc), unfortunately steering rack isn't on the list. Damn it.

Any profylactics available here? Should I go do a focus check at the shop quickly?

EDIT OK just read/skimmed through the 13 pages of discussion here and have a better idea. Still couldn't tell for sure if shop visual inspection can reveal how bad the problem can be on a car, but I'll contact them about this now.

[GiveMeABreak]

The best way you can check is from the driver footwell - the floor plug can be removed (check the pictures back in this thread) and you should be able to shine a torch down and see what sort of condition it is in. The rust is mainly on the lower 2 inches of the shaft nearest the rack (also see my pics earlier). When having this one replaced, they put a tie rack boot over it and some grease to help prevent water getting on the shaft. Any water that gets onto the shaft tends to just sit on top of the seal and that of course just starts causing the rust.

[Stickyfinger]

Errr, seems quite probable I now have a leaking rack....bugger

Ramps out tomorrow !

[GiveMeABreak]

Oh crap Alasdair, is the first replacement (that you know of)?
Autosteer - £349 inc. £150 refundable exchange is where I got mine.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-C5-P ... Sw945bBpAs

[Stickyfinger]

It is on its first one, I had hoped the greasing would of stopped it (was going) but it seems only a delay to the event

How long can they weep for, friends from Canada are due to be borrowing it for a week/10days, Dorset/Aberdeen/IoSkye/Dorset on the 19th !

At the moment it is only a small patch on the road. On the ramps tomorrow to check it is the rack and not the LDS tank or a pipe.

[Hell Razor5543]

Please let it be a pipe; PLEASE let it be a pipe; PLEASE LET IT BE A PIPE!!!

[bobins]

It's downhill all the way I'm afraid. I certainly wouldn't want to embark on a round Britain sightseeing tour in the knowledge you've got a weeping rack... not unless you've got a couple of gallons of LDS in the boot and you can train your friends into inspecting and topping up the tank a couple of times a day
The job of replacing the rack only takes a few hours.... you just need a reconditioned rack to hand to be able to replace the duff one I think I'd be tempted to coat the new racks pinion shaft in a decent underseal or similar semi-setting goo and grease it up aftwerwards as well, and then.....

[GiveMeABreak]

I'll second what Robin has said Alasdair - mine started leaking overnight and leaving a pool and again when it went to the garage, another pool overnight on the ramp. Then they moved it off the ramp whilst I was awaiting the new rack to be delivered and the pool on the yard after a few hours was was slightly less.

Whilst we were diagnosing the leak, as soon as the steering wheel was turned even slightly, that was enough to start it dripping again, so I wouldn't advise it, considering the pressure it is under, as it might just get a lot worse in a short space of time.

At this rate we'll need a poll just for X7 steering racks so we can start adding the rack replacement count on a per-car basis

[GiveMeABreak]

Just to add Alasdair - whilst mine was on the ramp with the under tray protection removed - it was still difficult to see initially where the leak was - which is why we initially suspected it was a LP / HP power steering pipe. Only when they got in there a little later did they see it was the pinion shaft seal leaking.

[bobins]

Not only have you got gravity wanting to empty out the fluid at the lowest point (in the steering system), you've also got the residual pressure in the LDS tank wanting to push the fluid out as well.

Alasdair - if it's the pipe that's gone, then I've got a spare second hand one in good order here you can borrow / have - just furnish me with a similar one in due course so I'm covered for when mine fails ! If you get your skates on tomorrow morning and diagnose it as a failed pipe then I could run my spare down to you in the afternoon as I fancy a run out

[Hell Razor5543]

Just watch out for the A/M27 between Chichester and Portsmouth. It does not have deep potholes, but they are long and wide (and bloody numerous!). The road has a substrate of concrete, which is very hard (hence why the damage is no more than an inch deep), with a top layer of tarmac. Unfortunately the concrete and the tarmac have had a falling out, and the tarmac is now separating from the concrete. The worst section is westbound between Chichester and Portsmouth, on the nearside lane (although there are plenty of damaged sections in the fast lane). The damaged areas can be a few feet in size, with (at least two) some 'potholes' being longer than articulated lorries! Car with firm suspension or riders of crotch rockets be warned! I was driving along it this morning, and I wish I had a gumshield to stop my teeth imitating castanets!

[bobins]

I think the A27 along that section has been responsible for a few accidents in recent months !! We've got our own problems in Midhurst from tomorrow for two weeks - the A272 / A286 in the middle of town is closed for the duration. It will be chaos and you can expect it to feature on Sally-traffic