VW Polo 9N 1.9 TDI or SDI - Power Steering Observations
The VW Polo 9N 1.9 TDI or SDI variant has a power steering pump that is located in a strange place.
To top up the fluid you will need to remove the battery (13mm socket set with extender) and also the battery tray (13mm socket with extender and perhaps knuckle).
The a battery tray is also partially attached to the air filter housing, so you will need to wrestle around that too. This video shows the location:
The pump is a 12v electric pump, and is accessed from underneath the car it looks like this:
In the video above you can only see the green cap poking up. The rest is tucked away and is accessed behind the bumper.
VW Polo 9N 1.9 TDI or SDI - Stiff / Lumpy Steering
If you have lumpy / stiff / intermittent power steering then it is likely that you have low power steering fluid levels. You should top up your power steering fluid level. BUT. . .before you do have a look under the car, is there oil dribbling out near the power steering rack. You may have a leak.
If you do have a leak you could either take it to the garage, and pay them £400 for a new rack, or you can use some power steering sealant. I have used the "Lucas" branded stuff and it is good. It gets consistently good reviews by everybody that uses it.
VW Polo 9N 1.9 TDI or SDI - Without Power Steering
I am a fit, well fed, 6ft tall man, who liked wrestling alligators (made up that last part) the steering in a vw polo is reeeeally heavy without power steering. Much much heavier than an old car designed without power steering.Forums are full of storey of people installing manual racks and then going back to power steering.
Environmental Permit Applications
some of the "odd" placement of stuff in "euro" cars is due to them beinf LHD designs, then converted to RHD.
ReplyDeleteThe "oddest" I have seen was in the two Citroen AXs I had where the brake servo was on the left, rather than the right.
My current drive, a Citroen Berlingo (been driving berlingos for the last 13 years!) has an improved gearbox compared to the previous model (I had both!). The better gearbox means a lump sticks out into the footwell on the passenger side - except it is the driver's side because it is RHD! result is that i could drive my first berlingo in wellies, but our second (and current) one has much closer pedal spacing! You get used to it (and choose your footwear carefully!) On the other hand, the ghearbox lump makes a nice little footrest to lean my left foot on during long drives. So not all bad!
LOL. Yeah french. All those long lunches perhaps!
ReplyDeleteWe had a berlingo knock off (partner) I liked that very practical. Turbo exploded.