Power steering issue - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

adiaw83 · #1 01-07-2005, 12:24 PM

Something weird happened when I started my car this morning. It's an 83 300SD . I started it up fine but didn't really have any power steering. I thought the leak had come back but checked the lines and everything was fine. I looked in the resevoir and all the PS fluid look all foamy. This has never happened to me before and I'm not really sure what caused it. The tempereature has dropped here rececntly and the car hadn't been driven in a while because i just got the chance to get to the glow plugs. Also when I started for the first time in a while after it had been sitting for a while there was no PS fluid in it. thanks for any help. Also I recently put on some new air cleaner mounts and the air cleaner assembly has been shaking more than it did when one of em was broken. This is causing the breather tube to come off the air cleaner sometimes. Cna I clamp it down?

dieseldiehard · #2 01-07-2005, 01:08 PM

I don't know about the PS fluid issue, is it MB fluid in there?
As for the air filter mount, I've seen them get worse (more shaking) after replacing the broken bracket. I think that's because the old bracket allows the engine vibration to NOT pass to the filter housing because its broken. There are two types of brackets, one gold and one painted black. I have seen both of them fail. The gold ones seem better to me but this bracket thing is a poor design from the start, not enough material in the right places and too thin as well as being mild steel.
If someone ever designs an improvement there would be a lot of happy shops/mechanics/car owners. Also the weight of the filter housing is part of the problem, sitting on a long moment arm attached to a shaking engine. An aluminum housing would take some of the stress off the bracket. (I went to a K&N filter mounted directly to the turbo intake on one of my wagons, I got tired of the fool bracket failing.)
The condition of the engine (injectors, IP, compression balance, IP rack dampener pin setting, etc) all come into play as part of the problem.
Also I suggest using nylock nuts to attach the rubber mounts, the threaded holes in the brackeets are poor in terms of holding the threads over time, that is another thing I dislike about the stupid brackets they are selling.
DDH
1971 220 (gas) 4-spd manual 106441
1979 300TD w/ ’85 turbo engine 296650
1983 300D 243280
1985 300TD 223470
1987 300D 262300

adiaw83 · #3 01-07-2005, 07:37 PM

Thanks for the advice. Its not MB power steering fluid in there. I think I'll flush it and change the fileter and dput some MB fluid in there and see what happens. Thanks I guess I'll just have to live with the rattling until I get my engine seriously serviced.