Ok heres my day:

I drove to work this morning, everything was fine until I got into the parking lot, my power steering kept cutting out just as I was trying to manouver into a space. I had to use serious effort to move the wheel.

When I started up to come home, everything was fine, I drove around the parking lot before setting off and everything seemed ok. Just before I arrived home my low fluid light came on my first thought was that is was a low power steering fluid level warning which would explain my problem.

When I went to back into my driveway the power steering died on me and I had to get strong with the wheel again.

Thats when I noticed the plumes of steam coming from under my bonnet I shut off and opened the bonnet.

There appears to be water coming from behind the water pump at quite a fast rate, which in turn was dripping onto the crank pulley and subsequently spraying everything near the route of the drivebelt. (particularly the opti )

My question is, how could this affect the power steering? Is there an electrical connector near the water pump that might have been getting wet and shorted the thing out?

My next question would be would I need a whole new waterpump or just a gasket? (assuming the opti is still fine)

 

mine did the same thing. i think the belt was slipping on the pulley. as for the pump, is it coming from the pump or a hose? i had to replace my pump. good luck. my steering went crazy for about a week.

 

I don't think that would affect the power steering, unless coolant got on the belt and made it slip- that would explain the loss of power steering assist. Check the fluid level in the power steering reservoir first, then when things are nice and cooled off track down the exact place where the leak is.

I wonder if the bearings are shot in the waterpump and coolant is spraying out from where the driveshaft coupling attaches??

 

The first thing I did was get under the car with a torch, I could see the coolant flowing from behind the water pump.

I checked the hoses entering the pump and also the thermostat housing, everything there seemed dry. I did my best to look all over for a source of leakage but the only place I could'nt really see was behind the water pump.
I'll need to jack the car up at some point and have a proper look.

Which pulley is responsible for powering the power steering pump? A slipping pulley seems to correlate with these syptoms.

 

The pulley just below the alternator.

 

Thanks for your help fellas, something tells me I'm in for a headache with this one, assuming the water pump has indeed gone.

I just hope the opti is unharmed, I only have 34,000 miles on this car. I've had it for just over 2 years and have had absolutely no problems until now.

I guess something had to give sooner or later.