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driving 100 miles on a bad powersteering pump

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Old 02-18-2009, 04:32 PM
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Default driving 100 miles on a bad powersteering pump

The power steering pump on my 96 a4 quattro recently started to going bad. the the pulley has a small wabble to it and there is a slight metal on metal sound coming from it pump itself. I have new pump waiting at my home, but I need to drive 100 miles from my apartment to get there.....what could happen? haha
 
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Old 02-18-2009, 09:36 PM
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You could borrow another car. Your pump will seize and prolly screw the belt up and who knows what else. When you slow down though your arms will start to look like popeye's from the work out.
 
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Old 02-18-2009, 10:37 PM
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I drove mine around for a good week with a bad power steering pump. Nothing happened.
 
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Old 02-19-2009, 12:02 AM
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How bad was the pump, how did you know it was bad? like metal on metal sounds? I have no option but to drive it home, thats where the new pump is......
 

Last edited by pearlescent; 02-19-2009 at 12:08 AM.
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Old 02-19-2009, 12:17 AM
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I wouldn't recommend it. Is any fluid leaking at all?
 
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Old 02-19-2009, 01:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Interceptor
You could borrow another car. Your pump will seize and prolly screw the belt up and who knows what else. When you slow down though your arms will start to look like popeye's from the work out.


Hahahahaa, exactly what I was thinking!

But I agree: borrow another car. If the pump seizes and the belt breaks, you're calling a tow truck and getting a rental anyway. Although, I've risked my road trips on much worse terms...
 
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Old 02-19-2009, 08:31 AM
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I've put 10k on my bad power steering pump... haha. I have the wobble but the pump's working fine although the other day it got so loud I had to pull the belt off to make sure I didn't have a connecting rod knocking. I think its the bearing for the pump shaft in my case. I REALLY need to get around to fixing it.
 
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Old 02-19-2009, 11:03 AM
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Originally Posted by pearlescent
How bad was the pump, how did you know it was bad? like metal on metal sounds? I have no option but to drive it home, thats where the new pump is......
There were metal on metal noises and the power steering was noticably more stiff.
 
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Old 02-19-2009, 08:31 PM
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ok good news... i made it home, but it quite scary the pump seized about a mile away from my house after driving an hour and a half haha. Now i have a new problem, i have air stuck in my new power steering pump.....any ideas?
 
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Old 02-20-2009, 01:06 AM
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Originally Posted by pearlescent
ok good news... i made it home, but it quite scary the pump seized about a mile away from my house after driving an hour and a half haha. Now i have a new problem, i have air stuck in my new power steering pump.....any ideas?
Audi power steering pumps can take days to bleed (or so it seems). Keep running it, lock-to-lock and topping the fluid. Put the car at about 2500 RPM when you do this.
 


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