I just replaced the power steering pump, belts, water pump and driver's side CV drive axle on my 2001 2.8L A6. The CV drive axle was the last thing I replaced. The power steering was working fine on a test drive previous to the axle change and even worked for about the first mile and then it just quit working. The fluid is topped off and I bled the power steering lines before taking it out on the road. Is there anything short of a faulty power steering pump that could be to blame for the non-working power steering? The serpentine belt is functioning fine and the wheels have full motion on jack stands and there are no leaks. There are no unusual noises that indicate air in the lines. I have already returned the old pump for a core refund. Is there anything else that could be responsible for this?

 

Loosen the banjo bolts at the pump (pressure side) and let it purge some fluid to be sure.

It's also possible the 'new' pump was contaminated by whatever debris was left in the system, if not flushed prior, and has jammed in the relief valve. I think it's easy to remove the valve for inspection.

Probably a good idea to only use the OE Pentosin hydraulic fluid (assuming it is, but it wasn't mentioned in the post).

Let us know?

 

Thanks Gary, I will give that a shot tonight. I definitely used the OE Pentosin.

So if I remove the banjo bolts and no fluid comes out does that mean that the power steering pump is bad or that debri could be lodged in it? Everything was sealed well before I replaced the pump and literally pulled the old pump off and put the new one on within minutes of one another. All of the procedures to test the pump that I have found involve a pressure gauge and two people and so far I don't have either.

I don't know if this is helpful, but I put the power steering pump, water pump, and belts on a couple of weeks ago and drove the car approximately 1 mile with no issues with the power steering. That is when I determined that the CV boot was bad. It took me a couple of weeks to get the part and replace the drive axle and when I got that on and test drove it, the power steering pump seemed to hold up the first mile but then went out when I made a U turn and hasn't worked since. The serpintine belt is moving fine and the power steering pulley is turning and there is no noise but there is also no power steering.