Power Steering - Knocking

**cronic** · 16-01-2009,11:54 PM

A6 2002 1.9tdi (130)...

When stationary and turning the steering wheel to full lock i'm hearing some graunching noises...could be the aux drive belts...its defo not the CV joints as the noise is coming from the engine bay....

any suggestions on this....i get vibratrion feedback through the steering wheel...

ta...

**adamss24** · 16-01-2009,11:59 PM

Originally Posted by cronic

A6 2002 1.9tdi (130)...

When stationary and turning the steering wheel to full lock i'm hearing some graunching noises...could be the aux drive belts...its defo not the CV joints as the noise is coming from the engine bay....

any suggestions on this....i get vibratrion feedback through the steering wheel...

ta...

alternator one way clutch pulley... Not expensive to buy but needs a special tool to undo. Available from most decent motor factors !

**cronic** · 17-01-2009,12:17 AM

cheers for the heads up...i'll go check it...

**cronic** · 23-01-2009,10:39 PM

Originally Posted by adamss24

alternator one way clutch pulley... Not expensive to buy but needs a special tool to undo. Available from most decent motor factors !

hello again....

car was with my local garage today...he had a look at the pulley on the power steering seemed o.k...the belt did seem a bit worn to him so he replaced it...this hasn't fixed the problrm...he didn't think it was the altenator....but i would like to understand your diagnosis more

if the altenator clutch pulley was not functioning correctly would this be what is causing the 'slipping' noise at the steering pump pulley...? there is no obvious noise for the pulley next to the altenator....

i don't suppose you have the electronic manual to illustrate your thoughts....i really need to see which part you are saying is faulty....

thanks in advance...

**paul b** · 23-01-2009,10:53 PM

Cronic, I've had exactly this problem on my A6 and my T5 van, its common across the whole range of TDIs. Its nothing to do with the power steering pump or the belt tension.

There is a one way clutch bearing built into the alternator pulley. This has to slip on tickover, and it will have seized, hence no slip.

Look at the poly V belt at the front of the engine. When on tickover at full lock, is this flapping and vibrating? I'm 99% sure it will be, this is the tell-tale sign of the failiure.

I don't want to say bad things about your local garage, but it sounds like they've totally misdiagnosed the problem.

I've never seen something so trivial cause such a major problem, and I'm 47 years old!

Paul

P.S Sorry to jump in Adamss24!

**cronic** · 23-01-2009,11:27 PM

Originally Posted by paul b

Cronic, I've had exactly this problem on my A6 and my T5 van, its common across the whole range of TDIs. Its nothing to do with the power steering pump or the belt tension.

There is a one way clutch bearing built into the alternator pulley. This has to slip on tickover, and it will have seized, hence no slip.

Look at the poly V belt at the front of the engine. When on tickover at full lock, is this flapping and vibrating? I'm 99% sure it will be, this is the tell-tale sign of the failiure.

I don't want to say bad things about your local garage, but it sounds like they've totally misdiagnosed the problem.

I've never seen something so trivial cause such a major problem, and I'm 47 years old!

Paul

P.S Sorry to jump in Adamss24!

O.K so the large pulley directly infront of the altenator is the part in question....please LEARN me for a moment....the pulley actually contains the clutch...?

we did have a good look together at the belt and couldn't see any noticeable 'flap'....

**cronic** · 23-01-2009,11:28 PM

what would the rough price be for a new pulley...?

**paul b** · 24-01-2009,12:10 AM

Originally Posted by cronic

O.K so the large pulley directly infront of the altenator is the part in question....please LEARN me for a moment....the pulley actually contains the clutch...?

we did have a good look together at the belt and couldn't see any noticeable 'flap'....

Yes that's the bit you're looking for.

Originally Posted by cronic

what would the rough price be for a new pulley...?

For a 130bhp AWX its about £60-ish +VAT at Audi.

I bought mine from Andrew Page Motors for about £46 if I remember correctly.

Paul

**Redzer** · 24-01-2009,01:02 AM

Ive had alternator problems recently, same engine as Paul and if you put a stick in through the alternator into the cooling fan of the alternator and take the tension off the belt the alternator pulley should be jammed if you try to rotate it clockwise but it should turn anticlockwise even with something blocking the cooling fan if the clutch hasnt siezed.

When i originally got my A6 i started to get grinding noise from the steering, in my case the piece that the tensioner pulley is attached to was bent

this caused the tensioner pulley disintegrate.
Tony

**cronic** · 24-01-2009,03:38 PM

o.k i had another look today....belt is defo flapping around...
whats the best process to get the pulley off....i'm hoping you can do this without removing the front end of the vehicle...as you would do to change the cam belt....

also...a special tool was mentioned....whats if for exactly...?

thanks for all the feedback on this....