Steering air leakage sound

[CrtlAltSuppr]

Hi,

Since I have the car, the steering assistance has always been quite light. When I turn the wheels, I can hear like a psshhhit sounds out of the steering colomn. What can that be? The rack has been chance 5000km ago.

Br

David

[epipete]

The psshhhit sound is correct IIRC

[ashm]

That's the famous dashboard snake - carefully factory installed in every Elan!

[Rob P]

Yep mine does that, it's a little off putting at first but becomes a reassuring sound after a while

[inkitin]

it's a little off putting at first but becomes a reassuring sound after a while

When you get to my age, it's a huge relief to find out it's the car that's doing it!!

[Fredjohn]

I get that noise too at low revs, not so bad at higher revs/speeds.

But if I remember correctly wasn't pschittt a French brand of fizzy drink

[Rusty Wishbone]

When I was a kid, the PS of my parents' Renault 20 made this noise really loudly. I recall it being a strangely comforting sound.

[CrtlAltSuppr]

Ok, that sounds good. Indeed, I was wondering if this could possibly explain why the steering still feel heavy. Seems then that the power steering assistance is quite low, the steering wheel still feels hard.
Nothing to be compared with today's power steering. Even the truck I am working on have lighternsteering at low speeds.

[epipete]

The stiffness in the steering is normal as well, I believe. It has something to do with it being a Sportscars and was designed that way.

[Peter_W]

Power steering systems have a pressure relief valve to prevent a build-up of pressure when at or approaching full turning lock - the Elan's is noisier than most. Power steering pumps are positive-displacement type so the flow rate they deliver is directly proportional to the speed of the engine - a restricting orifice and flow-control valve direct some of the pump's output back to the hydraulic reservoir at high engine speeds. I haven't driven any Elans other than my own so I haven't compared it to others, but the steering has always seemed well assisted (not too heavy).

[rip]

Yep mine does that, it's a little off putting at first but becomes a reassuring sound after a while

[markv]

Hi,

Since I have the car, the steering assistance has always been quite light. When I turn the wheels, I can hear like a psshhhit sounds out of the steering colomn. What can that be? The rack has been chance 5000km ago.

Br

David

When you've had the car a while, you start to notice (and worry) when it doesn't make the sound at low speed!