Recently had the Powersteering pump replaced on the RS5 ($3600 ZF Vane Pump... Yikes :0) car only has 101,000 and one morning it just had zero power steering on startup and the pump was making a rythmic sloshing noise (sort of like fingering a wet vagina).

Anyway so I pulled it (the old one) apart yesterday and couldn't find anything wrong, the vanes are all intact, everything turns fine, the electronic bleed valve opens and closes with voltage applied, the pressure regulator spring and plunger slides as it should.

Can't help but think it was pressure regulator jammed open and the noise was fluid circulating at high speed.

How else do pumps usually fail and am I missing something else to check?

Based on dealer reccomending new pump I was expecting some sort of catastrophic internal failure.

Built in redundancy?

Quote from: Pristle on October 03, 2024, 07:37:26 PMBuilt in redundancy?

Yeah you would think so, worked 100% the day before and then on startup.. Nothing but wet vag sounds and zero power steering.

Sort of sucks shelling out $4000 for a new pump and not being able to pin point the failure. I'm thinking of taking to a Powersteering place and paying a diagnosis fee, at least I may have a viable backup pump if it occurs again in 14 years time.