Strange steering behaviour...please help.

[alpenweiss2]

We live in France and therefore rely very much on this forum for getting help and advice to keep our trusty 1999 1.9tdi Wagon running smoothly.
As you know it has been very hot recently and it has been particularly baking in south west France, with 40 degrees being reached on several days last week!!

We were out in the car travelling in this heat (thank god for Climatronic!!) and doing a lot of driving on very windy roads in Limousin. As the heat got up in the afternoon I noticed that the steering felt a little weird and was making creaking noise as I turned the steering wheel from side to side?? Pulled over and had a look under the car and in the engine bay and could not see any problems? On the way home on the motorway the strange noise was still there even when driving in a straight line. Made it home but I was thinking there was possibly an issue with the power steering getting too hot?

Next morning decided to take the car to a local English mechanic and lo and behold (sods law) the problem had completely disappeared overnight??

His thought was possibly overheating PAS fluid, maybe an issue with the PAS pump? It does squeal a bit on full lock?

I have booked it in for another small job with him and he said he would remove the belt and check the pump?

Any thoughts people? Anyone had a similar issue?