Power steering...... again.

[K2edg]

Hi all,

I'm fighting a 90% to full lock belt squeal on my 99 B5 Passat tdi, it's been driving me mad for quite a while now and have replaced nearly everything to do with the PS (Pump, fluid multiple times with the correct VW oil, new OEM reservoir, belt, tensioner, alt pulley, crank pulley, PS pump pulley even the water pump and idler pulleys) with no joy......

I have been putting it off but i suspect a new Power steering rack is in the cars not too distant future, although it's not leaking and seems to work ok.......

My plan was to let it get worse and so what looks worn/damaged, almost predictably it's been getting squealy even with small steering inputs and just had a quick look to find the belt is mangled with bits of rubber stuck to all the ridged pulleys (which doesn't help).

So i'm thinking it's some sort of stuck bypass valve, but looking at the manual the spool/pressure bypass valve seems to be in the pump which is less than 1000 miles old (taking into account the noise was still there after i fitted the new pump).

I have been doing a lot of reading up on this (as you do) and if i stand at the front of the car whilst it's making the noise it could either be the Crank or PS pulley where the belt is slipping but it doesn't jump as you would expect with a bad tensioner or Alt pulley clutch, which makes me think the PS pump is just very hard to turn approaching the full lock. I have also read not to hold the ps on full lock, but it will chirp if I touch full lock briefly and if i'm for example parking (low rpm and big steering angles) it will start to squeal even without full lock.

Does this sound like a bad steering rack??

also has anyone come across something called a 4FNG44 Power Steering Control Valve?? it looks like a Banjo bolt with some sort of valve in it and they said it was only fitted to the pre facelift cars (like mine)...... i came across someone mentioning it on an American forum but when i search all i get is an American ebay add https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203346588823 ... BMms7Zh-Fh