I bought my 2008 FL2 on Sunday, heavily discounted because it failed WOF (like MOT) on no power in the steering below 5-10 km/h. Power assist mostly works when driving very slow, and this failure is a known weakness in Ford era Freelanders. In mine it seems to get worse when the car has warmed up. As I used to drive an AM General M813 truck, heavy steering did not bother me, but my WOF inspector was not amused. I have 30 days to get it fixed.

Today, I took it to a power steering specialist who said the Freelander 2 design is one of the worst steering racks ever made - cheap materials specified by bean counters. It is a Ford Modeo rack (remember this was the era when Ford owned LR... even thought the rack has a sticker saying it was made in Germany) using a Teflon something-or-other inside the rack. The Teflon breaks down with particles going everywhere, clogging the filter and starving the rack. The cure is to have the rack removed and rebuilt, and to replace the filter and housing at the same time. He says usually the pump is OK. I'm looking at a NZ$1,100 bill to be done within a week or so. Given the vendor discounted the FL2 by $800 and tossed in a new filter, I'm OK with it. The good news is that because it is a Ford, it's not considered exotic, so the repair shop knew all about it.

This is what it looks like when removed. Looking online (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/293278143371), you can buy a Ford Mondeo branded for not much more than the rebuild cost (NZ$750). Just need an expert to make sure it is the very same.



In the old days, I would have spent hours online, found a vendor in Poland who sells a rebuild kit, and enjoy a lovely weekend in my shed breaking bolts and trying to figure out how to get it apart and then get it back together so it works. This time I am doing a chequebook refurb. I confess I feel a bit like Harrison Ford in the Raiders Of The Lost Ark sword fight (shoot and get over with it*).

But as a pay forward: this diagnosis seems to be different than the forum comments about metal shavings from sloppy manufacturing and it sounds like it is inevitable... a maintenance item unless the steering rack components have been improved.

So, if your LR2/FL2 has a low-speed power assist problem, it probably is the rack, and if it is, there probably is not a shortcut. Find an expert rebuilder or go online to find an affordable source of new

I'll post more when he gets into it.

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Have you tried just changing the filter and flushing the fluid?

The steering in mine's awesome. Nice weight, responsive, accurate.

A fluid change is the first thing to do as suggested, is to do a reservoir and fluid change, using the correct green central hydraulic fluid.

The rack isn't that bad, and if looked after can do huge miles. There were some issues with early racks having welding debris in them, which would break off and trash the pump.

The pump is a variable displacement pump, which flows more volume at low engine speeds, which helps lighten up the steering at low vehicle speeds.

Appreciate the advice. As it is Saturday, I'll try it before the workshop opens on Monday so I can cancel the rebuild if it works. I did not proceed as I was worried if there is contamination in the steering rack or pump that I cannot drain out, it would clog up the new filter.

I am presuming the best is to:

* Remove the torx screw holding the two fluid pipes that go in and out of the steering rack
* With the front end jacked up so the tyres are not on the ground, turn the steering wheel hard right and left until there is no fluid left.
* Remove and replace the filter reservoir
* Perhaps use compressed air to blow out the hoses (yes/no)
* Should I also try using compressed air to flush out the steering rack?
* Refit hoses and fill with fluid.

For a simple fluid replacement, all you need do is replace the old fluid with the new fluid. The easiest way to do this is to connect the new reservoir to the pump intake, and keep the old reservoir in place to receive the fluid expelled.
Keep the old reservoir empty with a large syringe, and keep the new reservoir topped up with the correct fluid. Slowly turn the steering lock to lock, keeping the relevant reservoirs empty or full, until the fresh fluid is seen being returned to the old reservoir.

At the point, fully connect the new reservoir, then turn the steering several more times to ensure any air in the system has been removed. Recheck the fluid level, then start the engine, and turn the steering a few more times to check for leaks.

Never start the engine if there is the possibility of larger air pockets, as the pump is very susceptible to damage if air is in the system.