Power steering pump disaster

Having already cut my timings pretty fine to reach Holyhead and catch the ferry to Dublin for a short trip I was a little disconcerted when I started to hear a whirring sound as I was driving along. I first noticed it when I wound my window down - about the first time all winter.

At first I thought it was the kind of sound the wheels make on some roads, but it was soon apparent that it was the van. I pulled over within 1/2 mile and popped the bonnet to see mineral oil spewing out of the breather hole of the power steering reservoir. I knew my chances of catching the ferry were slim, especially when I realised I had no mobile reception. I jumped back in the van and decided to drive a little further. Although the reception didn't improve and the whirring had turned into a drone, I found one of those little orange SOS phone boxes. Luckily I am an AA member and got through.

After an hours wait, and a brief bit of reception to enable me to delay my ferry crossing (Direct Ferries were really helpful and ended up putting my booking back three times for only a small surcharge) the AA turned up and towed me to Craven Motors in Llandudno Junction. They allowed me to kip in the van on their forecourt overnight (we didn't arrive there until almost 6pm) and promised to look at the van in the morning. Anyway, to cut a long story shorter, the upshot was the pump shaft had literally snapped to the amazement of the garage folk - hence the over pressurised oil. £650(!) and two days later it all seems to be hunky dory again.

The garage rang the VW helpline to ask if they should be looking for any other fault considering the forces that must have taken place. Apparently no. They have sold a few pumps and so it may be a fault that the T5s have.

I read on the T4 forum that if this oil drains into the boots of the steering rack then you are looking at having to replace that too. Fingers crossed.