pump or fluid.

I'm a noob to the E300 world. I've owned it for the past 3-4 months
and I'm getting a noise when I turn my wheel, almost like a tire rubbing
on the curb, but only when I'm stopped or barely moving. If I give it more fuel
and turn it becomes less obvious and not noticable while I'm driving making turns at 30+ mph.

1. What should my power steering fluid look like? Color? Amount? Am I looking in the right cap? (I know where the brake fluid goes) so by process of elimination the little black cap is the one I'm inspecting.

2. Where should it be on the guage?

3. How full should the resevoir be?

4. Is it more likely my pump gone bad?

5. Or am I barking up the wrong tree all together?


thanks
ps its a 1996 E300 Diesel

my 79 300D has about a 3-1/2 " aluminum cover with a wing nut through the middle of it.
have you checked the belt codition? you could be hearing the powersteering belt slipping it is a pretty thick belt and it may sound like a tire rubbing.
John

No wing-nuts on the PS reservoir on the 210.020. It's the tiny black cap close to the window-washer solvent reservoir, and it looks like you found it. Check the belt tension. You may need a new belt, tensioner or tensioner shock, or all three.

There are cold and warm marks on that dipstick, just use them.

Get the fluid from the dealer. It's pricy, but the only fluid that is specified for that car.

I though the tension might be the issue, but wasn't quite sure. I've got an appt for Thursday AM, so hoefully my guys can straighten out my issue. The dip stick is like an inch long! It's a little hard to use, I'll try wiping it off and looking again.

thanks so much

Its a 1996

Probably the pump. The fluid level was OK too. Wiped it off and it was
at the max level for 20C.

If the pump goes, is it still drive-able but no powersteering?

thanks

If the rack stays full of fluid, you're probably OK to drive it, assuming that you don't mind flushing out the entire system later. But I wouldn't want pieces of a disentragating pump fouling up my rack.

If air gets into the rack, it's not pleasant at all. I learned this after changing the return hose and not getting all of the air out. The fluid in the rack acts as the (only) steering damper, and it's no fun at all without it.

As in repair job - no fun or no fun as a driving nightmare no fun.

This only occurs when the steering wheel is being turned.

The sound is literally like a wheel rubbing the curb at 1 mph as you're parallel parking (plus a little vibration throught the steering wheel) and doing a crappy job, but if you rev the engine or turn at higher speeds it is not noticable and the vibration sensation is also not present.

Might drive the other jalopy home tonight just so I don't kill the newer one

is this common for W210's

thanks

My fluid was low! I wasn't on level ground and that guage is so little
I was reading it wrong. What a difference. Now I just need to identify
where teh leak is?

It was probably a slow leak, over 7 months. Maybe that o-ring I've heard about.

thanks and sorry for the lame post. Should have been the wiser