Hi guys :) I'm here today; i've been tinkering on my 2000 XJ Cherokee 2.5TD a bit but have reached a bit of a problem today... Wondering if i can pick your brains!
To fill you in a bit, my cherokee is standard except:
Twin Kenlowe electric fan conversion, tied into AC and with a kill switch inside cabin for crossings
A K&N cone filter
BFG ATKOs
Xenon H4 kit
Right, what i was doing today with my caveman-like level of mechanical skill was trying to replace the power steering fluid. I got the Mopar stuff from Jeep and went about it, as the steering is intermittently not very well assisted at 3/4 lock so i thought i'd change the fluid as it looks pretty filthy....
FIRST OFF, i mistakenly disconnected the small hydraulic pipe at the bottom of the P/S pump and started engine. I replaced it as soon as i realised that it actually goes over the top of the engine to the big metal cylinder (A/C ?) near the brake master cyclinder and has nothing to do with P/S....bloody odd - no fluid in it; it just sucks air
I then removed clamp from bottom of steering fluid bottle and started engine. Not such a good idea as fluid went everywhere I really shouldn't even try these things....but i like to have a go and try to learn instead of just paying jeep. :/
So i hosed the engine bay down and cleared up the spilled fluid, replaced the hose, refilled with fluid and let it froth and calm down as i topped it up while i steered left and right. The whining decreased a fair bit and the steering seemed ok.
But when i went for a drive, whilst the steering seeemd ok, the engine is gutless and slow to rev above 2000rpm (feels like an old petrol car running on three cyclinders, or like the turbo's been turned off) and lumpy at about 1600rpm and won't build rervs past about 3200rpm! What on earth have i done! ?
After 10 miles or so of driving around, i think it is getting slightly worse, not better, and to cap it all, the inconsistent steering assistance isn't totally cured.
I really would be very grateful if any of you experienced chaps could help me out here as the car is really not right and i can't see how disconnecting that wrong pipe could have been so major or why perhaps not bleeding the steering properly would lead to such major loss of turbo power!
The only two things i can thing of are:
Soaked electrical comonent has messed with fuelling/sent ECU into limp mode
Air pipe from P/S pump to AC housing (if that's what it is) also splits into a T-piece and goes off elsewhere....i don't know what that bit does and maybe I've upset it...
Any help seriosuly appreciated :)
Many thanks, Richard Utting
