Bad day yesterday

[Saffy]

Took dog for walk in woods, turned around in layby and someone suddenly planted a tree in my way as I swung the truck around in reverse :clap: Smacked it dead centre on the tow ball. Punched the crossmember in, pretty much written that off. Will have to pull it out with a chain and tree in my garden - but it is not good.

Then driving home from wood, 1 mile from house and there is smoke billowing from bonnet - noise and lack of steering. Pulled over right away, fire extinguisher in hand, mind racing and adrenaline pumping...
No fire but lots of burnt rubber, and a melted serpentine belt (Belt has done 4000miles from new). Turns out the steering pump (without the slightest hint of warning) seized solid and the belt cooked itself and snapped! No way was I going to risk driving a 300tdi that 1mille home without a water pump turning so out came the RAC for a tow

I find it odd that the pump went so suddenly without any symptoms of impending doom. No noise, smells, fluid level fine, no leaks, power steering worked 

[mroxo]

At least you had the wisdom to call for recovery!
Blown a 300 up and is messy and costly.
The steering pump is so small that you would not really notice anything appart from a leak or a squeel and sometimes the steering feels lumpy.
Why do people plant trees in the way of our landies??????????????????????

[extreme90]

the 300 pumps have a habbit of going without warning for some reason  :-k

[Blippie]

Proving the connection between meterology and Land Rovers .. it never rains but it pours ...

Cheers

Blippie

[woody]

my water pump went 2 weeks ago
i was half way round a roundabout and the belt came off
lost all power steering mid turn pant filling experience
100 yards from destination so pulled into the yard did a breakdown LOL
and drove carefully home, about 8 miles  :shock:
with no belt on and a bust water pump temp was ok all the way home [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o< :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:   

[Saffy]

with no belt on and a bust water pump temp was ok all the way home [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o< :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:   

I only recently paid 1500 quid for this engine after misses cooked last one, so I have a healthy sense of paranoia of overheating another 300tdi because when they cook - they cook bad.

[Range Rover Blues]

My serpentine went on the LSE last year, the idles seized solid, in fact he bearing had colapsed.  I got it home by covering the outside of the belt in oil, they are suprisingly durable :-.  Though of course the idler runs on the back of the belt along with the water pump, not the inside.