pLEASE HELP!!! Clio 182 issues - water in power steering reservoir PLUS other problem

[ibbz]

Hi all, I'm new here, and well done a silly thing and need help.

I bought a 182 - new - last July and recently have had some problems.
I was getting a nasty knocking noise from the on side area around the suspension columns over the wheel area - renault sorted this out after much trouble.

And after a month since i got it, the car seems to be pulling to the RIGHT - renault state that there is no problem - they havent tried any tracking balancing though - and they say warranty doesnt cover this - but there seems to be - visibly so since i bought it it feels different and my mates have noticed too. It pulls to the right - sometimes it doesnt, sometimes does and at speed the steering seems over sensitive!!

MOST IMPORTANTLY being a total ignorant in regards to cars, I foolishly - instead of topping up the wiper wash fluid with water - topped up the POWER STEERING FLUID RESERVOIR WITH WATER!
WHAT do I do now? car is running feeling fine - but will there be any long term damage? How do I flush the water out and re fill it with fluid again? and WHAT TYPE of fluid do I use?

I notice the engine radiator thingy is located at the rear of the engine bay - do i simply top this up with de-ionised water to keep the level when cold between min and max? or do I use a 'coolant' of some other sort?

LASTLY - on a handful of ocassions the EXHAUST GAS MONITOR LIGHT flashes when I'm idling stuck in traffic or something, and I have to switch ignition off and then on for it to go. This has happened a grand total of THREE times over the last 3 months - the first time was when my missus was driving, she didnt know what it was, left the car on, and the engine cut out! and she had to switch it off and then on for problem to go - following TWO occasions were when I was driving, stuck on the A406 as i described above. The manual says switch engine off OR see renault dealer if light blinks - so what IS this problem? is it serious? what needs to be done?

PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

[bigbruno71]

Hi first of all and WOOWW. The power steering thing first DON'T run the car as the water will mix with the oil and the hotter it gets it will emulsify(hmm spelling) and turn into some thick goo and you'll have to replace the whole system. Just rereading the rest.

 

[Ed_182]

id take the car back to renaukt, get them to drain the power steering system and re-fill with the correct fluid, whatever it costs it will be cheaper then replacing the whole system!

 

[bigbruno71]

Right the steering thing sounds like a tracking thing but watch who you take it to as some garages set the steering to 0 on the toe meters and to some cars that helps but there are some cars that need to bet set to the factory setting which they should have in a book, the coolant is water based and an occasional top up with water won't harm it tap water will do, if you have to top up with loads of water, we're talking litres here, you need to get it checked for a leak. The "gas monitoring light" i take it thats the ecu light engine shaped? there will be a fault stored on the ecu the dealers computer system will read it telling them the problem will be covered by the warranty, hope this helps

 

[ibbz]

Thanks for your help - any ideas how much it would cost to flush it? or whether its possible to either do this myself/ take it to a local garage?

thing is, i might have screwed the system up - having been driving it - ignorantly thinking the problem will sort it self out - but WHAT does that fluid actually do? whats it for?