power steering goes out in wet conditions

it's water on the belt!!!!! does the car have the belt shield installed????

Humm...

I think I removed it to overhaul the engine. I will put it back on.

If you have no problems with the PS when the pavement is dry ( like while turning tightly while parking ) then either the belt is loose or it's shot. How do you know the belt is not slippin?

I replace the belts on my two Scirocco's ('87's) every year and a half to two years to avoid this exact problem. Even adjusted properly, when they're getting older, if I hit puddles the P/S goes out. One of the cars has and the other does not have a shield thing that's supposed to go at the bottom end of the belts. It helps. The one without slips more often and for longer periods than the one with it. I also loose the alternator at times on the one without, but never seem to on the one with.

- Bill

The pulleys get very smooth over time and with a little water added = slippage. If you scuff them up with some sandpaper that might solve your problems for a year or two.

How do you know that the belts are not slipping?

There should be a tech. bulletin on installing a splash guard to reduce this problem.

I didn't hear any squeek. But the point above seems to be that the water is enough lube to get it slipping. Maybe it is enough to eliminate any squeek.

I will try tighening and giving it a few hits with the sandpaper, then put the guard back on (if I can find it, I think it is in the shed behind my ramps or something).

Thanks a bunch all that wrote, I have a tendency to replace first, ya'll saved me the price of a new pump.

Interesting idea. Logical, anyway. I'll try that next time.

Inverted logic, I guess. If nothing is screwing up, I assume they're not. The other thing is that when it the problem first starts, the P/S basically just does out and comes back. As it gets worse, the P/S goes off, but I get squealing as it comes back. That is, hit puddle, lose P/S, hear screaching noise, P/S comes back.

- Bill

AHHHH that lets you know that the belts ARE slipping!

So an easy problem to solve. ;-)

YEAH uhhhh..............put that splash guard BACK on! lol

Like the oil drips under the old Harleys ,, if there were drips that meant your oil level was OK.

Also when they do slip, since they have water on them that lubricates them enough temporarily that they often don't squeal when they do slip (or sometimes squeal only briefly right before they "catch" again. At any rate, don't assume that no squeal = no slippage 'cause they can be slipping w/o noise.

I keep forgetting which VW this is.

AFAIK The A2s usually have 3 belts (typical of the USA models) and the belt for the alternator only drives the alternator. So this belt "could" slip by itself. ;-) Unless it is slipping at the crank pulley............then all drive accessories may lose power.

We all agree that the OP should put that shield back on! lol