LDV G10 Gearbox & Transmission Problems

First things first; have the car electronically scanned to see what fault codes are thrown up. From there you can make a much more accurate diagnosis of the problem. Simply replacing random sensors and other parts on a hunch is a fast way to throw money away and still be stuck with a car that doesn’t run properly.

The de-carbonising process you mention is sometimes necessary in modern turbo-diesels which, for reasons of emissions control, consume a percentage of their own exhaust gasses as well as any gas build-up inside the actual engine. And since the exhaust gasses contain soot, and the crankcase gasses contain oil, those two compounds get mixed up into a black, gooey paste that clogs the engine’s intake system. At this point it usually needs to be pulled apart and manually cleaned. If this is the case with your car, it could well be the cause of the check-engine light and the poor running.

Your vehicle is interesting as it continues to use the old-tech hydraulic power steering, rather than the newer, more efficient electric power steering. This newer technology is simpler and potentially more reliable, but is used mainly because it saves a few drops of fuel.

In the case of your car, noise from a power-steering pump is often caused initially by low fluid. The power steering fluid doesn't just provide the hydraulic pressure to help you steer the car, it also lubricates the moving parts of the pump. If this fluid runs low, that lubrication doesn't happen, and the pump will wear quite quickly to the point where it seizes. It's a bit of a surprise that such a new vehicle would have this problem, but any sort of leak in the power steering system can lead to this low fluid level and the problems it causes. If you're lucky, the system might just need a top-up to make the noise go away. But if damage and wear has already started to occur, then the pump might be on the way out.

It's worth mentioning that your car is covered by a five-year/130,000km warranty. So, provided you haven't exceeded that mileage and the car has a documented service history, you may find that the problem is actually worthy of a warranty claim.