Steering Trouble

[AWD_addict]

Sometimes while turning the wheel back and forth quickly, or while adding throttle generously and turning, it will suddenly become hard to turn the wheel. This is more noticable while accelerating from a stop and turning. The force required to turn the wheel will increase from normal to way beyond what a car with no power steering would require. It is almost like the steering locks up, as it is HARD to turn.
The steering will go back to normal after a few seconds or sooner if I back off the throttle.
This has happened a handful of times: in the cold of winter in snow, playing in gravel in the summer, wet pavement multiple times (summer and fall), and dry pavement yesterday. It is not consistent, I can't replicate the problem if I try, it is pretty random.

Anyone else experience this?

Sorry if this has been covered before, but I searched and didn't find the same problem.

[dirty kru]

try getting your power steering pump flushed
te service is pretty cheap at work we charge $90NZ it could help...
if its mechanical more work will be needed though...

this doesnt really belong in this topic BTW

[dzx]

I've had that problem with my 90 legacy, I had a blind dirt driveway in the mountains and when I would shoot out and turn the wheel, it would lock up every time. Never knew what caused it since the fluid levels were fine.

[AWD_addict]

Maybe this should be moved to Misc.?

dzx- Ever get the steering pump flushed as dirty kru suggests?
I would hate to get the service specifically for this if it wouldn't help.

[petridish38]

Used to happen to me occasionally when quickly pulling out of a parallel parking space. The rapid acceleration and sharp turning of the wheel really made it hard to steer for some reason. It hasn't done it in a while, but then again, I don't parallel park much anymore. I'm sure I could get it to happen if I tried.
It didn't bother me much when it used to happen since I figured that it was probably a normal occurance since the pump was under high demand. If anyone could explain it for sure though, that would be cool.

Andrew

[evolutionmovement]

Under high demand the pump has trouble keeping up. If I pull way too much lock from one direction to another (like repeated zig zags), mine will do this, but laying off it for a second or two allows it to catch up.

Steve

[Legacy777]

I know it sounds stupid.....but check your PS belt.

[bmxkelowna]

woo 2 year old thread!!
haha sorry guys but i need help
i am having the same problem as above, but not when im driving or parking, as im autoxing.
when i get into the tight corners/zigzags (damn miatas!) my steering feals like it just locks right up.
i toped up my fuild and it helped a bit, but it still slightly does it.
is there any thing i can do to fix this problem?
the belt is tight and has no cracks so it should not be slipping.

[niksus]

Hi, my name is Nik and im in NZ. regarding the problem mentioned with power steering. i had same problem on my car especially when trying to drift the car from side to side up the beach at reasonable speed, i thought then it was the pump over loading with the speed that i turned. a year later the main pump bearing went (lots of noise). i purchased a fully reco unit and asked the seller (mechanic)about the lazy steering and he told me that it was usual with the earlier wagons caused by the load on the pump and the pump really needed to be 50% better but that was down to the original design he said the rams in the rack temporarily froze and he refered to an excavator or hiab arm stopping if the load was too heavy yet with a bigger machine it would have been possible to lift that weight as a reference to explain better to me what was happening in the soobee rack. the reco unit did the same as the old one. hope this helps. ps on fitting the reco unit the complete system was flushed and fluid replaced, it made no difference to the steering. hope this helps. NIK 1989 soobee wagon.

[scuzzy]

I used to get this every now and then, and a main bearing started to go in my PS pump


replaced the pump and it's gone, although if I'm accelerating hard in a corner after making a bunch of previous tight turns (such as in autox) I've noticed that after awhile the steering won't return to center while on the throttle.

that could be unrelated though.

flush your PS fluid if you havn't done it in awhile anyway. and use Dextron III ATF fluid to replace it, don't use DOT 3 brake fluid (unless you want to trash a pump, rack and lines)

[IronMonkeyL255]

Mine used to do this, so I picked up a new PS pump from Blackbart, and haven't experienced it since.