Power Steering Woes

[TheEdgeofSanity]

power steering is getting worse everytime I drive the car. It works like a charm when cold but after driving for a half hour or so, good luck turning the car while idling. My dad seems to think its the rack and pinion, but I am not so sure. It makes a terrible whining noise when its not working properly and I noticed that power steering fluid seems to bubble out of the reservoir after I have been driving it on an especially hot day. It's been doing this ever since I blew a P/S line about a year ago and the mechanic refilled it with a red fluid instead of clear. Is there any difference in quality of power steering fluids? do I need a new pump because I drove without fluid for 2 miles about a year ago? is my rack and pinion really dead? please help because this is super annoying!

[bentiac]

Have you checked for steering fluid leak? I had a similar sounding problem and it was the fluid pump that needed to be replaced.

[Lucalare]

Is there a lot of play in your steering wheel? If the rack and pinion is going there will be. More likely is a problem with the power steering pump itself. Find the highest point in your engine bay that has power steering fluid leaked on it, and there's a good chance that's where you're leaking.

[heineck]

Do u run out of fluid? And how often?

[TheEdgeofSanity]

It currently is full of fluid, about a year and a half ago one of the hoses leading down to the rack and pinion exploded and was replaced. There is quite a bit of play in the steering wheel but at the same time it sounds like the pump whining when I try to turn the wheel when the car is hot.

[Lucalare]

If quite a bit is more than about 2-3 inches I'd say the rack and pinion is definitely bad. This isn't just a matter of inconvenience cause your power steering is less than kosher, but that rack and pinion could fail any day, leaving you without steering. I would get this fixed ASAP.

As for losing power steering when it's hot I'd say your power steering pump is probably on its last leg.

[TheEdgeofSanity]

well, I am up at college, but it should be going in for service as soon as i go home for halloween. I'm definitely crossing my fingers that its just the pump gone wrong.

[xXManwhoreXx]

Pull out the whole power steering system Aleros aren't that heavy. and if you don't want to do that... are you using the reccomended Dot-3 PS fluid... if your using Dot2 or something its going to compress like crap and give you troubles.

[TheEdgeofSanity]

i have no idea what they put in it. are you suggesting i change the fluid first then go from there?