omee

Hello
I have a 1997 ES 300 with roughly 250,000 km (156,000 mi) on it.

Two days ago the steering of started becoming stiff intermittently....for example while turning, it would turn halfway without effort and then become stiff for the remainder of the return....it would sort of get stuck in place and effort would be require to move it back to center....this was more prominent when the car was cold....this started happening right after there was heavy rainfall (5 days straight) during which I drove thru big puddles..... So i assume that it has something to do with constantly being wet for 4-5 days.....the power steering has a very minor leak (couple of drops a week...never had to top up the reservoir)

From what I have researched i think the power steering pump is fine since the steering is not hard all the time....i read somewhere that you can lubricate the u joint....i called a mechanic and he said that there is no place to be lubricated in a rack and pinion system...leaving me no where.

So from what I gather any of the following things can be an issue:
Rack and Pinion
Ball joints
Strut bearings
U joint
...right? i would appreciate any help to solve this issue

Thanks in advance

yeldogt

Many parts could be failing at that milage -- something simple like the pump could be weak or the belt may be slipping.


If you are getting it at the same place each time -- the rack may have failed.


This is not something to mess with and needs to be looked at ASAP. The power provided by the system is very strong and any resistance is an indication of great resistance.


You may need to have a rebuilt rack installed.

omee

Thanks for your reply
No, Im not getting the resistance/stiffness at the same place...I checked the belts, they look tight to me...

I find it odd that this had to happen after heavy rains and driving thru puddles....

Because of the long weekend I have to wait till tues to show to a mechanic..in the meantime im gonna try and lift the front wheels off the ground and see if it is still stiff

Would you be knowing where exactly the U join is located?

nine3es

iTrader: (3)

i would say belt slipping, old or worn belt, or something dealing with the belt. mine did that and i changed the belt - it quit, idk the cause but i know that fixed it on mine.

btw, there are no ujoints on the front of your car. you have ball joints, tie rods and bushings that can be lubed though. make sure the power steering fluid is at a proper level, i would consider flushing it and refilling with that many miles.

omee

Thanks for the clarification nine,

I will change the P/S fluid, but only after I get this issue sorted out. Dont want to add more variables

I jacked up the front end and turned the steering lock to lock, still the same, marginal difference.....

I plan on changing the belt once the part stores open on tues

Will keep you guys posted on what happens

worldforgo

I had the same exact problem recently. It was a bad caliper in the front that was dragging. I would highly check your brake calipers and see if they are dragging.

The rain is having the opposite effect. When the rotors are wet, there is enough slippage to stop the issue. When the rotor dries you get more resistance. Therefore it seems that after rain the problem happens, but it is quite the opposite.

omee

Hey worldforgo
Thanks for your input...

I jacked up the front end until both the wheels were in the air and turned the steering. I could still feel the resistance...slightly less but still definitely there....if it was the caliper, then it should have been good. Im leaning towards something gone wrong in the rack....Will show it to a mechanic tommorow

jrryjms07

I have the same problem. But mine comes and goes..

worldforgo

Try turning each wheel to see how easily they spin. That will tell for sure if it is the caliper.

trk1

I have the same problem! I went to a lot of different shops and they all told me I needed a new rack and pinion. after paying for my summer classes, i just don't have the money to fix it. So I've been driving it around just the way it is for now. Its got a little better as the weather warmed up :/

jskwik

would flush first with conditioner..cheap and easy to eliminate that poss. just my opinion..it is a tough one bud..if it was a caliper the vehicle should pull one way (even occasionally) you can easily spot a worn belt..look at some pics online of bad belts in relation to urs..can be the belt is loose also..good luck!!!

omee

Hey guys
So this is what happened
The car sat for all of mon. today morning I started up the car and the steering was 80% normal...compared to 10% the day before....and after driving for a couple of min it became 90% normal....

Still i took it to the shop..they lifted it up and found a leak in upper pipe connected to the P/S pump...I forgot if it was the return or sending pipe..but it has a washer/seal ...80% chance that the washer/seal is leaking...

Since this is really close to the passenger side wheel, the guy reckons that a little bit of moisture got in while driving thru a puddle and contaminated the system.....so tommorow he will replace the washer/seal and flush the fluid and see if it improves....

He inspected the ball joints, rack, P/S pump and belt and determined that it is fine...also checked if both wheels were spinning freely....so gonna take the car tommorow to him

Will keep you guys updated on what happens

fyi.. he said changing the rack is atleast 8-9 hrs in labour !!!

PFB

If you have a leak, than not only does the PS fluid leak out, but also air gets in. That could explain your steering problem, even more so than moisture in the PS fluid.

Either way, repairing the leak, and changing the PS fluid should hopefully resolve your problem, and chances are that it will.


Phil

omee

Hey guys

Sorry i dont have a fix for u ppl...yet...Took it the shop today...jacked it up...removed the FR Wheel....removed inner liner to expose the pump.....and saw that the whole thing including the pump is covered in P/S fluid....so instead of fixing the washer/seal he suggested that he clean the area thorughly and have me drive it around and bring it in tommorow to see exactly where it is leaking from...according to him it could also be leaking from a seal in the pump itself (but it wouldnt explain why the P/S fluid is covering the pipes ABOVE it)....so he cleaned it and thats about it....on my way home from work it was raining cats and dogs....and it is forecast to rain tommorow as well....

steering feel is still the same....it becomes hard intermittently but the majority of the time its normal...ive noticed that it becomes better after the car has been standing for a while...i think it gets a chance for the air/moisture trapped inside to escape...

will update u guys on what happens tommorow!
tc

Omee

MikeLex

Thanks for keep us posted, but it sounds like you have air in the steering system.