I have a 99 GS3 with about 145k and I noticed after driving an 06 gs300 as well as driving an 02 maxima that at times my steering wheel feels hard to turn, ESPECIALLY when parking, in fact 90% of the time when im parking it feels like I have to turn the wheel WAY harder then the maxima and especially WAY WAY harder then the new GS which turns with your pinky. I bought this car about 8k miles ago so I dont know if thats how this car is or something is wrong. I changed my power steering fluid too just to make sure and it didnt do anything. Also, im not sure if this is related but when the car sits overnight most of the time when I first pull out the parking spot while im turning my wheel I get a very loud high pitch squealing noise. but after about 2 blocks it goes away and I cant replicate the noise. Any opinions on this would be appreciated.

 

Check your power steering pump, sounds like it son its way out.

 

how do you check the power steering pump on this car?

 

what about power steering belt?

 

http://bahamutcars.free.fr/workshop/...nts/index.html

Drill down to steering and you can read from there. This is the correct way to test the system out.

 

damn i dont have internet explorer it wont let me open it i only have safari and firefox im on a mac. I read online if the fluid level is good and the steering feels hard going slow and parking its most likely the pump, i want to make sure because thats a damn expensive job. All I know is when parking the steering feels very hard compared to how lexus should be as well as going slow feels hard too. AND when the car gets wet or sits overnight when you first pull out and turn the wheel you hear a loud high pitch squeak which goes away after a few turns or blocks.

 

Loose accessory belt?

 

Quick question, does your a/c work i.e. cold air blowing fine?

 

Yes the AC works because I was just using it the other day, except I feel like even on full blast the ac feels very weak compared to other cars ive had. You hardly feel the air coming out. And FYI I changed the serpentine belt too about 2k miles ago.

 

is there a power steering belt for this car? like whats all the possible culprits besides a power steering pump because thats expensive and shouldn't just fail like that on a lexus

 

There's no power steering belt, its an accessory belt that controls ac, power steering, etc.

With the car off, try to tug on the belt, make sure its tight.

Try to isolate the squeal. If you changed the accessory belt then the squeal rules out the belt just a bit, but some belts squeal. Get some belt dressing spray or silicone spray and spray the belt a bit. If the squeal stops, replace the belt. If that checks out fine then the other only other alternative is your pump. I believe the pump in the 2jz is not hard to change, just loosen your pulleys and then remove, and reinstall new pump (reman) and then tighten everthing back up and refill with fluid.

 

its an oem belt so i doubt a brand new belt would squeal.

 

u really think a new belt could be also causing tight steering? it seems like the only thing left is the power steering pump itself?

 

Flush out the fluid first. Give it a good run. And if it still there your rack and pinion is bad

 

The ps fluid was flushed 2k miles ago to help the squealing but it didn't help. Wouldn't the ps pump be suspected before the rack and pinion?