Stiff steering 04 rx330
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From: NC
Stiff steering 04 rx330
I am having a problem with steering on a 04' RX330. Steering is very stiff and thought was steering rack because fluid was leaking into rack boots. Replaced steering rack as recommended by dealership and problem not solved. Now dealership wants to replace strut caps/plates but I am unsure if this will help. The steering is not making any noise and all joints seem tight. When car is off ground no steering problem. Any suggestions???
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Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Austin, TX
The leak was obviously a problem.
What is the dealers reasoning to replace the end caps .. are they worn/torn/play and would it fix your tight steering issue. I would give an OK to repair if there is an actual problem or if the dealer guarantees the tight steering problem will go away after the fix.
I am assuming they have already checked the steering pump.
Salim
What is the dealers reasoning to replace the end caps .. are they worn/torn/play and would it fix your tight steering issue. I would give an OK to repair if there is an actual problem or if the dealer guarantees the tight steering problem will go away after the fix.
I am assuming they have already checked the steering pump.
Salim
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2
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From: NC
Stiff steering 04 rx330
Hi Salim,
The dealer thinks that there is a problem with the strut plate/caps because the steering is smooth when on a lift and very stiff when back on the ground. Their thoughts are that a problem occurs once weight is applied to the tires. Dealer also states that pump seems to be working properly because it is not making any noise and in their opinion would work poorly both with tires on or off ground. I thought the pump may be bad as well because of the rack leak. Does this car have a solenoid and could that be the problem? Is it possible to visibly inspect the strut caps to see if they are damaged? Any other thoughts??
Thanks,
The dealer thinks that there is a problem with the strut plate/caps because the steering is smooth when on a lift and very stiff when back on the ground. Their thoughts are that a problem occurs once weight is applied to the tires. Dealer also states that pump seems to be working properly because it is not making any noise and in their opinion would work poorly both with tires on or off ground. I thought the pump may be bad as well because of the rack leak. Does this car have a solenoid and could that be the problem? Is it possible to visibly inspect the strut caps to see if they are damaged? Any other thoughts??
Thanks,
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,531
Likes: 1,379
From: Austin, TX
Sorry I cant make the connection with "solenoid" (solenoid is a heavy duty relay).
suspension is pretty complex and I would defer to dealership as they know the vehicle lot better than me. I would suggest that you have a talk with the service rep and specifically mention that they better not be doing exploration work. Proper diagnosis would start by checking the pressure developed by the steering pump.
The leak in the rack had to be repaired even if it did not fix the heavy steering. Loaded or unloaded test are very different ... with the RX in air there is no resistance to turn. The other things to check would be the steering ball joints.
Salim
suspension is pretty complex and I would defer to dealership as they know the vehicle lot better than me. I would suggest that you have a talk with the service rep and specifically mention that they better not be doing exploration work. Proper diagnosis would start by checking the pressure developed by the steering pump.
The leak in the rack had to be repaired even if it did not fix the heavy steering. Loaded or unloaded test are very different ... with the RX in air there is no resistance to turn. The other things to check would be the steering ball joints.
Salim
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