I need power steering help

**transam_00** · 09-14-2010, 05:50 PM

A few months ago my car started making a mild winding noise. it got worse and worse until it was a grinding. I found out my power steering pump was bad. i replaced it and ait ran great for about a month and than started grinding again. This time I found water in my power steering pump and found out it was the cooler leaking water/coolant into the power steering system. i took it to firestone and they replaced the pump and flushed the coolant and power steering system. Now the pump is going out again. What can cause a power steering pump to keep failing. My guess was the rack, maybe something is clogged or stuck in one of the orifice? But I have no idea. ANY HELP?!?!!?!

**Wesman** · 09-14-2010, 06:14 PM

Do you know where the pump was from??

Some of the reman pumps are complete garbage and fail soon after being installed.

**Smittro** · 09-15-2010, 06:53 AM

Originally Posted by Wesman

Do you know where the pump was from??

Some of the reman pumps are complete garbage and fail soon after being installed.

x2 Agree! I will never buy another remaned unit again.. JUNK! Full of Hocheemin parts...

**mike171562** · 09-15-2010, 07:10 AM

Did they replace the cooler? Check your PS fluid to see if you got any coolant in there.

**Smittro** · 09-15-2010, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by Smittro

x2 Agree! I will never buy another remaned unit again.. JUNK! Full of Hocheemin parts...

Also think about it like this.. If they are using remanded parts/units they are going with the cheapest supplier they can find....

imho cheap rarely = quality..

**sjsingle1** · 09-15-2010, 01:46 PM

no generic remans for me......i use GM remans

**transam_00** · 09-16-2010, 06:00 AM

the first time when i repalced it, it was a remanned. the second time it was replaced by firestone it was a new p/s pump. I had the cooler taken out for now so its running like a stock trans am. Im not racing it it's just a daily driver right now, ill be adding an aftermarket cooler in a while. could the rack be clogged somehow? the only time its starts the winding noise is after a hard turn.

***SMWS6TA*** · 09-16-2010, 06:48 AM

You may still have some coolant in your fluid. Best thing is to completely purge it all out and replace the fluid.

Not sure if coolant can compromise the rubber rings and seals. You do need to keep an eye on that PS pump. It will kill your alternator. 99% of the time the O ring on the high pressure hose fails and starts to drip on the alternator.

**blackcar** · 12-22-2010, 06:22 AM

Whats the best way to flush the power steering system?

**mike171562** · 12-22-2010, 07:10 AM

I used a syringe to suck out the fluid in the reservoir then filled it back up with new. Did that a few times until it came out clean.

**blackcar** · 12-22-2010, 07:33 AM

I think I'm going to have to change my pump. So I was looking for a way to clean out the whole system, before I put the new pump on.

**blackcar** · 12-22-2010, 12:26 PM

Talked to a guy at Turnone earlier. He told me when the pump is off the car to turn the wheel from lock to lock and that should get 99% of the old fluid out.

**TerribleTed** · 01-11-2011, 06:10 AM

Originally Posted by blackcar

I think I'm going to have to change my pump. So I was looking for a way to clean out the whole system, before I put the new pump on.

So here is what I did this week end to clear out as best as I can the entire PS system.

Disconnect the 2 lines that connect into the Rack. Pulll the PS cap off, now with the car set so you can turn the wheels back and forth (no power) just manually move the wheels back and forth till all fluid is drained.

I also disconnected the Lines to the PS cooler device and used a syringe to pump air into them to clear them. Basically with the lower rack lines disconnected and the PS cap off most of the fluid will drain out, also when you move the wheels all the way left to right and back again a few times the rack will be totally cleared of PS fluid. I then run clear fluid thru all lines I can push it threw with a syringe untill its all nice and clear when it drains.
Then reconnect, fill PS fluid with new stuff and bleed it and your god to go.

PS (as in real post script PS) the lines to and from the PS cooler on mine was very blocked up.

**blackcar** · 01-11-2011, 06:47 AM

Thanks Ted. I had to pull my power steering pump off to get it rebuilt. I went ahead and pulled all the lines off while I was at it. If I do not replace them I will clean them before I put them back on, also I need to flush out the cooler. Should running clean fluid through it be good enough or should I run some kind of cleaner first? I've heard some cleaners can cause more harm than good.

***SMWS6TA*** · 01-11-2011, 07:51 AM

Just run new fluid through it and you should be good. Thoroughly flush the lines out. If you are still getting a lot of debris or unclean fluid you may want to just go ahead and change the lines out. Power Steering Fluid is just like break fluid. Needs to be change out. The fluid breaks down over time and loses its viscosity.