Power steering question (Belt, pump or fluid?)

[Avantgarde]

I have searched on the forum for a while but couldnt find sth directly relevant.

I have 96 4 cylinder Camry at 181k. When I bought it at 164K one year ago its power steering was leaking. So I kept using Lucas stop leak. It didnt help at all, but since it was leaking less I kept adding it. I think all my power steering system should be full of it now.

I didnt have any problem all those miles long. When I arrived to 180k 4-5 months ago, I bought another car and didnt use the camry a lot. When the winter came my power steering was tight when I start the car(when I do make a right and left turn it was becaming very soft as it was all the time). And I think power steering belt was making noise at cold starts and noise was going 2-3 minutes later. Maybe it was pump I dont know what was making the noise..

This kept going like this for till January. I was just thinking that its because of cold weather(I live in Ohio). However last month my power steering get tight all the time, not just when I start the car. Even tough I drive it for 30 minutes its still tight. It only gets softer when I rev the car up to 3-4k rpm.. Which means my steering still works but can do that when it gets power..

Also today I realized that sometimes without any revving up sometimes it gets as soft as its supposed to be(even at idling). However problem continues, and sometimes it gets very tight. And when its that tight its dangerous on the traffic.

I'll bring it to my mechanics, however I just wanted to ask your opinions about it.. Is my pump going? Or is that just the belt? Thinking that Lucas stop leak is very high density at this cold, it might cause the problem too. Do you suggest me to flush it with a regular steering fluid?

(By the way I think my steering doesnt leak anymore)..
Also when I drive the car by forcing the tight steering, I realized that I see those bulbs in steering reservoir)..

Thanks for all your help..

[Jimnist]

Originally Posted by Avantgarde

Is my pump going? Or is that just the belt? Thinking that Lucas stop leak is very high density at this cold, it might cause the problem too. Do you suggest me to flush it with a regular steering fluid?

I think you've pretty much answered your own question here. You said it's pretty much full of the 'stop leak' stuff, which could have an effect on steering effort due to it's properties like viscosity e.t.c....So a flush would be a good start. The high pitched squealing noise is caused by the belt slipping. All in all, you've drawn it down to the pump or belt. Is it hard to turn the wheel or are the 'tight spots' when turning the wheel? It could be the universal joint. But you said the turning effort changes when you raise the rpm.......

[cykaaro]

Would definitely second flushing it and putting new belt on. Had a problem on and off with mine. Thought it was the power steering pump [so have an extra one now] but turns out although it didn't seem it was the belt, once I got it changed out the problem was solved. Looking at the old belt it was well worn and cracked, so probably was slipping causing my issue.

Good luck!

[Avantgarde]

there aren't certain tight spots when turning it. it just feels like its not working but if i try to steer it suddenly it comes back and you can make a full right and left turn easily.. it went like this for a 3-4 months, so i didnt care a lot. however these days it doesn't get soft that easy. sometimes it gets, but most the times doesnt. and sometimes reving the engine to 3-4k helps steering it, sometimes it doesnt help either..

lemme trying replacing the fluid in reservoir and see what happens. if it doesn't help i'll need to show it my mechanic. i'll also check u-joint...

[Avantgarde]

well, today i took most of the fluid(stop leak) in the reservoir and topped with regular fluid, which is like a fluid rather than a gel(stop leak)..

however it didnt help any to fix the problem. i also wanted to check if the steering belt works fine. i didnt know which belt was it.. is that the one right below the one going to alternator? if it is, belt seems to be ok...

at this point do you think that my steering pump is bad? if its is bad why does it work when i rev up the car? any opinions?

[Jimnist]

Did you completely flush it? There a good write up on th DIY sticky thread. I'm not too familiar with the Gen 3. If you know where the pump is, go off that belt. I would assume it would be a serparate one to the serpentine which powers the air-conditioning and alternator. You would most likely have to go at it from under the car.

It could be the pump, when you rev up the car, you spin the rotary vane pump up which build more pressure that can be exerted to the rack. Is it with any turn or when you do large slow turns, like a u- turn or 3 point?

[Avantgarde]

Originally Posted by Jimnist

Did you completely flush it? There a good write up on th DIY sticky thread. I'm not too familiar with the Gen 3. If you know where the pump is, go off that belt. I would assume it would be a serparate one to the serpentine which powers the air-conditioning and alternator. You would most likely have to go at it from under the car.

It could be the pump, when you rev up the car, you spin the rotary vane pump up which build more pressure that can be exerted to the rack. Is it with any turn or when you do large slow turns, like a u- turn or 3 point?

no, i just took the one in reservoir and add it. i changed around 400-500 ml. thinking that total amount is 1000 ml, i should have seen a positive effect..

it is totally random. sometimes it works nice. and when it works it works without any problem throughout the whole turn. but most the times it's though, and i need to rev it up..

next friday i'll bring it to my mechanic. lets see what he says...

[Avantgarde]

for the record,

last weekend i went to my mechanics, and we found out that my steering pump doesnt work properly. i've found one at junk yard for 35 bucks and replaced it.

no problems so far. but camry needs to go, i decided to sell it...