Power steering problem

[wideawake]

Guys, I'm coming over from the Tacoma forums, really need some help here, it's for my mom.

Mom has 2001 Avalon with 40k miles. Today she went to the service station near her house, where she always goes, and wanted to have them change the belts and hoses with a coolant flush. They did that......and sold her a water pump and timing belt. Said the water pump was leaking- OK, fine, might as well do the timing belt while things are open due to age of vehicle. They charge her $1000.00+, OK, whatever.

Mom goes to pick up car, mechanic takes her for a ride to show something is wrong with the power steering now. She leaves car for them to fix and then calls me. I say,"What the !@#$" to myself. Mom describes the problem as the steering will be fine for a bit and then all of a sudden becomes hard to steer and than goes back to being fine again. The mechanic tells her that they had nothing to do with the problem, that it "Just happened".

Any ideas? Did they screw something up and just trying to cover their asses now?

I know that this is going to cost her huge $$$$, can just sense it. My BS detector is on high alert.

I'm going to talk to them first thing in the morning, would like to have some info.

To me it sounds like the mechanic might pushed something too hard or tweaked something. Kinked P/S line? Collapsed hose due to over bending?

But I don't think mom should have to pay. Kinda pisses me off.

Thanks, If you need more info just ask.

[toyomoho]

Try bleeding the system by turning the steering wheel to the stops in both directions a couple of times. Make sure the PS tank is full. Might be the PS belt is too loose and slipping.

[wideawake]

toyomoho: Thanks for the reply! Talked to the mechanic tonight, he told me when he taps on P/S pump housing everything works fine. If the car is left idling the problem comes back in about five minutes and than he taps the pump and every thing is good. The biggest problem is that the car is about 45 miles from my house.