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Steering Wheel is Hard to Turn

5K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  Apples555 
#1 ·
The Geo Prizm (7a-fe engine), basically 7th gen corolla is having issues with the power steering. The steering wheel has become hard to turn. I don't drive this car personally, but the last time I got in it, I noticed more resistance turning the wheel. There's no obvious belt squeal when I turn the wheels or even starting the car up though.

Anyways I've ordered the three drive belts for replacing and also will replace the power steering fluid.

How do I know if the pump is bad? I don't want to put in new fluid, just to have to replace the pump and fluid again.

Btw, anyone else wish we had the single drive belt system that is on the ZZ engines? ?
 
#2 ·
The power steering system uses Dexron III automatic transmission fluid (ATF). Just look at the writing on the top of the cap.

It could be the belt is slipping without squealing. Have you looked at the belt? Does it look old?

Sometimes the mesh screen in the fluid reservoir gets clogged and prevents the pump from pumping, but it will usually whine when it does that.

Is the level correct in the reservoir?

I never had an engine with a single serpentine belt, so I don't mind having 3 separate belts. I guess a single belt is better if you change it before it goes bad. The problem would be if one pulley locked up or a pulley bearing failed you can't just remove one belt and keep driving.
 
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#3 ·
The 1ZZ belt system is awesome! Single belt and automatic hydraulic belt tensioner. No setting tension perfectly, no worries. Belt changes are 30 seconds!

DrZ gave some wonderful info. Could be old fluid, could be low fluid (though you'd likely hear pump wail from that), could be clogged mesh. A quart of ATF is pretty cheap so a quick suction with a turkey baster and a refill should tell you what the next step is. Fixed? Good! Not fixed? Time to investigate.
 
#8 ·
The 1ZZ belt system is awesome! Single belt and automatic hydraulic belt tensioner. No setting tension perfectly, no worries. Belt changes are 30 seconds!
Yeah, but that tensioner has a strong spring! You need the dedicated belt tensioner tool or a long cheater bar on your breaker bar handle to budge that thing - at least I did. Not my problem anymore, I'm livin' the 7A-FE life now! And I've already had both belts off of this car...
 
#4 ·
I will have to check the belts and reservoir when I get a chance. I think the belts are old.. at least a few years, as the previous owner's "new" tires were purchased from Costco around 2010 :rolleyes:

Thanks DrZ, I almost ordered Dexron VI but it is not backwards compatible with this power steering system.

I will probably do the fluid change and change the belts if it needs it. Yes I was watching videos of the 1ZZ belt change and found out the full belt change on our cars is a lot more work!
 
#10 ·
Does anyone else have a low groaning sound from their power steering pump? I just changed the fluid out now (drain and fill). The reservoir is full and I’ve bled the system. Now there is a low pitched groan from the power steering pump when I turn the wheel, also when I hold the wheel at full lock. If I let the wheel bounce back a bit from full lock the sound goes away. It takes less effort to turn the wheel now like it was before.

The sound isn’t too loud, but I can notice it from inside the cabin.
 
#12 ·
There is some noise whenever I turn the wheel, even from center. This has been there since I got the car but just wondering if it’s just because the pump is old?

Haven’t done the belts yet, probably this weekend.
 
#13 ·
My power steering pump makes some groaning sounds when I turn and the car is stationary, but I haven't classified it as abnormal yet, and my steering isn't hard to turn. Even if it's slightly abnormal I don't think it's hurting anything. It might be that my screen is slightly clogged restricting the flow a little. I had replaced the original reservoir (that looked clogged) with one I found at the junkyard. I could really only see the small fraction of the screen visible through the hole, but the new used one looked cleaner.
 
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