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Power steering pump or what?

  • Thread starter Thread starter joshjwc9
  • Start date Start date Jul 22, 2006

joshjwc9

Active Member
Jun 12, 2006
1,095
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39
Palm Harbor, FL
Jul 22, 2006
#1
  • Jul 22, 2006
  • #1
So I'm leaving my crappy parking lot at work to grab some lunch and hit a tiny pothole. It didnt feel that bad like it did any damage until I came back to work and pulled back into the parking lot.

So now my car has major problems steering at very slow speeds and braking hard, but feels normal accelerating and at normal road speeds. And the steering wheel is very hard to move like when I'm backing up.

I'm tempted to take the city to court to pay for costs, but if it isnt much like a power steering pump it isnt worth the hassle. But if it is worse than that I'm going to court.
 

03ghoststang

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2005
1,930
1
57
Los Angeles, California
Jul 22, 2006
#2
  • Jul 22, 2006
  • #2
first off check if any of the PS lines are damaged, then we can go into it being the steering rack or pump
 

joshjwc9

Active Member
Jun 12, 2006
1,095
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39
Palm Harbor, FL
Jul 22, 2006
#3
  • Jul 22, 2006
  • #3
03ghoststang said:
first off check if any of the PS lines are damaged, then we can go into it being the steering rack or pump
Click to expand...

All look good my dad and I but what do we know. No leaks at all.

Also, is there a chance that it would cause an air pocket in the PS lines? If so, how would you bleed the system?
 

03ghoststang

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2005
1,930
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57
Los Angeles, California
Jul 22, 2006
#4
  • Jul 22, 2006
  • #4
joshjwc9 said:
All look good my dad and I but what do we know. No leaks at all.

Also, is there a chance that it would cause an air pocket in the PS lines? If so, how would you bleed the system?
Click to expand...


is the pump resevoir low on fluid??? cause that dont seem right and yeah a pocket of air or lack of fluid can cause heavy steering
 

joshjwc9

Active Member
Jun 12, 2006
1,095
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39
Palm Harbor, FL
Jul 22, 2006
#5
  • Jul 22, 2006
  • #5
03ghoststang said:
is the pump resevoir low on fluid??? cause that dont seem right and yeah a pocket of air or lack of fluid can cause heavy steering
Click to expand...

Filled it and still steering is a pain.

How can I bleed the system?
Is it just turning the steering wheel when the car is parked?
 

urban96

bubb rubb says:"woo woooooo"
Founding Member
Sep 24, 2002
3,464
1
69
Syracuse, NY
Jul 22, 2006
#6
  • Jul 22, 2006
  • #6
my ps pump took a crap the other night, the seal around the shaft gave out and spewed fluid all over my driveway
 

Mike97gt

it doe snot
Founding Member
Jan 26, 1999
10,633
7
89
the people's republic of massachusetts
Jul 22, 2006
#7
  • Jul 22, 2006
  • #7
sometimes the inner tie rod boots can hold fluid that leaked past the seals.. to check for this you can poke a tiny hole into the bottom of each inner tie rod boot and see if fluid poors out.
 

DTNODYA

Member
Dec 15, 2005
831
1
16
Jul 22, 2006
#8
  • Jul 22, 2006
  • #8
Is the pump making any noise like a whining sound (more than the typical ford PS pump sound)?

When you added fluid, did you use transmission fluid? I don't know if it will hurt to use power steering fluid but our cars use trans. fluid in the power steering.

Just throwing some suggestions out there .....
 
K

Kilgore Trout

Fried or Broiled ?
10 Year Member
Mar 30, 2005
4,749
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134
Jul 22, 2006
#9
  • Jul 22, 2006
  • #9
Changing PS fluid is a pain in the ass. Have a Jiffy Lube or something do it. Make sure they use Mobil1 synthetic ATF in there.
 

Mike97gt

it doe snot
Founding Member
Jan 26, 1999
10,633
7
89
the people's republic of massachusetts
Jul 22, 2006
#10
  • Jul 22, 2006
  • #10
Kilgore Trout said:
Changing PS fluid is a pain in the ass. Have a Jiffy Lube or something do it. Make sure they use Mobil1 synthetic ATF in there.
Click to expand...


only have somebody do it if you can watch.. many places will just have you pay for it and not do it.. Man I go around and collect those BG p/s flush kits and fuel injection and tranny flush kits from the areas where the known hacks work in my shop.. my boss will not fire them, so I just collect the kits and use them on firends cars and such.... I have seen techs sell the p/s, trans and fuel injection on a car at the same time and not do any of them.. thats 400 bucks worth of flushes.
 

DTNODYA

Member
Dec 15, 2005
831
1
16
Jul 22, 2006
#11
  • Jul 22, 2006
  • #11
Kilgore Trout said:
Changing PS fluid is a pain in the ass. Have a Jiffy Lube or something do it. Make sure they use Mobil1 synthetic ATF in there.
Click to expand...

Naa man, it's not. I never posted how I ended up doing mine (made a thread, you told me your story of shooting PS fluid everywhere....) Anyway, the way I did it was; Sucked the old fluid out of the resovoir and re-filled it with new. Then drove the car for a day and repeated the process. After a few times of doing this, the fluid will get circulated and be fresh and clean. I did this on my truck too and it worked great! It is the easiest way I know of besides paying someone to do it.

That's kinda off topic but someone may find it useful.

svttech76 said:
only have somebody do it if you can watch.. many places will just have you pay for it and not do it.. Man I go around and collect those BG p/s flush kits and fuel injection and tranny flush kits from the areas where the known hacks work in my shop.. my boss will not fire them, so I just collect the kits and use them on firends cars and such.... I have seen techs sell the p/s, trans and fuel injection on a car at the same time and not do any of them.. thats 400 bucks worth of flushes.
Click to expand...

+1

I've seen the same thing.
 
W

Will Smith

New Member
Aug 8, 2004
191
0
0
Cape Coral, FL
Jul 23, 2006
#12
  • Jul 23, 2006
  • #12
joshjwc9 said:
So I'm leaving my crappy parking lot at work to grab some lunch and hit a tiny pothole. It didnt feel that bad like it did any damage until I came back to work and pulled back into the parking lot.

So now my car has major problems steering at very slow speeds and braking hard, but feels normal accelerating and at normal road speeds. And the steering wheel is very hard to move like when I'm backing up.

I'm tempted to take the city to court to pay for costs, but if it isnt much like a power steering pump it isnt worth the hassle. But if it is worse than that I'm going to court.
Click to expand...


Since u did say u hit a pot hole most ppl will overlook somethings. Check your fluid level in your power steering resovior. if that is ok check your lines mainly the high pressure line but check the low as well. if those look good next check your rack and pinion. With the pothole u hit it is possible that the seal just inside the inner tie rods could have gone bad and your leaking fluid into the boot covering the inner tie rod. u might want to check that.
 

joshjwc9

Active Member
Jun 12, 2006
1,095
17
39
Palm Harbor, FL
Jul 24, 2006
#13
  • Jul 24, 2006
  • #13
Will Smith said:
Since u did say u hit a pot hole most ppl will overlook somethings. Check your fluid level in your power steering resovior. if that is ok check your lines mainly the high pressure line but check the low as well. if those look good next check your rack and pinion. With the pothole u hit it is possible that the seal just inside the inner tie rods could have gone bad and your leaking fluid into the boot covering the inner tie rod. u might want to check that.
Click to expand...

My mechanic said more than likely there is fluid inside the inner tie rod. But then when we took it for a spin he said he felt the brake master cylinder going-spongy pedal feel, and that the p/s pump is starting to go.

I dont know what it is, I have owned this GT for about a month and already have had A/C clutch idler pulley go, now the p/s and brakes.

The brake pads are fine, I thought that is what it may be except when I took off the wheel I had alot of pad left on the squeaking side.

Thanks for all your input :SNSign:
 

joshjwc9

Active Member
Jun 12, 2006
1,095
17
39
Palm Harbor, FL
Jul 24, 2006
#14
  • Jul 24, 2006
  • #14
svttech76 said:
only have somebody do it if you can watch.. many places will just have you pay for it and not do it.. Man I go around and collect those BG p/s flush kits and fuel injection and tranny flush kits from the areas where the known hacks work in my shop.. my boss will not fire them, so I just collect the kits and use them on firends cars and such.... I have seen techs sell the p/s, trans and fuel injection on a car at the same time and not do any of them.. thats 400 bucks worth of flushes.
Click to expand...

I'm not worried about that, my dad's best friend is the mechanic who we take all of our cars to. Besides we know where he lives if something goes wrong
 

Mike97gt

it doe snot
Founding Member
Jan 26, 1999
10,633
7
89
the people's republic of massachusetts
Jul 24, 2006
#15
  • Jul 24, 2006
  • #15
joshjwc9 said:
My mechanic said more than likely there is fluid inside the inner tie rod. But then when we took it for a spin he said he felt the brake master cylinder going-spongy pedal feel, and that the p/s pump is starting to go.

I dont know what it is, I have owned this GT for about a month and already have had A/C clutch idler pulley go, now the p/s and brakes.

The brake pads are fine, I thought that is what it may be except when I took off the wheel I had alot of pad left on the squeaking side.

Thanks for all your input :SNSign:
Click to expand...


our power assist for the brakes is supplied the power steering system... DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE SPONGY BRAKES UNTILL YOU FIX THE POWER STEERING... you will be tossing your money down the drain. Our cars are not equiped with a normal vacumm assist brake system your mechainc is used too, it's more like the brake system on a deisel truck.. You spongy brakes IS CAUSED BY THE P/S ISSUES..
 
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