A hydraulic power steering system needs a power steering pump to circulate the power steering fluid through the system. The fluid is what helps you turn your steering wheel with ease. The steering pump generally lasts approximately 100,000 miles. Below, we are going to list the signs that the power steering pump is going bad.
Groaning Noises
Your vehicle will start to groan and moan when you turn the steering wheel if the pump is going bad. Unfortunately, this sound will get louder as you continue to turn the wheel. In some cases, the pump may also squeal. No matter the sound, you should never hear any noise when you turn the steering wheel.
Stiff Steering Wheel
As we mentioned above, the steering fluid helps you turn the wheel. Consequently, if the pump is malfunctioning, you may not have fluid circulating through the hydraulic system. As such, it may become difficult to turn your steering wheel. In fact, you may wonder if you have power steering or manual steering.
Unresponsiveness
Unfortunately, the pump can also create a serious problem of unresponsiveness. What we mean by this is your vehicle will not respond when you turn the wheel. As such, you may want to turn right or left, but your vehicle will continue to go straight. Naturally, this makes driving your automobile dangerous because you can’t control it.
Leaking Red Fluid
An old steering pump can start to leak the steering fluid out of the system. The power steering fluid is red, so if you see spots of this color on the garage floor, the pump may be leaking. You can check the level of fluid in the system by unscrewing the cap to the power steering reservoir in the engine. Do this when the engine is cold.
Silvery-red Fluid
You may find another problem when you check the level of the steering fluid. If you see silver flakes in the fluid, the steering pump is disintegrating. Consequently, we cannot repair this problem. As such, we will have to replace the pump with a new one. If your vehicle has over 100,000 miles on the odometer, it is likely time anyway.
Give us a call so we can schedule an appointment to inspect your power steering pump. If you need a new one, we would be happy to remove the old one and install the new one. This will restore the power steering in your automobile.