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hi Justine. There some moments when the steering wheelbecomes stiff and hard to turn. From irregular servicing, lack of fluid oil to low tyre pressure or bad wheelalignment, any of these could be the cause. ... Under normal circumstances when the car is in good condition, the steering wheel is always flexible when turning.11 Sep 2014
I would flush the steering box really well and re-fill with fresh fluid. If you can get to the lines, it is not too hard to do. There are some additives available for power steering fluid, but the use of them is debatable.
this problem is evident in vehicles that have a strut suspension
at the top of the strut there is a plate that is the top plate for the suspension coil spring
above that plate in the rubber bush is a bearing
if that bearing has failed then the plate will not turn and when you turn the steering wheel the power steering is in effect winding up that coil spring
that makes low speed turning very heavy on the power steering system especially at low rpms
have the front suspension checked for that bearing failure ( both sides ) by an accredited suspension specialist shop
standing stationary and turning the wheel you may even hear a creaking or groaning noise as the spring is flexing on the strut
if you do not have a strut suspension , take it to a power steering specialist shop for a proper diagnosis
Priority Action Part Type Cause 1 Inspect Power Steering Fluid Low Power Steering Fluid Level. 2 Inspect Power Steering Pump Worn out or Damaged Power Steering Pump. 3 Inspect Power Steering Hose Leaking or Incorrectly Installed Power Steering Hose. 4 Inspect Belt Tension Incorrect Belt Tension Will Allow Belts to Slip. 5 Inspect Belt Incorrectly Routed, Adjusted(Tensioned), Missing or Worn Drive Belt(s). 7 Inspect Ball Joint-upper Worn, Damaged, or Faulty Ball Joint. 8 Inspect Ball Joint-Lower Malfunctioning Ball Joint.
What happes when a vehicle experiences a loss of power steering, is that the car reverts to a manual steering car (like in the Model T days), making steering difficult, especially at low speeds, and during low speed maneuvering.
Have you checked the power steering fluid? Do the belts squeel when you turn the steering wheel?
I know this might sound silly but are your air pressures in your tyres correct? Low air pressure will cause your steering to shake at speed and it will be hard to turn at low speed.
I hope this helps,
Scott.
Variable-assist power steering: A power steering system that uses valves and speed sensors to vary the amount of steering assist according to engine or road speed. At slow speeds more steering assist is delivered and steering the wheels is easier; necessary for parking, etc.. At higher speeds, steering assist is reduced and more steering effort is required to steer the car, giving the driver greater feel of the road. Also known as Speed-sensitive power steering.
Loss of current to the magnetic coils would cause a loss of power assist at low speed. Coil resistance can be checked with an ohmmeter, and should read about two ohms. An infinite (open) reading indicates a bad coil (requires replacing the rack since the coils are not serviceable). Checking for shorts between both sides of the coil assembly and rack housing is also recommended.
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