Power steering is a luxury that is found in most automobiles these days. If you’ve ever driven a vehicle with manual steering, you know how tough that can be. Your power steering pump can go bad after you’ve put 100,000 miles on your car, truck, or utility vehicle. Automobile Diagnostics lists the signs that your power steering pump is going bad below. If you are in need of a power steering repair, give us a call today.
Whining Noises
You should not hear any noises when you turn your steering wheel. If you hear whining noises, this is a sign that the power steering fluid is too low. This could be caused by a leak in the power steering pump. It’s important to check for a leak right away because continuing to use your power steering with low fluid levels can damage the entire power steering system.
Slow Response
Another sign that your power steering pump is failing is a slow response time. This can happen on its own, or the power steering may be slow to respond while you are hearing the whining noise caused by the low power steering fluid. When these two symptoms of a bad power steering pump go hand-in-hand, it’s a safe bet that your power steering pump is having problems.
Stiffness
Another sign that your power steering pump is malfunctioning is stiffness in your steering wheel. If you’ve driven a vehicle with manual steering before, it will feel as if you are driving manual steering instead of power steering. A stiff steering wheel definitely points to the power steering pump. It’s important to have the pump checked as soon as possible to avoid additional steering system damage.
Squealing
If you hear a loud squealing sound when you first start your car, this is also a sign that the power steering pump is failing. You may also hear the squealing sound when you make sharp turns, but it is more likely that you will hear it when you fire up your car, truck, or utility vehicle. This is a sign that the belt that powers the power steering pump is slipping because the power steering pump is going bad.
Groaning
Finally, a definite sign that your power steering pump needs to be replaced is groaning noises. The more problems your power steering pump has the louder the groaning noises will become. Again, this could be because there’s a leak in the pump and you don’t have any power steering fluid. If you keep driving your automobile in this condition, you will also damage the steering lines and steering racks.
Automobile Diagnostics in Columbus, IN, can help. Call us today to schedule an appointment for a power steering system inspection.
