Power steering temporary freeze

**Andrew162** · 26-09-2006, 06:10 PM

Hi all,

Just wanted to pose a question about my power steering. The pump was leaking before and was only just replaced today, but I'm still getting the freezing up of the wheel through light corners (doesn't happen through U-turns and the like), which I thought was attributed to the power steer pump failing before.

It would start to turn and sometimes harden up (like the feeling of no steering control) when I started turning the wheel, and other times it would start to turn ok, but when the wheel was turned a few degrees the mechanism felt like it was seizing up and I had to jiggle it a bit to get it through it's motion.

Has anyone had this happen before? Any ideas? BTW it's a 1986 Celica ST162 SX.

Thanks in advance.

**Hydra** · 26-09-2006, 06:13 PM

It *almost* sounds like a wheel alignment problem, cept maybe not.

Could also be a problem in the steering rack...

**jonra23** · 26-09-2006, 06:17 PM

The valve body that senses tension on your steering shaft and directs oil to the pistons has crap stuck in it or is worn/bent.

Sometimes you can flush the crap out, I had a HQ with power steering in it as it had a heavy ass big block, Steering pump died and sent crap everywhere, I stripped power steering box 3 times before it came good.

regards
jon

**mrshin** · 26-09-2006, 06:30 PM

Take a good look at the oil and see if it's full of little metal particles. It may be time to take the rack off and pull it apart/swap it for another one.

**Vios-GT_07** · 26-09-2006, 06:57 PM

u know.. erm.. the power steering belt being loose could do that...

sounds like something that happened to me when the mechanic lost the tensioner nut for my power steering belt, and so the belt was slipping off when i turned sometimes, causing the steering to momentarily "freeze" or seize up...

**benjamin** · 26-09-2006, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by Vios-GT_07

u know.. erm.. the power steering belt being loose could do that...

sounds like something that happened to me when the mechanic lost the tensioner nut for my power steering belt, and so the belt was slipping off when i turned sometimes, causing the steering to momentarily "freeze" or seize up...

I was also going to suggest that the belt is slipping. Check the tension anyway

**Andrew162** · 28-09-2006, 06:27 PM

P/S belt tension seems just fine.. nice and tight.

edit: argh!! i hate that!!

fixed....

edit 2: read first post.

"The pump was leaking before and was only just replaced today..."

deciphered, "new pump installed".

**1337_86** · 28-09-2006, 06:38 PM

not the timing belt...the p/s belt.....also if the pump is stuffed just get it reco'd or another one, whatever, instead of trying to find this problem. The pump might have trouble building pressure under light load due to it leaking.

**blue22** · 28-09-2006, 08:04 PM

Hey...Andrew162.......I see belt tension is ok and new pump installed......not many possibles left.....1..as said by Jonra23, there is some crap stuck in the valve body of the rack, jamming up the valves intermittantly.....remedy...... change OUT the fluid, flush it through with 3-4 litres of new fluid, don't let the old fluid back into the system......2..You could have a hose collapsed internally.. does the freeze happen when turning left OR right or dose it freeze turning both directions??....if it's more one way than the other it could be a hose. I had it on a Isuzu truck one time, took bloody ages to diagnose and the hoses looked fine on the outside..........hope this helps..Cheers!..Phil.

**Andrew162** · 28-09-2006, 10:25 PM

ok Hydra, it's not a wheel alignment problem, I only just had the springs and shocks replaced for all-new, and included in that of course, was the wheel alignment.

No metal particles in the fluid that I can see...

It does happen more on the right turns than the left, but I don't know if I've just noticed it more then or what, but I'll have to pay it more attention methinks.