Crimsonnaire

iTrader: (1)

What does it mean if you feel a vibration in the power steering? It's not a whine, but more of a grumble, and a vibration is felt on the steering wheel. The fluid is at the right level.

Could it be air trapped in the rack & pinion?

I appreciate any ideas.

97ramsst

iTrader: (162)

I had a very simular problem on my 02 a few months ago. Mine would also get so hot it would boil over. I changed the fluid..nothing..changed the pump..nothing. Turns out it was the high pressure line going to the rack. You may want to check there.

Crimsonnaire

iTrader: (1)

Do you mean your fluid went too hot, or was it some other condition that relates to a vibration you felt?

Was your high pressure hose not connected right?

97ramsst

iTrader: (162)

Basicaly as the fluid heated up (from normal driving) it would cause the factory high pressure line (had to be installed correctly for at least the first 28,000 miles) to, I guess, collapse inside causing a restriction. This restriction caused the PS pump to work harder...thus creating more heat...those causing the situation to worse even more until finally it would get so bad it would start screaming and then would boil over. This was at the end though...for a while I felt a small vibration or pulsation when turn he wheel under a load (while stopped.)

What was fun about it is I changed the fluid...did nothing...changed the PS pump...did nothing. In the mean time I talked to TurnOne and the tech there (who was VERY FREINDLY AND HELPFUL through the whole ordeal..and it wasnt even their pump!) said it sounds like it has to be an obstruction in the high pressure side. I told him I had changed pumps and that didnt do it...so the next step was to check the line. So I took it off and it appeared to be normal and free flowing...so I put it back on. Finaly I checked the ports that the lines connect to on the rack and they were fine. He said the only other thing he knows to do is send them the rack to test or get a rebuilt one. So I just ordered a rebuilt one and while I was waiting on it to come in I said what the hell and replaced the high pressure line...and like magic it fixed it! Then I realized when I checked it it was cold and the problem on started after it got hot....DUH!

Anyway...just dont forget your lines can fail too!

Crimsonnaire

iTrader: (1)

Thank you very much for the detailed clarification.

Did you feel this vibration turning both ways, or just one direction?

My high pressure hose is actually new. It was installed a few months ago, and I only experienced this vibration only recently. The last thing that was done to the power steering was re-assembling the o-rings onto the connection points of the reservior. For some reason, I only feel the vibration when I turn left.

Could trapped air give this effect also?

97ramsst

iTrader: (162)

No..trapped air would have worked itself out by now. To be sure open the cap and have someone work the wheel and see if it bubbles or fizzes. I felt it when I turned both ways. But that was just a sign of an obstruction accoarding to TurnOne. So if you feel it only turning one way I say the obstruction would be in the rack itself...somewhere in the "left turn" part (I have no idea what you call it).