Real time help, power steering (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Update... flushed the system with almost a gallon of ATF and things got a little bit better. Still having lack of power at low RPM's but only after the truck warms up.
 
Update... flushed the system with almost a gallon of ATF and things got a little bit better. Still having lack of power at low RPM's but only after the truck warms up.
Foamy?
 
Sit down before you get the price quote on the OE pressure hose. :eek:

No kidding. That thing better be gold lined for what it is going for. I'm in the process of replacing my steering pump and thought I would replace this line as well until I saw the price.

The groaning issues sound like cavitation? Maybe some air somewhere in the system. Drive it a bit more and see if it goes away.
 
I have a HDJ100 with the 1HD-FTE diesel engine, so it's not the same engine as you have but I had sort of similar problems.

It started when my steering rack leaked an the input shaft, I had to refill the reservoir every 10k km / 6k miles. I did that for some time and it worked.
If I refilled too late I had to jack up the front of the car and turn from lock to lock with the engine running & new fluid, then it was ok for many more months.
I knew that I had to replace the leaking rack sometime, but hey, it worked for now.

Then it started getting worse, I had to refill the reservoir more often when I was on a three week wheeling trip.
Once I got home it started "growling" and foaming aka there was cavitation in the pump and a few days later I could notice fluid on the street.
I was thinking that the input seal of the rack leaked and too much fluid came out.

Since my steering rack was leaking I just got a rebuild Toyota steering rack and replaced it. Once installed it was very difficult to bleed (lots of foam), but once I got the foam out it worked and I drove for a few hours that night with no problems.

The next morning I got in the car, started it and I could not turn the steering wheel. When I got out and checked the reservoir it was empty. I had to drive to work so I jacked up the front, bled the system (lots of foaming again) and drove to work. After doing this for two days I put it on the lift and had a look. I couldn't see it but suspected the pump. So I pulled the pump, bought an imitation pump and all the problems were over.

In short:
Had a leaking power steering rack and suspected that. Foamy when I started the car each morning, after bleeding it was OK.
Bleeding took a lot of fluid but at the time I drove it there was no foam and no noise, it cost me a lot of ATF & cleaning my parking spot.
The leaking power steering rack was not the problem, it was the pump that was pulling in air/leaking fluid.
There was no leaking fluid when the car was running, only when the engine was turned off.
When turning on engine fluid/foam would be pressed out of resevoir cap, after bleeding and running engine, no more problems.

Not exactly the same problem, but it might help someone.

I'd also like to note that I won't be buying an imitation pump again. It was cheap for sure, but steering is heavier when idling.
With the slightest throttle it is ok, but when you let off the gas and go into a corner you can feel the steering getting a bit heavier.
 
Update: Replaced the power steering pump and all is well. My check engine light came on for a while but went off. I guess that is because i unplugged the mass air flow.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom