Power steering issues

[eXige]

ok, so this problem just started yesterday, and im not sure exactly what is wrong. I have an 02 P5 and yesterday when i pulled out of my parking spot the steering was really stiff, like there was no power assist at all, i thought maybe it was just a one time thing, cause it has happened before and i know we have RPM sensitive steering so i thought maybe i didnt rev enough or something and the car was cold.

but throughout the day, this issue came up all the time, i have a manual so when im in the parking lot of turning in the streets and press the clutch the rpm drops and the steering gets stiff... turned out to be a little dangerous a couple of times. Also, i looked at the fluid level, and for some reason its above max, cant remember if it was always like that or if it just happened.

Does anyone else have or had this problem? is it something simple or expensive? lol

thanks for any help.

 

[FSCatalyst]

Generally, Power steering assist is high when at low speeds like parking lot speeds, versus lane changes at highway speeds. I would think there would be an internal leak (no fluid loss) within the power cylinders in the rack.so
likely there would be low hydraulic pressure.
What I'd do is check the belt, fluid condition (if its black, you should kick yourself!), Power Steering Pump, and visually inspect the rack for damages, or leaks (slow leak perhaps?).

 

[mazdaspeed777]

Yah I would make sure your power steering belt isn't loose. Also if your car is making any kind of noise while you steer then there is a good chance your power steering pump is going bad

 

[pasadena_commut]

Also if your car is making any kind of noise while you steer then there is a good chance your power steering pump is going bad

The steering column on my P5 often makes what can best be described as a farting sound when the wheel spins back to center at low speeds, especially on sharp turns when it is cold. A mechanic fixed it for a while by adjusting something or other which was sticking a bit as the column turned, I think it was inside the cabin, but it might have been just on the other side of the firewall - he was pretty vague about what the exact part was or what he did to fix it. (My guess, he squirted some graphite on the part.) He's retired now so I can't ask him. Anyway, the sound came back after about a year and now I live with it. There is no effect on the steering boost as described by the original poster, it's just a noise.

And so as not to thread jack entirely, we once had an Accord that was behaving much the same way as the OP described. Get it looked at soon. Ours went from annoying to undrivable very quickly, with the steering boost going from zero to 100% and back at very short intervals. It made parking, um, challenging. In that case there was a lot of corrosion in the "steering box" which had to be replaced.

 

[eXige]

ya, thats the best way to describe it pasadena 0 to 100% randomly.

the fluid is um... on the darker side, and it worries me that its over max now.

thanks for the input guys, i'll take it in for sure tomorrow. parking is very challenging.

was the steering box expensive to change? hope its not that serious.

also, i dont get any noises when turning, but the belt squeals when it rains sometimes, but i think that is just the belt getting wet.. right?

 

[Rivman]

Power Steering Problems

Sometimes the ps fluid gets dirty or contaminated, and it will not flow well through check valves in the rack portion of the system.
A regular ps fluid flush may eliminate or help reduce this condition. (thumb)

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

I had mine flushed around 35 or 40k with the BG Services flush treatment & synthetic fluid refill. There happened to be a shop near me that did it. That place was like a car spa. Was 100.00 but what the hell, car earned it.

http://www.bgams.com/

 

[pasadena_commut]

was the steering box expensive to change? hope its not that serious.

I don't have the maintenance notes for that car any more. My recollection was that it was $300 to $400 including labor. This was a few years back, around 1999.

 

[eXige]

ok so i took it to mazda to have it checked and they said that the tensioners need to be tightened cause the belts were loose and they checked the computer cause last night as i was driving, i took it out of gear while the car was rolling and the rpms dropped and felt like it was hesitating then the battery light came on for like 2 secs, but it was only that one time, and everything was fine after.

they said that there is a leak in the power steering pump, but its not a big leak and that the pressurization will be off at times thats why it gets hard.
they quoted almost $500 for it, so i just had them do the tightening.

came to $200 with the comp scan : s

now i have to find somewhere cheaper to replace the pump.

thanks for all your info guys, i will do a flush when they change the pump.

thanks again.