Business810

iTrader: (6)

Lately I've been having problems turning the wheel at slow speeds (<5mph). It's very stiff, as if there is no power steering (hence why I assume it's a PS problem). This only happens when the car is cold, like after sitting in a parking lot for a few hours. For a while I've just been putting up with this, but the last couple times I've needed to pull out of a parallel parking spot it's been a bit difficult. I already flushed and refilled the PS fluid (using a turkey baster to remove old fluid, add new, repeat a few days later as said in the fluids forum) but that didn't solve the problem. It's not leaking fluid anywhere. I haven't gotten a chance to look at the belts, I'll try to do that sometime tomorrow (though they are less than a year old, maybe 8k miles on them so I doubt they are the problem).

If the belts are fine, I'd guess maybe the pump is going bad? Does anyone know if that's it or have any other ideas? I'd like to try to fix this soon, but don't really have much of a chance to take it to a shop for a while with my work schedule. Thanks.

apeg

*BUMP*

This is word for word what i have been trying to figure out for months with my max

eclypsecl

iTrader: (2)

power steering belt? I bought a beater after selling wrx, a nissan sentra . When cold it would be jerky when steering at low speeds. Until the belt warms uo it'll do that.

el_muchacho_qc

Indeed, pointing to belt. The belt could be in good condition, just give it a little more tightening.

Nismotic

iTrader: (25)

I had the same symptoms after a huge snow storm. Turned out to be a bad power steering pump.

Business810

iTrader: (6)

Thanks for the replies, I'll take a look at the belt whenever I get a chance. Hopefully it just needs to be tightened.

apeg

power steering belt?

the haynes manual does not seem to make any reference to a power steering belt? from what i can tell the power steering pump uses the drivebelt, if the drivebelt were lose i would be having more problems then just steering?

doesn’t the tensioner keep the drivebelt tight?

sorry if i am way off, i know a little about my car but as you can tell not enough.

-aPeG

Business810

iTrader: (6)

The power steering belt is separate from the drivebelt and is tensioned separately. The other accessories (alternator, water pump) are driven by the main drive belt, but they are unaffected because the power steering belt is separate and only runs from the crankshaft pulley to the pulley on the power steering pump.

Bobo

Is the power steering belt the serpentine belt, or is that something completely different? The Haynes manual has no reference to a serpentine belt, but I have seen in referred to on this website.

Business810

iTrader: (6)

The main drive belt is the one that you've probably heard as the serpentine belt as it winds around the crankshaft pulley, tensioner, alternator, and water pump. (I haven't heard it called that on a maxima, but it's the only one that fits that description.) The power steering belt just runs directlyfrom the crankshaft pulley to the power steering pulley, so it doesn't really "serpentine" around anything.

Business810

iTrader: (6)

Just in case anyone has the same problem, the belt was just loose. I tightened it to spec and everything's fine now.

Also, I was wrong on my last reply to rmurdoch, both belts are technically serpentine type belts, I've never really heard the term applied to one or the other specifically though. Also, the main drivebelt does not go around the water pump, it's the AC condenser.