The turning radius of my car has increased dramatically, could the PS be shot.

The power steering goes to the extremes, where I can turn no more which I hate since it is one of the reasons for CV boots to tear.

Helppppppppp

 

huh?? more details...
Your turning radius has increased?
Are you saying you can turn your wheels to far to the left and right?..more so than you should be able to do?

 

I feel there is absolutely no power in the steering and it really pisses me off when I have to get out of a parking lot or worse park my car in a small slot. I have to backup to bring the car in line with the slot -- really pisses me off.

Checked the tensioner on the PS belts are it is taught.

 

Great, I remember, all this wierd things happening after adding 2 oz of Lubegard Black to the PS. I guess this has screwed my power steering, I shall drain and fill a couple of times from PS reserviour and hope for the best, fingers crossed.

 

yes, I think flushing it would fix this problem. Does it always do this or just when it is cold outside?

 

WHAT????


So it's not that your turning radius has improved, but that you have no power steering? I.E. It's really hard to turn the steering wheel.

I highly doubt that the damaged caused will be fixed by flushing the fuild.

 

Absolutely, the steering is kind of tight too, don't tell me I am screwed big time. Give me some encouraging words.

 

does this happen all the time, or just after you start it? And is it only when it is cold?

 

LOL..ok....It's possible that the added lubegard has changed the viscotity of the fluid and it's lost all of it's lubricating abilities to allow it to help turn the steering gear and changing the fluid will help lubricate it ag.....
Nah Doubted....sorry.....It's possible and maybe worth a shot but unlikely...
I'm guessing it's the pump or the rack....Probably the second...

I'll admit Steering and suspension isn't my fortee' (spelling) so others may be able to chime in here..

 

Unfortunately all the time. What sucks is the steering wheel hit at both ends, I feel like hitting my head against the steering column.

 

ok I'm to dam confused now...Is it suppossed to just keep turning, forever???
o hell with it. I'm leaving this thread.

 

for the record, its forte...... lol and Its not mine either, actually, I don't think I have one. just trying to help here and there and I've heard of people having problems with their PS and flushing has helped. And I thought maybe he had the same problem I did.. Not sure what model car his is, but I have a 2000 and if its below 20, its hard to turn my wheel for about 15-20 seconds. There was a thread about it awhile back, seems alot of us 2000 owners have this little problem. Anyway, I'd try the flush first.

 

oh man, I'm confused as well, what do you mean it hits at both ends?

 

I meant if the right turn is tight, the steering wheel goes till lock and the same can be said when doing a left tight turn. I worry if I will get into another lane and get hit.

Mine is a 2000 GXE and a drains and fills over a week will be the first exercise (to replicate a flush).

Thanks all for ur comments.

 

ok, it sounds to me like you are driving a car that shouldn't be driven then. If it is that hard to turn you should not be driving, what are you gonna do if you have to swurve real quick to miss something or try to avoid an accident? And if you are concerned about making a normal turn, say a 90 degree turn, park the car until it is fixed. You are putting yourself and everyone on the road you are with in DANGER!!!!

ps: when posting, please try to give as much info. as possible on your first post.

 

uhhh, what? power steering doesnt work by lubricating the rack and pinion, it uses added pressure to each side of the steering gears to assist the steering, if it was helping by lubricating, dont you think they would just use grease??????

 

sarcaism...

 

I was told about Nissan PS fluid being different from regular DexronIII by a source who works for dealerships.

Now I have been doing drains and fills off the PS reserviour with regular Dexron III ATF and gradually the pump started to whine. After adding Lubegard, the whine disappeared and the pump seems to have been real happy, but then I have another problem.

One thing I learnt from this is there is something in these proprietry manufacturer fluids that aren't found in over the counter fluids. I don't like this speciality fluids, but I won't complain becoz I laugh when my friends who have European vehicles going for fluids changes -- $20 for quart in some cases!!!

 

$20 a quart is extreme, but I'll say this....
Back in my younger days when I used to work at a pit stop we quit flushing toyota transmissions...
Here's why...it was ATF + (IIRC- maybe Dex III) compatible well within 10,000 miles a good 10% of them would come back with failed transmissions..
Well the problem was (so I'm told) is that Toyota's fluid had some special additive that the "compatible" fluid didn't....We charged $80 at the time for a 12 quart flush and fill...for 12 quarts of Toyota fluid the overhead cost alone would have been $60.00 at the time..
On another note I had a 99 Denali that called for PS fluid.. Some goof being the old timer he was decided to put trans fluid in it to prevent it from turning hard when cold... Well I had it for 30,000 miles when the gear box took a crap on me...
Use the fluid the manufacturer calls for (or compatible if available)....They pay millions and millions of dollars to figure out what works best.
If you had a winding noise that went away and your pump's not working now that would indicate to me it's a pump problem, but like I said earlier steering and suspension isn't my forte.