Power Steering Trouble Shooting

CONDITION	POSSIBLE CAUSE	CORRECTION
Rattle or Chucking Noise in Steering	Pressure hoses touching engine parts	Adjust to proper clearance
	Loose Pitman shaft	Adjust or replace if necessary
	Tie rods ends or Pitman arm loose	Tighten and check system
	Rack and pinion mounts loose	Tighten all mounting bolts
	Free play in worm and piston assembly	See STEERING
	Loose sector shaft or thrust bearing adjustment	See STEERING
	Free play in pot coupling	See STEERING
	Worn shaft serrations	See STEERING
Growl in Steering Pump	Excessive pressure in hoses	Restriction in hoses see POWER STEERING
	Scored pressure plates	See POWER STEERING
	Scored thrust plates or rotor	See POWER STEERING
	Extreme wear of cam ring	See POWER STEERING
Rattle in Steering Pump	Vanes not installed properly	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Vanes sticking in rotor slots	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
Swish Noise in Pump	Defective flow control valve	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
Groan in Steering Pump	Air in fluid	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Poor pressure hose connection	Tighten and check, replace if necessary
Squawk When Turning	Damper "O" ring on valve spool cut	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
Moan or Whine in Pump	Pump shaft bearing scored	Replace bearing and fluid
	Air in fluid or fluid level low	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Hose or column grounded	Check and replace if necessary
	Cover "O" ring missing or damaged	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Valve cover baffle missing or damaged	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Interference of components in pump	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Loose or poor bracket alignment	Correct or replace if necessary
Hissing When Parking	Internal leakage in steering gear	Check valve assembly first
Chirp in Steering Pump	Loose or worn power steering belt	Adjust or replace if neceesary
Buzzing When Not	Noisy pump	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
Steering	Free play in steering shaft bearing	See STEERING
	Bearing loose on shaft serrations	See STEERING
Clicking Noise in Pump	Pump slippers too long	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Broken slipper springs	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Excessive wear or nicked rotors	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Damaged cam contour	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
Poor Return of Wheel	Wheel rubbing against turn signal	See STEERING WHEEL SWITCHES
	Flange rubbing steering gear adjuster	See STEERING
	Tight or frozen steering shaft bearing	See STEERING
	Steering Gear out of adjustment	See Adjustment in STEERING
	Sticking or plugged spool valve	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Improper front end alignment	See WHEEL ALIGNMENT
	Wheel bearings worn or loose	See FRONT SUSPENSION
	Ties rods or ball joints binding	Check and replace if necessary
	Intermediate shaft joints binding	See STEERING
	Kinked pressure hoses	Correct or replace if necessary
	Loose housing head spanner nut	See POWER STEERING
	Damaged valve lever	See POWER STEERING
	Sector shaft adjusted too tight	See adjustment in POWER STEERING
	Worm thrust bearing adjusted too tight	See adjustment in POWER STEERING
	Reaction ring sticking in cylinder	See POWER STEERING
	Reaction ring sticking in housing head	See POWER STEERING
	Steering pump internal leakage	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Steering gear-to-column misalignment	See STEERING COLUMNS
	Lack of lubrication in linkage	Service front suspension
	Lack of lubrication in ball joints	Service front suspension
Increased Effort When	High internal pump leakage	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
Turning Wheel Fast	Power steering pump belt slipping	Adjust or replace if necessary
Foaming, Milky Power	Low fluid level	Check and fill to proper level
Steering Fluid, Low Fluid	Engine idle speed to low	Adjust to correct setting
Level or Low Pressure	Air in pump fluid system	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Pump output low	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Steering gear malfunctioning	See STEERING
Wheel Surges or Jerks	Low fluid level	Check and fill to proper level
	Loose fan belt	Adjust or replace if necessary
	Insufficient pump pressure	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Sticky flow control valve	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Linkage hitting oil pan at full turn	See STEERING LINKAGE
Kick Back or Free Play	Air in pump fluid system	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Worn poppet valve in steering gear	See POWER STEERING
	Excessive over center lash	See POWER STEERING
	Thrust bearing out of adjustment	See POWER STEERING
	Free play in pot coupling	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Steering gear coupling loose on shaft	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Steering disc mounting bolts loose	Tighten or replace if necessary
	Coupling loose on worm shaft	Tighten or replace if necessary
	Improper sector shaft adjustment	See POWER STEERING
	Excessive worm piston side play	See POWER STEERING
	Damaged valve lever	See POWER STEERING
	Universal joint loose	Tighten or replace if necessary
	Defective rotary valve	See POWER STEERING
No Power When Parking	Sticking flow control valve	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Insufficient pump pressure output	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Excessive internal pump leakage	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Excessive internal gear leakage	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Flange rubs against gear adjust plug	See STEERING COLUMN
	Loose pump belt	Adjust or replace if necessary
	Low fluid level	Check and add proper amount of fluid
	Engine idle too low	Adjust to correct setting
	Steering gear-to-column misaligned	See STEERING
No Power Left Turns	Left turn reaction seal "O" ring worn	See POWER STEERING
	Left turn reaction seal damaged/missing	See POWER STEERING
	Cylinder head "O" ring damaged	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
No Power Right Turns	Column pot coupling bottomed	See STEERING
	Right turn reaction seal "O" ring worn	See POWER STEERING
	Right turn reaction seal damaged	See POWER STEERING
	Internal leakage through piston end plug	See STEERING
	Internal leakage through side plugs	See STEERING
Lack of Effort in Turning	Left and/or right reaction seal worn	Replace, see POWER STEERING
	Left and/or right reaction oil
	passageway not drilled	Check housing and cylinder head
	Left and/or right reaction seal sticking in
	cylinder head	See POWER STEERING
Wanders to One Side	Front end alignment incorrect	See WHEEL ALIGNMENT
	Unbalanced steering gear valve	See STEERING
Low Pressure Due to Steering Pump	Flow control valve stuck or inoperative	See POWER STEERING
	Pressure plate not flat against cam ring	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Extreme wear of cam ring	Replace and check adjustments
	Scored plate, thrust plate or rotor	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Vanes not installed properly	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Vanes sticking in rotor slots	See POWER STEERING PUMPS
	Cracked/broken thrust or pressure plate	See POWER STEERING PUMPS