LEMON Manuals: Even more car manuals for everyone: 1960-2025
Home >> Subaru >> 2010 >> Outback R >> Repair and Diagnosis >> Steering >> Power Steering >> Power Steering System >> General Diagnostic Table >> Inspection >> Notes
April 5, 2026: LEMON Manuals is launched! Read the announcement.

General Diagnostic Table: Inspection: Notes

TROUBLE AND POSSIBLE CAUSE

Trouble Possible cause Corrective action
  • Steering effort is heavy in all ranges.
  • Steering effort is heavy at stand still.
  • Steering wheel vibrates when turning.
 1. Pulley belt
  • Unequal length of pulley belts
  • Contact with oil or grease
  • Looseness or damage of the pulley belt
  • Poor uniformity of the pulley belt cross section
  • Pulley belt touches to pulley bottom
  • Poor revolution of pulleys (except oil pump pulley)
  • Poor revolution of oil pump pulley
 Adjust or replace.
2. Tire and wheel
  • Improper tire out of specification (1)
  • Improper wheel out of specification (1)
  • Tires not properly inflated
 Replace or reinflate.
3. Fluid
  • Low fluid level
  • Air entry in fluid
  • Dust entry in fluid
  • Fluid deterioration
  • Insufficient warming up for fluid (2)
 Refill, bleed air, replace or instruct customer.
4. Idle speed
  • Lower idle speed
  • Excessive drop of idle speed at engine start or steering wheel turning (3)
 Adjust or instruct customer.
5. Measure the hydraulic pressure. Ref. to INSPECTION , Oil Pump. Replace the problem parts.
6. Measure the steering wheel effort. Ref. to MEASUREMENT OF STEERING EFFORT , INSPECTION, General Diagnostic Table. Adjust or replace.
  • Vehicle leads to one side or the other.
  • Returning force of steering wheel to center is poor.
  • Steering wheel vibrates when turning.
 1. Fluid line
  • Folded hose
  • Flattened pipe
 Repair or replace.
2. Tire and wheel
  • Flat tire
  • Mixed use of different tires
  • Mixed use of different wheels
  • Abnormal wear of tire
  • Unequal tread remaining
  • Unequal pressure of tire
 Adjust, fix or replace.
3. Front alignment
  • Improper or unequal caster
  • Improper or unequal toe-in
  • Loose suspension connections
 Adjust or retighten.
4. Others
  • Damaged joint assembly
  • Unbalanced height
  • Unbalanced weight
 Replace, adjust or instruct customer.
5. Measure the steering wheel effort. Ref. to MEASUREMENT OF STEERING EFFORT , INSPECTION, General Diagnostic Table. Adjust or replace.
(1) When the width of tires or wheels is wider than standard, power steering system load increases. Accordingly, in a condition, for example before fluid warms-up, relief valve may work before reaching maximum turning angle. In this case, steering effort may be heavy. When the measured hydraulic pressure is normal, there is no abnormal thing.
(2) In cold season, fluid becomes cool and the steering effort gets heavy due to increased resistance. After warming-up engine, turn the steering wheel from stop to stop several times to warm up fluid. If steering effort reduces normally, function is normal.
(3) In cold season or with insufficient warm up of engine, an excessive drop of the idling causes heavy steering effort. In this case, start the vehicle with increasing engine speed than usual. If steering effort reduces normally, function is normal.
scientia non olet · About LEMON Manuals