Tony's Truck and Car Part Blog

Three Signs That Your Power Steering Needs To Be Fixed As Soon As Possible

7 June 2021 by Bryan Collins

Power steering is an important invention as it has allowed for a much more relaxed experience while on the road for almost all drivers. In the past, steering wheels had to be turned with huge force and it could realistically exhaust the driver after only a few kilometres. Luckily, power steering was invented and is here to stay, but how do you know when your power steering needs to be fixed? The most common component in your power steering that will need to be fixed are your power steering pumps. Here are a few warning signs that let you know they need to be replaced.

A Lot Of Latency When Turning The Wheel

If you find that your tires are slower than usual to respond to your commands on the wheel then it is very likely not enough fluid is being pushed into the steering system. This latency is a huge and quite obvious problem, but many people will put up with it in the hopes that it is a minor setback that will soon sort itself out. Unfortunately, this problem will only worsen until your power steering is totally gone. Power steering pumps are vital for the smooth transfer of fluid into the required gears, and if that is not happening, you won't be able to drive very effectively.

Crunching

The fluid that is pushed into and out of your power steering is vital not just for turning but to ensure that the rest of the components in your steering are not getting damaged by overuse. If you start to hear a loud crunching or cracking noise while you are driving then pull over when safe and turn the car off immediately. This sort of warning sign is one that precedes complete failure of your steering and could totally ruin it, costing you thousands to fix, rather than just the replacement of a few power steering pumps.

Strange Smell

Apart from using your ears, you can also use your nose to detect when the power steering fluid is not getting to where it should. Power steering gives off a burnt smell when out in the open, while also being a little bit sweet. If one or more of the pumps are broken they could be leaking out fluid into your car, leading to a total drain and potentially much bigger costs. Instead, get your power steering pumps replaced, refill your fluid and you should be right for many years to come. 

For more information regarding power steering, contact a company that provides power steering system parts. 

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