ran out of power steering fluid, harder to turn now

[scorp00]

It moaned then I realized it was out of fluid and filled it up. It's stayed full for a month now so it's not a leak(car was shipped 2500 miles a few months ago). I think it feels better now because the power steering was real touchy. I just don't want the pump to sieze up and snap the belt and kill the engine or something else. It appears to be doing fine now, I can tell it's helping, no moaning, but it is noticibly harder to turn. Fluid looks fine, car is a 2000 trans am.

 

[Vette73]

Check for leaks often just to be safe.

Also drain and refill the pump once to get any metal/trash out of it. If you do that and there are no leaks then you might be ok.

 

[iamwiz82]

Did you bleed it?

 

[scorp00]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Did you bleed it?

Not properly, real quick in the gas station moving the wheels back and forth, but I think by driving around I have worked the air out. I check it everytime I fill up now.

 

[bruceb]

That fluid must have gone somewhere. Either a leaky rack or a leaky hose. May not be a big leak, but you need to find it.

 

[LTC8K6]

Silly question, did you use the proper fluid?

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Silly question, did you use the proper fluid?

Not so silly, I got a car once where somebody had used motor oil instead of power steering fluid. :roll:

 

[scorp00]

Yeah I used power steering fluid. I probably haven't checked it in years, somehow the cap got black sludge all over it and I always overlooked it. I always felt like I was missing something, but I was used to checking AT fluid too.

 

[boomerang]

The pump is damaged. Your concerns about it seizing, burning the belt and leaving you stranded are valid.

No one can predict the future, but if it was my car, I'd replace the pump. My fear would be that the pump would fail when I needed to evade the kid that darted out in the road on his bicycle.

 

[PingSpike]

If your power steering fails can you not steer at all or it just like steering a big rig or something?

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
If your power steering fails can you not steer at all or it just like steering a big rig or something?

You can steer, but it takes a whole lot of effort.

 

[theexitwound]

Oh how I miss my power steering. I had the pump mounts fail due to bad engine mounts causing vibration. Once I fix them, I can reattach the pump. Parking is a pain in the buttocks.

 

[Madaz]

powersteering pump dies worst case you have no powersteering thats it, you can still steer though, and at normal speed you wont really notice that much.

its only when parking and doing low speed manovers that powersteering is all that useful. the kid on the bike is about equally safe powersteering or no powersteering.

check the hoses for leaks, dont get the fluid on your duco, you should be right.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Cut the belt if it is by itself or if you can reroute it to skip the powersteering pump. One of the beaters I bought leaked power steering fluid as fast as you could pour it in. When I bought it the pump was still hooked up and had been running for who knows how long with no power steering fluid. I filled it back up and it still worked fine for as long as it held fluid which like I said wasn't long.

Driving with no power steering is really only annoying at really really low speeds or sitting still. Once you are moving it actually feels really good imo without it. Much better feed back.

 

[zerocool84]

If your power steering goes out, just install a large steering wheel.

 

[BlackTigers]

I like driving at normal speeds without power steering.

It's just like you feel so much more connected with the road, but not to the extent of an MTX over an ATX.

But parking is a fucking PITA. I test drove some Fieros that didn't have power steering, and I about ripped my arms out because the guy never bothered to tell me it didn't have it, so when I went to back out of the spot I was fucked, pulled too hard.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: scorp00
Yeah I used power steering fluid. I probably haven't checked it in years, somehow the cap got black sludge all over it and I always overlooked it. I always felt like I was missing something, but I was used to checking AT fluid too.

Not all power steering systems take power steering fluid.

Edit saw it's a 2000 TA...