I had my car power steering lush at a repair shop! Unfortunately, power steering is too noisy (lot of air trapped). The mechanic fixed right away at the time I picked up my vehicle but still had some noisy, he suggested I drove for few days to get the air out. After a week driving and the air still trapped. I brought my vehicle back to the shop and had the mechanic fixed again! and this time I got power steering leak when I drove home! I returned to the shop and he said he replaced both bad power steering hoses. Noise was gone (engine was at operating temperature).
My power steering is still noisy at a touch of turning steering wheel (not even turn the vehicle), it’s noisy when engine first started regardless the temperature outside. I drive my car for few blocks and the noise goes away. I won’t bring my car back to the shop anymore, they may make it worse. Logical thinking, I think either the air still trapped deep inside the steering system or the O-rings at hose ends are defective. When engine is cold O-ring is cold and shrink, it does not seal properly and when it reaches operating temperature, O-ring expands and seals properly. That’s my thinking, of course, I can be easily wrong. There’s no power steering leak to the floor!
Will those after market power steering seal additives like Lucas 10008 and other fix my vehicle power steering issue? is there something I can do at home to fix this? thanks.
What is causing your noise is AIR in the PS System…this happens when you flush any system.
Here is how you remedy this situation… If you can raise the front of the vehicle off the ground or almost off the ground to remove the cars weight from the front wheels it would be helpful and just make it easier on the vehicles system…but not entirely needed.
Next you ensure that your PS Pump reservoir is FULL…
Then you simply turn your steering wheel All the way to the left until it stops…then all the way right… Rinse and Repeat… Turn it Lock to Lock… Do this several times… When you look into the power steering reservoir again you might notice the fluid looks “Foamy” This is because you are purging the air from the system. Sometimes it may take a full day for all the foam to dissipate and turn back into solid fluid again. This is normal.
But all you need to do is turn your wheel Lock to lock several times while ensuring the PS reservoir remains full.
The noise will then go away.
You MIGHT need to wait until all the foam goes away and then repeat this lock to lock procedure… The noise WILL go away if you follow these instructions. This can take a day to happen. So if this doesnt work today…do the same procedure tomorrow after the foaminess goes away…otherwise you will be sending foamy Air filled fluid back thru the system…and it will remain noisy bec of that air in the fluid… so you may need to repeat this procedure once a day…for two days or so… It will then go away…
If it does NOT go away…this would be indicative of a PS Fluid leak somewhere that is constantly introducing more air to the system…but methinks you will be OK if you follow these steps
Blackbird
It looks like they put AT fluid instead of steering fluid. It’s RED color instead of Yellow like it was before (the same yellow color with engine oil). What type of AT fluid should I buy or it’s standard for all cars? thanks, Honda Blackbird.
ATF is usually just fine…dont really worry about that
Blackbird
Check the reservoir when the engine is cold before starting. If the reservoir is full there is no air in the system.
There is a screen inside the reservoir that becomes restricted with age. The reduced flow will be noticeable when the fluid is cold, the pump will be noisy during the first minute of operation.
Replace the reservoir, it is inexpensive. Mopar ATF+4 is the recommended fluid.
If the reservoir is full there is no air in the system… ??? How do you come to that conclusion? The res wont tell you if there is air trapped in lines or the rack itself…in any way shape or form.
I STRONGLY recommend the OP follow the simple steps I laid out … If after several attempts and or days and the noise is still present… Go looking elsewhere. But for now…its Basic basic…
Oh well… I laid it all out there…follow the steps if you wish…
Blackbird
I believe I have more experience with Caravans than you, I have replaced hundreds of recalled power steering hoses on these vehicles. Air doesn’t remain “trapped” in these systems.
Most of these systems have a filter-screen in the reservoir at the inlet hose connection…If it becomes plugged, it can starve the pump for fluid…Check to be sure this screen was cleaned when they “flushed” the system…It would be helpful to know the model year and mileage on this vehicle…