carls2004

Been wanting to post this for a while (2 years) I know its been to long to post this.. , but my steering seems to be under assisted on the highway ?
Today was the last straw, as i went into a .left turn at 77, and in outside lane and slight down ward slope, i have to really man power the steering wheel for the turn with both hands..As car really want to push alot..! And everyone flying around me on the inside..
Does a 2006 have steering assist ?
Around town at up to 50 mph i can handle it, but seems like im in a 10,000 pound truck going into curve at say 65-and up..
Car has firestone Firehawk,, and at cold temp, i have them at 29 lbs.

I had a 2005 before this 2006,, and was night and day different..And when i bought the 2006, i thought WOW what a diff in steering, twice as responsive (but i didnt test drive over 45)
My 2005 coup had, Continental's and i think they were-- EXTREMECONTACT DWS..
With the 05,, it was more injoyable ,, as you could really dig down low going into curves in winding roads, and into gas coming out..

With my o6, vert,, I have to man handle the steering wheel. and alot harder to dig down into the curves compared to the 2005.
Like im in a 6000 lb truck..And pushes alot in curves..
This is my best way to describe...Is there anything diff in steering of a 05 to a 2006.. 05 was a coup, and my 06 is a vert..

Tires ???..- Could the Firestones just be ? and tracking the pavement to much ??.. As it feels ,mmmm like its going left/right back and forth.. (sometimes)

Oh almost forgot,, At times when i go to turn wheel after taking out of gear and VERY slow speed.. I do get some moun, and feel it into car..

StKnoWhere

Not normal, what does your power steering fluid look like?

Could be the pump, steering rack or both.

carls2004

I still gotta take a look at pump fluid.. Guess i gonna suck it out and refill with new..
Also i do get a moan, at times when after putting in gear and move very slow, and turn...

L.O.L,, And ive been driving it for two years like this..

StKnoWhere

The power steering tends to be a relatively weak spot on the C6. More robust rebuilt replacement parts are available (Turn 1).

http://www.turnone-steering.com/#!online-store/ciui

If you rebuild/replace, use Redline Power Steering fluid.

carls2004

Wow,, corvette tax,,on that pump.. hee hee. And yes ill try the redline.. Used it in a 2010 camaro i had, and liked it..

carls2004

I was driving it tonight,, And didnt notice how bad it really is..- and how much effort ive been putting into steering car.... Been so use to it..
I bumped the air in tires to 34 lbs. and very little ( if any) different ..
Then i noticed, after i make a left turn, steering wheel only comes back to the 10 oclock position.
And on right turn, it comes back to only the 2 oclock , position..
Before i up the air in tires, and i sit with it in park, and turn wheel left/right -at say 11-1 oclock position's , i get drone/moan coming into , steering column...

Since steering wheel isnt coming back enough to center after turn, and i have to put more effort than i should on turning,,
Im thinking something in steering is binding and or partly frozen up..LIKE a tie rod, or Ball Joint...
Will have to get it up in the air..
Seen this countless times on 4x4. Ball joint will seem fine, but is bound up , under load..

carls2004

Took car down to were i had worked as Tech for 30 years. (Chrysler) and picked the brains of a few guys there..
They were L.O.L. , and said im old if i couldnt remember how to diagnose...
So i suck out fluid from res, while veh was off. Then stated up. No diff of any kind.. Tech there then said pump, as very little flow, and no gurgle.. - I didnt agree,, as res is up so much higher than pump, and still alot of fluid there..between res and pump.
So when i got home ( res empty) i kept car running, and sucked the rest out, while it was running.. Now it will growl when turning wheel.
Then i added new syn fluid..
But all this doesnt tell me if pump or rack ???

Would love it if a MEMBER on here, would pop their power steering cap off while running at idle.. And see how much flow and or movement there is in their res..
I would hate to put a pump on it,, and find out its rack or other.
I hate guessing.

carls2004

So beside's the hyd part or the steering.. What should i check..
Seems like car low speed steering is way to firm ,like im at highway speed..
Does a 2006 have any electrical steering control. ?? And maybe it is stuck in firm ????

StKnoWhere

What's the effort when the front wheels are off the ground?

First thing to check is pressure on the high pressure side of the pump.

Here's a link on the variable assist.

http://www.corvetteconti.com/blog/?p=1704

carls2004

With wheels off ground,, and running and effort., mmmmm.. To me its to firm... So i unhooked steering assist elect connector at rack . and then tried it.. and then it felt like a car with no power steering belt on it.. Not sure if, with it in the air, should I able to very freely turn wheel with say one finger either way.. ??

As for pressure on high side,, that is were i dont have the tools or spec's .. and where to hook up
I Figure change pump, and hope . As that is cheapest way out.. And then if its the same -- rack ?
Coworker said , possible bound up Ball joints when loaded.. ? .. I have seen that on 4x4 before , And upper strut's on some car's .
But i dont think that is issue .. But i guess i could unhook tie rod end's.. and see if spindle turn freely.

What is my issue is on Diagnose - what's norm ??.. as i havent work on steering of a vette before,,.
Like your question of effort with wheel off ground. I Think it's to firm..

Oh bye the way.. With wheels on ground and running idle.. and you move wheel back and forth to say 11-1 oclock possition's noise transfer's into steering column and steering wheel...Like Vibration/moan type feel..---- So that would tell me, either - Pump // rack // or possible bond up ball joint's..

StKnoWhere

Steering effort off the ground should be very light.

It might be worth paying someone to diagnose it, changing the pump is not fun. When in there, best to change the high pressure line at the same time.

Nothing fancy about the PS, anyone who works on GM products should be able to handle it.

carls2004

I looked up procedure on pump.. And it looks pretty straight forward.. As ive done a lot worse in my, 30 year's for local chrysler dealer..

Dano523

Start with power bleeding the system.


Hence suck the fluid out of the tank again, pull the return line off the tank and cap the fitting on the tank for the turn line, and shove the return line in a clear gallon jug so you can watch the flow out of the hose.

Now fill the tank and try to keep if full, start the car, and have someone turn the wheel all the way from side to side as you want the fluid going into the jug and keeping the tank full with new fluid.

When the fluid out of the reserve line flow clear for both sides of the steering wheel tuned side to side into the gallon jug, turn the motor off, pull the clear fluid out of the tank, re-attach the return line to the tank, and fill the tank back up to the cold fluid mark.

Now lower the car so the front wheels are firm on the ground, start the car and turn the wheel all the way from side to side.

If the steering wheel turns cleanly with power steering from side to side and the car not moving, the steering pump and rake are fine to begin with (pump making pressure and the rack relief valve holding pressure).

Hence the problem is not the rank or pump per say, but the control electronics including the vehicle speed sensor circuit, the solenoid valve and control module.

Hence the system is variable assist that is speed sensitive, and the faster you go, the less assist it will provide. So if the problem in not in the EBCM, the pump. control side away, then could be the EVO control solenoid instead.

Hence if the rank without moving has full assist from side to side, then with the solenoid unplugged with the rack, has no assist from side to side, then the problem is the ramping down of the assist between the two isntead.

Also to point out, weed out AH as casing the problem in the first place. Hence with what you wrote that cause this query in the first place, may have been the AH that was trying to save you and what caused the steering to be so hard isntead (using the ABS system to keep the car under control, and you trying to fit the AH/ABS pump instead). So not sure of your driving skills, but Hold the TC button down for about 5 seconds until you get an "all off" in the DIC , then go take the corner again.
Note, TC and AH are turned off with this 5 second button hold, and if you get the car out of shape, no nannies to save you isntead.

carls2004

I tried turning TC and AH off,, and no diff..
When i had in in garage sunday, i did unplug conn at rack, and is full firm, like no power steering at all. (sitting still). And then i hook back up, its does help. But still seem heavy turning in the air..And with car on ground and you turn wheel from say, 11--1 oclock- back and forth- i do get a groan vibration type noise in steering column .
So when you say, EVO Solenoid , do you mean at the rack that the connector plugs into ?? which is part of rack.
Also i may just change out that VSS, IN diff, as i gotta change fluid anyways.. Because of too much clutch grab in diff.
Oh and i do have to manually use hands to make turns around town.. as if i turn,and let go of wheel it keeps on going that way into turn without steering coming back, anywhere near where it should be. I manually bring it back out of turn.

torquetube

Ok. In the name of science I drove to a deserted stretch of road, did a ~25mph U-turn, and killed the engine halfway through. Without using my hands, the wheel unwound like normal. This suggests that your problem isn't the pump.

CroOrange

I would start by doing the proper flushing procedure first.

carls2004

I did do a couple,, suck the fluid out of res, and refill with syn.. But havent done the power bleed like Dano said...

I just got home from garage, and had car on lift.. So i did a ohm test on coil in the rack..And ohm test showed Fine - 2 ohms..
I guess 1.6 - 3.1 is the range..
While i was there,, I was VERY ! careful and tighten up the conn pin's.. And also put a little lubricant into ball joint boots..
Car seem lighter in steering,, going home. from 0 -30 mph. But most likely my imagination.
Still gotta do more flush, and highway run...
And still trying to get vette club member to meet me for comparison of veh's

carls2004

Lst pic was me using a cheap older tester..

Dano523

Let me put it this way, the rack has a pressure releif valve, so there is no such thing as putting too much pressure into the rack.

On the other hand, suspect fluid and low pressure out of the pump can cause problems. Hence rack Groaning is from not enough fluid pressure to the rack, and could be pointing to the pump with either not enough pressure, or again, fluid less than ideal.

Bluntly at this point, once you have powder bled the system, time to check the amount of pressure out of the pump to finally weed it out.

carls2004

I dont know of any relief valve in or on a magnasteer rack -- On a-- 2006 corvette..
There is also no EVO control solenoid,, ON the rack.