Steering fluid question
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 609
Likes: 0
From: Kentucky
Steering fluid question
My steering pump has been completely empty and I filled it and it has tight steering and sometimes makes a rattle noise when I back up and turn the wheels. Could there be air in the system or is the pump failing?
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: Manor Texas
Very likely there is air in the line if it was empty. After filling it up and turning lock to lock sever times usually purges the air. A whine occurs normally when there is air in the line also. When you pump is going out the steering will normally get very hard to turn. I would be concerned about where the fluid is going also.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 609
Likes: 0
From: Kentucky
Very likely there is air in the line if it was empty. After filling it up and turning lock to lock sever times usually purges the air. A whine occurs normally when there is air in the line also. When you pump is going out the steering will normally get very hard to turn. I would be concerned about where the fluid is going also.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 609
Likes: 0
From: Kentucky
Very likely there is air in the line if it was empty. After filling it up and turning lock to lock sever times usually purges the air. A whine occurs normally when there is air in the line also. When you pump is going out the steering will normally get very hard to turn. I would be concerned about where the fluid is going also.
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,100
Likes: 17
From: Somers, CT and Clermont, FL
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Try jacking the front tires off the ground, and making several rapid lock to lock turns.
Leave the P/S pump reservoir cap loose when you're doing it, to help expel any trapped air bubbles in the system.
Leave the P/S pump reservoir cap loose when you're doing it, to help expel any trapped air bubbles in the system.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 643
Likes: 2
From: Alexandria Northern Virginia
GM calls for the use of a vac pump to get the air out using a special fitting and a hand pump, IIRC. I made one out of a stock power steering cap, drilled a hole and screwed in a vac. fitting. Then I sucked a few inches of vacuum on it, cranked the wheel back and forth fully a few times, then released the vacuum. Sucked all the air out of the system. Done it that way to two cars, not a squeel or noise out of either. Must have done something right....BTW, I use Red Line Synthetic Power Steering fluid (has a higher boiling point...I was boiling regular fluid on the track).
HTH,
Cassidy
HTH,
Cassidy
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,100
Likes: 17
From: Somers, CT and Clermont, FL
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
GM calls for the use of a vac pump to get the air out using a special fitting and a hand pump, IIRC. I made one out of a stock power steering cap, drilled a hole and screwed in a vac. fitting. Then I sucked a few inches of vacuum on it, cranked the wheel back and forth fully a few times, then released the vacuum. Sucked all the air out of the system. Done it that way to two cars, not a squeel or noise out of either. Must have done something right....BTW, I use Red Line Synthetic Power Steering fluid (has a higher boiling point...I was boiling regular fluid on the track).
HTH,
Cassidy
HTH,
Cassidy
I never thought of applying a vacuum source to it.
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