Need Help! Power steering pumps keep failing.
11-26-2011, 10:59 PM
#1
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Need Help! Power steering pumps keep failing.
If anyone can help me with what i need to check i would appreciate it. I have had three power steering pumps in the car (two rebuilt and one brand new GM pump) and they all work at first but within the first 10 minutes or so they have all failed. They were spun on the bench with an impact and you can feel them sucking but after they come out of the car you can spin them again and they don't suck. I thought the rebuilt pumps were bad so I bought new but still had the same results. Obviously their is something wrong with the car but I don't know what to check.
While I have your attention the active handling warming up message comes on and won't go off. If you can tell me what might be some causes of this I would appreciate it. The car is just getting back together after major overhaul so don't know if it's a ground or bad computer or what. Thanks for the help guys.
While I have your attention the active handling warming up message comes on and won't go off. If you can tell me what might be some causes of this I would appreciate it. The car is just getting back together after major overhaul so don't know if it's a ground or bad computer or what. Thanks for the help guys.
11-27-2011, 07:54 AM
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Agreed, debris in the system is a possible cause.
Cheap fix: install a Magnefine filter on the return hose to catch the junk before it's pumped back into the reservoir. Replace it with a new one after a few miles.
Best fix: new rack, flush out the hoses.
Cheap fix: install a Magnefine filter on the return hose to catch the junk before it's pumped back into the reservoir. Replace it with a new one after a few miles.
Best fix: new rack, flush out the hoses.
11-27-2011, 07:15 PM
#6
Le Mans Master
Jeff ill call Justin tomorrow. At this point I cannot think of anything else. Btw David took pump apart and nothing glaringly wrong but like u stated it doesn't work after installation when tested on the bench.
11-27-2011, 08:38 PM
#7
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St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
BTW - using a impact to rotate the pump might not be a good thing..
11-27-2011, 09:01 PM
#8
Le Mans Master
Let's back up here a little. How do you know the pumps are failed? What diagnostic have you done? There are a number of of things that could be wrong. Have you looked the lines over to make sure none of them are crimped? How are you bleeding the system?
BTW - using a impact to rotate the pump might not be a good thing..
BTW - using a impact to rotate the pump might not be a good thing..
11-27-2011, 09:03 PM
#9
Le Mans Master
11-27-2011, 10:03 PM
#10
Burning Brakes
Don't remove your steering rack, it may be fine! It sounds like you may have been air bound or had debris in the power steering system. You need to bleed and purge your entire power steering system. This will require 4 qts of power steering fluid. Make sure that you use the proper fluid!
Here is what I suggest. Do NOT start the car until you have purged all of the air debris from the system. In the under hood fuse box find the relay and fuses for the fuel pump and injectors. Remove these. With these removed you can use the starter to rotate the engine without starting the car. Remove the power steering return line from the power steering reservoir and cap the reservoir barb with a vacuum cap. Insert the return line in a clear bottle. Fill the reservoir half way with fluid. Have someone in the car that turn over the car with the starter while turning the steering wheel 1/2 turn to the left and right while you pour fluid in the reservoir. Do not let the reservoir run dry. Do NOT turn the steering wheel loc-to-lock as this can damage the steering pump if it is air bound.
In lieu disconnecting the return line from the reservoir, you can remove the return line from the steering rack and cap the end of the line with a vacuum cap (largest one you can find). You will then need to make a special fitting to put where the line screws into the rack. I did this by drilling the center out of a 3/8" flare plug (available at Home Depot) and jamming a vacuum hose connector (used to join 2 vacuum hoses together) in the hole. From this I ran a plastic hose into a bottle. I did this because I did not want to spill any fluid on the serpentine belt (power steering reservoir is over your belts). Also, make a tent with a plastic bag around the power steering reservoir to prevent any spills from dropping on your belts.
Here is what I suggest. Do NOT start the car until you have purged all of the air debris from the system. In the under hood fuse box find the relay and fuses for the fuel pump and injectors. Remove these. With these removed you can use the starter to rotate the engine without starting the car. Remove the power steering return line from the power steering reservoir and cap the reservoir barb with a vacuum cap. Insert the return line in a clear bottle. Fill the reservoir half way with fluid. Have someone in the car that turn over the car with the starter while turning the steering wheel 1/2 turn to the left and right while you pour fluid in the reservoir. Do not let the reservoir run dry. Do NOT turn the steering wheel loc-to-lock as this can damage the steering pump if it is air bound.
In lieu disconnecting the return line from the reservoir, you can remove the return line from the steering rack and cap the end of the line with a vacuum cap (largest one you can find). You will then need to make a special fitting to put where the line screws into the rack. I did this by drilling the center out of a 3/8" flare plug (available at Home Depot) and jamming a vacuum hose connector (used to join 2 vacuum hoses together) in the hole. From this I ran a plastic hose into a bottle. I did this because I did not want to spill any fluid on the serpentine belt (power steering reservoir is over your belts). Also, make a tent with a plastic bag around the power steering reservoir to prevent any spills from dropping on your belts.
10-10-2018, 01:22 PM
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I know it's old
Don't remove your steering rack, it may be fine! It sounds like you may have been air bound or had debris in the power steering system. You need to bleed and purge your entire power steering system. This will require 4 qts of power steering fluid. Make sure that you use the proper fluid!
Here is what I suggest. Do NOT start the car until you have purged all of the air debris from the system. In the under hood fuse box find the relay and fuses for the fuel pump and injectors. Remove these. With these removed you can use the starter to rotate the engine without starting the car. Remove the power steering return line from the power steering reservoir and cap the reservoir barb with a vacuum cap. Insert the return line in a clear bottle. Fill the reservoir half way with fluid. Have someone in the car that turn over the car with the starter while turning the steering wheel 1/2 turn to the left and right while you pour fluid in the reservoir. Do not let the reservoir run dry. Do NOT turn the steering wheel loc-to-lock as this can damage the steering pump if it is air bound.
In lieu disconnecting the return line from the reservoir, you can remove the return line from the steering rack and cap the end of the line with a vacuum cap (largest one you can find). You will then need to make a special fitting to put where the line screws into the rack. I did this by drilling the center out of a 3/8" flare plug (available at Home Depot) and jamming a vacuum hose connector (used to join 2 vacuum hoses together) in the hole. From this I ran a plastic hose into a bottle. I did this because I did not want to spill any fluid on the serpentine belt (power steering reservoir is over your belts). Also, make a tent with a plastic bag around the power steering reservoir to prevent any spills from dropping on your belts.
Here is what I suggest. Do NOT start the car until you have purged all of the air debris from the system. In the under hood fuse box find the relay and fuses for the fuel pump and injectors. Remove these. With these removed you can use the starter to rotate the engine without starting the car. Remove the power steering return line from the power steering reservoir and cap the reservoir barb with a vacuum cap. Insert the return line in a clear bottle. Fill the reservoir half way with fluid. Have someone in the car that turn over the car with the starter while turning the steering wheel 1/2 turn to the left and right while you pour fluid in the reservoir. Do not let the reservoir run dry. Do NOT turn the steering wheel loc-to-lock as this can damage the steering pump if it is air bound.
In lieu disconnecting the return line from the reservoir, you can remove the return line from the steering rack and cap the end of the line with a vacuum cap (largest one you can find). You will then need to make a special fitting to put where the line screws into the rack. I did this by drilling the center out of a 3/8" flare plug (available at Home Depot) and jamming a vacuum hose connector (used to join 2 vacuum hoses together) in the hole. From this I ran a plastic hose into a bottle. I did this because I did not want to spill any fluid on the serpentine belt (power steering reservoir is over your belts). Also, make a tent with a plastic bag around the power steering reservoir to prevent any spills from dropping on your belts.
