Steering You Right (Power Steering Signs of Problems)
March 9, 2025
Nearly every modern vehicle on the road today has power steering, a wonderful invention that makes steering take far less effort than it did in the "good old days." Today, we take our steering for granted: until something goes wrong, that is.
Most power steering these days is rack-and-pinion, the rack being a metal bar between the front wheels with notches in it and the pinion being a gear whose teeth fits into those notches. Adding power assist makes it easy to turn. That assist comes in the form of hydraulic fluid that is pressurized by a pump powered by the engine, an electric motor that adds a power assist or a system that uses both an electric motor and hydraulic fluid.
Your vehicle usually gives you a heads up that something is going wrong with its steering. Here are a few signs to look for:
- A humming, whirring, rubbing or grinding sound coming from you engine compartment when you turn.
- Signs of hydraulic fluid leaking, such as wet spots under your vehicle.
- The smell of burning oil while you're driving.
- Steering wheel hard to turn or vibrating.
If you notice any of these signs, it's a good idea to have a trained technician check them out. They may be signs of:
- Power steering pump going bad
- Steering rack or gear seals wearing out, causing them to lose hydraulic fluid
- Broken fluid hose
- Defective power steering cooler
- Loss of pressure in the power steering gearbox
- Worn out steering pump belt
- Failing electric power steering motor
It's important to have these checked out sooner rather than later. You need to be able to steer properly in order to drive safely. Plus, some of these problems can cause more serious—and expensive—damage if they're not fixed. Power steering is a wonderful feature of your vehicle. Keep it well maintained and it will steer you right.
Sterling Tire & Auto
34701 Van Dyke Rd
Sterling Heights, Michigan 48312
586-264-7775
Need Service?
More articles from Sterling Tire & Auto
A Cool and Smooth Transmission in Sterling Heights
July 5, 2026
When it comes to preventive maintenance on our vehicles, most of us Sterling Heights drivers remember to get our oil changed. But services that occur at longer intervals like transmission service sometimes get overlooked. Yet transmission service is part of car care. A poorly maintained trans... More
Cabin Air Filter Replacement
June 28, 2026
How many times have you heard, You should replace your cabin air filter, and decided, Ill do it later. You might think twice when you consider a new filter can help maintain and improve the quality of the air youre breathing inside your vehicle. What you also might not know is it a clean cabin ... More
Timing Cover Replacement
June 21, 2026
Your engine has a lot of parts that need to work in harmony in order to keep you powering down the road. Some of those parts need to be protected in order to keep things running smoothly, and one that does the job is called a timing cover. It is in the front of your engine and shields components... More