Q: Issue with power steering

asked by on May 23, 2016

My car has power steering problem. The car has gone over 180,000 miles. The other day, the steering wheel was very hard to move, when I started the engine and gave it gas. I thought it was low on power steering fluid. I put some Lucas stop leak. After an hour or so, it all leaked, out of the bottom of the engine. I think the power steering pump might gone out. Usually, the leak would make a puddle around the tire in the front. Do you have any sugestions what I should do?

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Hello. The leak is what needs to be identified and repaired. If the fluid is coming out, then the vehicle will not have any power assist. Most of the time, a serious leak like this comes from one of the hoses or from the rack and pinion.

I would typically get the vehicle in the air and inspect for the source of the leak. If the leak cannot be pinpointed, then dye may need to be used in the system. Once the leak is fixed, it should be fine assuming that the pump did not get too low on fluid causing damage to it. If you are going to have this repaired, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose your steering wheel issue and perform any needed services.

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