Fixing Air in Power Steering: Step-by-Step Guide
by AutoExpert | 10 April, 2024
Remember trying to drive those old cars without power steering? Nightmare. If your car's getting harder to turn, or making some awful noises, it might be air in your power steering system. Here's the deal:
Why Air is Bad: Power steering works with hydraulics (fluid under pressure). Air in the lines messes that up, so you get weird sounds and the wheel's hard to turn.
Check Your Car's Manual: Seriously. New cars can be picky about this stuff, and some might even bleed themselves. But if not, here's the basic how-to:
Engine Off and COLD: Don't wanna burn yourself on hot parts.
Pop the Hood, Find the Reservoir: This is where you add power steering fluid. Check the level, top it off if needed.
Bleed Valve Time: It'll be on the steering box, which is where the big hose from your pump goes. Hook a short hose onto the valve, with the other end in a bucket to catch the old fluid.
Start the Engine: Just so you can turn the wheel easily, but we'll turn it off again in a minute.
Turn and Bleed: Crank the wheel left and right, all the way. Then shut OFF the engine.
Close the Valve, Top Up Fluid: Then check that bucket – see bubbles? You gotta repeat the whole process until it's just clean fluid.
Important Stuff:
- Bubbling fluid in the reservoir is BAD. Could be a dangerous leak.
- Grunting noises from under the hood, especially while turning? That's also air.
- Don't drive the car 'til this is fixed! You could wreck your pump, and that's way more expensive.
