Austarion

why does my car have really heavy steering? at 100kmh the wheel is heaver than my hilux ute in a carpark. also I can go around a corner, let go of the wheel and it will continue to turn without self-cantering. do I just need to bleed it?

scum wrote:why does my car have really heavy steering? at 100kmh the wheel is heaver than my hilux ute in a carpark. also I can go around a corner, let go of the wheel and it will continue to turn without self-cantering. do I just need to bleed it?

Sounds weird, could be some valve or something in the powersteering that is broken, or possibly a terrible wheel alignment for some reason...

Are there any sounds? Is there enough fluid on it?

My best guess is the P.S box valves.

galagaza wrote:

scum wrote: self-cantering.

stupid spell check :x


Are there any sounds? Is there enough fluid on it?

no, no noises or anything, and the fluid level is fine.

Check the steering/suspension components. Could be something binding up there. Idler arms, ball joints that sort of thing

Mine started doing that after I put the wrong fluid in it. But it was really hard to turn.

So possibly the fluid or the pump isn't doing its job properly.

When I had air in the system, it was easier to turn the wheel, but I had to turn it further. Having car wash in there made it extremely hard to turn the wheel full stop.

When driving a towed Starion (no power steer) its the same (really hard to turn but you could actually turn ok).

Contaminated fluid provided a much harder steering system than none at all. Given your previous posts about oil, perhaps this is just another mystery fluid contamination? Just an idea anywho

I dont have power steering in my starion, drives real nice. Just a bit heavy when parking.

maybe the 'scum automatic transmission fix' is the right approach? (rip it out, throw it in the dirt, kick and yell at it)

but that'll only make you feel better rather then fix it and THEN feel better :D

nonsense.

What's the wheel alignment like? Excessive toe in will make the car not self centre, but doesn't explain the heavy steering. Worth eliminating just in case.

Remember , these are 'speed compensated' power steering boxes , and has less hydraulic pressure anywhere above 1500rpm. sounds like the nut on the steer box is in too tight , a classic sign of loss of 'return to centre'. Try lbacking it off a bit (1/4 turn) at a time , then take it for a drive. It's exactly the opposite of play in the steering covered elsewhere in another thread.

:beer

cheers, will smack it with a hammer when i pull the engine out.

StarionPWR wrote:I dont have power steering in my starion, drives real nice. Just a bit heavy when parking.

I used to have a staz with no power steering, I prefered it, saves this kinda trouble.

i remember hearing one of the sigma non-power assisted racks fits fine in the starion.. anyone got ideas?

logik wrote:i remember hearing one of the sigma non-power assisted racks fits fine in the starion.. anyone got ideas?

Doubt that. I could be wrong. But Starions use a steering box not a rack because there isn't any room for a rack.