Thread: power steering issue

Hey does anyone know what might have happened. I was driving today for about an hour, came home and made a u-turn to pull into a parking spot and as I tried to pull into the spot I had no power steering. I let the car sit for about 15 minutes called my mechanic who said my pump went out. When I went back out to the car and started it again, I had power steering. It is not whining so I know it has fluid although it might be leaking some I cant tell. My power steering tank is buried under my alternator cause I have the supercharged engine so I have to wait till it cools off to try and reach it. But does anyone know what might have caused me to lose it and then it come back again. I am afraid my pump is going out and I really hope not. its a 98 Grand Prix GTP with 198000 miles.

All GP's have the PS resivoir buried under the alt, not just the supercharged ones. Dumb place, I know.

Anyways, check the fluid level first. IF its full then I would say with that mileage the rack is giving out. If you replace the rack be sure to check and see if you have Magnasteer or not. There should be a small electrical connector coming from near the big rubber boot of the rack (you'll have to look down under the brake booster and follow the trans. down to see it.).

Great. It went out again tonight. I bought power steering fluid with stop leak. I poured it in and it took half the bottle to fill it to the top. Then I ideled the engine a little higher it all of the suddon came back, but had a whine to it. I drove around the block and the whine went away. I really hope it was just low. It seamed to get tough to steer when I would be coming to a stop and stopped at lights and then came back as I accelerated. So I hope it was just low, But I will take her in tomorrow to have her checked out.

Magnasteer is an electronic device added to conventional power rack and pinion steering to vary the amount of effort required to steer the car, dependent on vehicle speed. At low speeds, steering effort is lower for ease in parking. As speed increases steering effort is increased for greater road feel. Additionally, on some models evasive steering maneuvers also affect steering effort. Also known as variable assist.

Non-Magnasteer racks are just that. No variable assist. So you get full assist no matter how fast you are moving.

Also, I believe that the pressure line on the Magnasteer equipped cars has a larger fitting than non-mag. racks.

I took it into the mechanic today and he cleaned up the power steering pump, and reservoir and the rack and I will take it back in on friday to see if there is a leak from any of them. I put power steering fluid plus stop leak. Just bought a cheap one at Autozone and I drove the car 2 different times today about 40 miles all together and I have not had a issue. I am hoping I was just low.