subaru steering problem

[XJLI]

so i'm trying to fix my 98 impreza RS so i can get rid of it and get a new XJ... i was gonna swap the motor for a wrx turbo one then decided i'd kill myself, or end up in jail with it. i cant not drive it fast.

anywayz, pulled the power steering lines off to get ready to pull the motor and the whole big nutsert thing threaded out (the thing the PS line threads into.. and that threads in the resi), i lost all (most) of the fluid in the resi.. put it back together, topped it off with fresh atf, and the car wont steer. feels like it has no power steering. so i figure theres air in it, jack it up, pop off the cap with the car not running and then running i bleed the system out turning the wheel lock to lock. no resistance. put it on the ground, same as before... its like the power steering isnt working. searched on some forums, greased up the steering shaft u-joint and the steering rack through a ripped CV boot on the driver's side, still the same thing. lots of resistance on the ground, none in the air. no squealing whinging or other complaints from the PS pump.

if i drive it hard and do figure 8s, the system works itself out and the steering is fine for a while.. anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours. with the car off, cap off, car in the air turning the wheel lock to lock you can see the fluid moving up and down in the resi. fluid doesnt turn into a milkshake and pump makes no noise.

ideas?

 

[philagony94xj]

I am a tech at a Subie shop. I'll consult the old timers I work with and see if they have any input as to what it could be. But if i were to guess off the top of my head, I would say maybe the P.S. pump is failing.

If you have the front tires off the ground, and move the wheel, there is no resistance right? You can turn the wheel easily. There is no resistance for the pump and steering rack to work against. So the pump takes little effort to move the fluid.

If you Rev the car up on the ground and do circles, it gets easier to turn the wheel? The higher rev's of the engine move the pump pulley faster, with more force the fluid can go into the steering rack and move the wheels.

But try revving the engine sitting on the ground in park or neutral and then try turning the wheel. If it gets easier, then you can suspect the pump. If it doesnt get any better, then you might start looking at the Rack.

Like I said, I will consult the jury on this and get back to you Tues. These are just my theory's. They make sense to me, others might disagree. You're bound to get some people that just wanna pipe in and disagree just to get people to start arguing.

Good luck with your diag.

 

[XJLI]

thanks a lot man, this issue really does have me scratching my head.

if the car isnt moving and i rev the motor, the steering does not get easier. doing figure 8s regardless if i'm at 5k in first or 2k in second eventually the system "frees up" and feels 100% normal.. its kind of gradual at first then BAM normal.

i'm looking forward to what the guys at your shop say. hopefully its the pump, which is prob cheaper and def less of a headache than the rack. that being said i can get a rack for really cheap, but its still an easy, but a headache of an install.

 

[philagony94xj]

Well I consulted the Lead tech here at the shop and he thinks there's still some air stuck somewhere in the system. I opened up this page and showed him at work, instead of me trying to describe it. The P.S. systems around your year vehicle are known for being a BI*** to bleed. So if you can try to bleed it again go for it. Otherwise see if there's a Subie dealer nearby and see if one of the techs there can give ya some tips to bleeding it. Thats about all I got. Good luck with it.

Keep this up to date as to what ends up curing the problem cause I am also curious as to what will fix it exactly. That way in case I ever run into this I will have some idea as to where to start.

 

[XJLI]

thanks for replying!

it ended up being just air. on my way home the other night, the steering magically came back without me trying. then the next morning it was fine, i drove it around, it locked up again but not as bad, so i bled it with the cap off, engine running, car on the ground going lock to lock and it came back again.

its been fine all day yesterday and today. i got rid of it yesterday afternoon (traded it to a good friend for his low mileage XJ) and he hasnt called yet! i'm really relieved that was it, since there was NO sign or reason for the rack to just up and quit like that.

 

[philagony94xj]

Good to hear that the problem went away. Hey sometimes things just up and "quit" working with no warning at all. But its a good thing that it was "just an air pocket". I'm sure your buddy will love that car.
A tech here at the shop just sold his 02 wrx w/313k on engine and body for 4500! And that thing still ripped like it did back when it was new. Those cars hold their value very well!
Glad to see you joined the "cool crowd" now that you have an XJ.