when I start the tracker in the morning the steering is very hard to turn, no grinding noises or belt squeal, its just tough to turn until it warms up a little, than its fine the rest of the day.
Why?
when I start the tracker in the morning the steering is very hard to turn, no grinding noises or belt squeal, its just tough to turn until it warms up a little, than its fine the rest of the day.
Why?
Sounds strange, as power steering has nothing to do with engine temperature.
Maybe it has wrong fluid into it (too thick).
You may want to replace the fluid.
By the way, you may want to fill it with "power steering fluid", and NOT with ATF fluid, like so many people does.
do you have power steering, many dont
id check that first.
how cold is cold 60 Degress F or -40F?
cold is relative.
yes I have power steering.
Cold is a realtive term, first start in the morning, wether its 0* or 75*
the tank is full, with power steering fluid, as far as I know. thus no grinding or squealing.
Common problems that afflict power racks are contamination, "morning sickness" and center wear. Contamination can occur if the power steering pump is failing, if the hoses are deteriorating, or if the fluid is contaminated by moisture or other substances. Morning sickness is a condition where the steering feels stiff when the car is first started on a cold morning. Normal power assist does not return until the car is driven awhile and warms up. This problem is most common in Saginaw racks on older General Motors FWD cars and is caused by wear in the spool valve housing. Center wear is caused by wear between the rack and pinion gears, and can allow steering wander when driving straight ahead.
what car dude?
to be fair its in the RAGU, just got to pry 91' Geo Tracker.
ball and sector, it is not a RACK . please fill out your Signature with car spec.
thanks.
ok, last poster who claimed steering was bad here. found is slushpump auto was slipping more than they usually do, how to tell that this ,is a wonder.hahahah LOL !
but seriously the car uses more energy to turn. and if tranny is 99% shot , poor or no turning can be result.
so is tranny sliipping?, you see RPM rise but car does not increase speed ,
or is it just stiff to turn wheel.
?
No , I didnt think so but you never know.
other problems,
BTW factory manual says Dextron III, (or larger number is ok) that's ATF in my book.
for the steering, so drain it out ( some idiot might have put in wrong lube)[ jiffy lube syndrome ]
put in Dextron.
check belt for slippage. or missing
check wheels in front spin nice. no drag.
look for front end suspension damage.
feel CV joints on front axle for binding or loosness.
or a very bad or damaged front struts.
wheel bearing might be seizing now. check them for lube and lack of rust or water signs in the hubs..
could be lots of things.
I ask the temperature thing cuz didnt see NY sig. most never tell loc. I think you for tell ing where you are, it really does help. 50 models of kicks world wide.
wild differences to be sure.
good luck and tell us more.
Ugh that seems like its a lot of work, anyway its a 5spd & shifts fine, once the car warms up for a few minutes either standing still or driving done the rd its fine.
so is the steering goig to fail?
wait a second, that tracker has a rack & pinon, I thought it was a recirculating ball system
Sorry I am not real familiar with Trackers but the problem just rang a bell, even though it is a different system, if it is power it might be a similar problem, it still has a spool valve if I am not mistaken. And no the steering will not fail from lack of power assist, you will eventually lose more and more power assist and it will become hard to turn.
lots of work, yes, old cars are all , lots and lots of work. comes with the territory.
sorry, that the truth.
your problem can be something simple.
or it can be complex,
it can even be dangerous.
This is a responsibility we all share as drivers. ( proactive it is called)
See old post here about a guy that had an axle bearing sieze,
then blew the ring gear up into the engine and he lost both axle pig and engine.
lucky for him , he was going slow and no traffic.
any time a car produces symptoms , check them out , it could be you or someone elses
life that depends on it.
if it were mine, id be all over the axles make sure they were , secure.
wheels off road, rotating and feeling it all , to be it is road safe.
check the fluid, did you?, is it up the the mark,?
does it look funny , put finger tip on the dip stick and sample the fluid with finger.
is it pink, smell it , does it smell burned? if not pink and sweet , it needs to come out pronto. , new fluid Dextron III is what is in stores and is backwards compatible.
did you check the belt. is it loose?
If all this sounds daunting , the take it to the man the wears the STAR. ( LOL).
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Hard to steer when cold
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