When I start my Z first thing of a morning, it feels like the power steering is very heavy. If I switch off the ignition and re-start it is fine. There are no warning lights and the PAS fluid looks full.

Any ideas?

Cheerz

Dave

Do you let the car idle for a few seconds before turning the wheel or do you trun the wheel straight away ?

Maybe the pumps on it's way out mate.

Small solenoid fitted to the end of the steering rack ( drivers side ) disconnect at the connector and give a blast of

( DOH SORRY HIT WRONG BUTTON! ) to continue give it a blast of WD 40 and reconnect, the solenid works on low voltage (5 volts) and a poor connection can give the symptoms you have.

 

Jeff TT

( DOH SORRY HIT WRONG BUTTON! ) to continue give it a blast of WD 40 and reconnect, the solenid works on low voltage (5 volts) and a poor connection can give the symptoms you have.

 

Jeff TT

 

Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but, Jeff, on my car, it will drive ok for a while, then all of a sudden, the hicas light comes on, and the steering becomes heavy. If I turn the engine off, restart it, its all ok for a while, then the problem returns, could that solinoid connection be the problem???

shunter,

no afraid not that is a diffferent problem, the hicas light coming on and the heavy steering at the same time is more likely to be caused by a steering input signal failure that then is disabling the hicas ( hence the light) and causing a speed signal failure to the steering so hence the hard steering.

 

Assuming the steering wheel is on correctly then I would start by checking the loom and connectors associated with the steering angle plate behind the steering wheel boss, the control feed that runs through this is indirectly fed by the speedo output which could actually be the cause of both problems, I would take the spedo clock cluster out and check the cabling and any speed delimiters if fitted.

 

I know that sound a bit vague but the problems you have are not always that easy to pin point as several causes can be responsible for the same kind of symptom.

 

Good luck

 

Jeff TT

Shunter, mine did this. after the consolt at billing he told me the steering sensor was 180' out, after i got home took the wheel off, when i put the after maket steering wheel on, i must have put it on 180' out. try doing the hicas test, start car turn steering wheel from left to right five time and then hit the brake five time within 10 sec's, the open your dor and look at the rear wheels they should move from letf to righ as u turn the wheel past the center point.

Cheers guys, i'll let you know!!!

Stu - it happens after the car has idled for a few seconds, but the idle jumps up to 2000 rpm (usually idles at 1500rpm when starting from cold). After a re-start, the idle goes to normal and so does the steering.

Jeff - I'll give it a go, cheers.

Dave

I have had an odd problem with mine a couple of times recently.

Like Dave's, on startup the the steering is very heavy but there's no HICAS light and sometimes I get fluid leaking out of the top of the reservoir.

After a couple of minutes it goes away.

ChrisC That sounds like airated fluid expanding and overflowing, which will also cause further cavitation in the stering pump and hence heavy steering.

 

Would be worth trying draining as much as you can and refill with fresh steering fluid

(dexron III) when refilled bleed the air out by running the engine and turning the steering from full left to to full right lock ...do this several times topping the resevoir as required.

 

It is a good idea to lift the car a little when doing this to remove the drag off the wheels, if not possible put two glossy magazines under the wheels before you start.

 

Good Luck

 

Jeff TT