Probably belongs on a Dodge forum, but---HELP!

[Mel]

I'm having trouble getting access to a Dodge forum. I know many of you are experienced with other than Ventures/Yamaha.

 

I have a 2005 Dakota, 4.7 V8, 4 wheel drive. Low mileage, under 30,000. My problem is with the power steering. When it is cold, the power steering is "stiff", difficult to turn the steering wheel. It is slow returning to center, I have to steer it back to center. I feels kind of "jumpy" with little surges of power assist.

 

As it warms up, the problem diminishes, and eventually virtually disappears. In warm weather as the engine warms more quickly, the problem also goes away more quickly.

 

I'm looking for suggestions as to what the problem may be. I have limited mechanical resources. I've thought of trying to change the fluid, but don't know how I would get all of the old fluid out of the system.

[Freebird]

The first thing that I would recommend would be to flush and replace the fluid. Sounds like it has air in it an probably moisture also.

[Marcarl]

You either have contaminated fluid or a pump that's on the fritz. I would change the fluid a couple of times, for the cost of it, before going to change the pump. Make sure that the fluid is warm before you drain it. Probably the only way to drain it would be to take off a hose at the lowest point with the pump running and then to work the steering back and forth. To run the pump dry for a minute or two shouldn't hurt it.

Just my thoughts

Carl

[Steve S]

The first thing that I would recommend would be to flush and replace the fluid. Sounds like it has air in it an probably moisture also.

 

 

:sign yeah that: :sign yeah that:

[Yammer Dan]

I think Carl is right and I don't remember a place on any I have looked at to drain them. If you crack a hose loose it is going to be messy. Try to think about which way the stuff is flowing and use something to catch it.

[KarlS]

There is a high possibility it's a inner seal in the rack & pinion unit. In early GM cars with R&P steering my shops ran into it quite often. In GM it would do what you described when cold but only turning left until it warmed up. My last year running a Dodge Dealer Auto Service Center was 2001 but I know that 2004-2005 Dakota's were having steering problems with the steering coupler coming apart and with the Rack & pinon units but to my knowledge was mostly with the V6's. Just something to check into.

[Eck]

Got to chime in with my 2 cents worth.....

 

Sounds like your rack & pinion has what I remember it being called as:

Morning Sickness

 

Morning sickness is a condition where the steering feels stiff when the car is first started on a cold morning. (not to be related to the female species when impregnated).

 

The normal power assist does not return until the car has been driven for a while and warms up. This problem is most commonly caused by wear in the spool valve housing, which is what I personally think is wrong with yours.

 

Common cause of "morning sickness" is contamination.

 

Contamination can be caused by a couple of things:

* your power steering pump could be failing. metal debris inside plugging valves and ports

* hoses are deteriorating, cracking, causing debris

* the fluid is contaminated by moisture or other substances.

 

A very common known cause of contamination:

Having the wrong type of power steering fluid.... how is this possible you ask..?

 

I have seen many times over my life where some young "beginner mechanic" who is checking the oil level, and wants to "top it off', would pour motor oil in the power steering pump because the lil-booger mechanic did not know where the engine oil inlet cap was located on that particular type of vehicle and was to darned ashamed to ask..

This was done on one of my own cars back in the 70's by some wanna be mechanic school kid..

 

Good luck.

[skydoc_17]

Hey Mel,

Karl, (ic23b) has hit the problem. The steering rack is binding when the unit is cold. This is a known problem with these vehicles. A fluid change MIGHT allow you to limp thru the winter months. To drain the most fluid from the power steering system, Look for the power steering rack unit, (close to the fire wall, running horizontally from one side of the truck to the other) You will see two combo rubber, metal lines running to the rack. The line coming from the power steering pump is the "inlet" line (this line exits the pump lower on the pump unit), the other line is the "outlet" line, (this line returns to the pump unit higher) The outlet line is the one you want. It has a compression fitting which connects the line to the rack unit. Crack the nut (use a good quality wrench of exactly the right size, most likely metric) and start the truck and move the steering wheel back and forth a few times. This is going to be an extremely messy project, a large pan under the power steering unit will catch a fair amount of fluid, but have a LOT of rags or shop towels handy to clean up with. The entire power steering system only holds 2 qts. of fluid if I remember correctly but it will seem like 20 gallons when you start the truck and the pump engages. A minute or two of run time will pretty much clear the power steering system. After that let the truck sit for 10 minutes to allow gravity to clear the last drops of fluid to run out. Tighten the nut on the outlet line, fill the reservoir, start the truck, warm it up, and recheck the fluid level. Fill as needed. My source puts the cost of a new (rebuilt) steering rack at $264.00 plus a deposit until the old rack is returned. The rack replacement is an excellent SUMMER TIME job, but is not much fun laying in the snow.

Doing this replacement in your driveway with hand tools will take pretty much an entire day but will save you a few hundred dollars on labor. A front end tire alignment will be needed after the install to verify both your front tires are pointing in the right direction.

If you need parts or have questions, please feel free to PM me.

Good luck with this project,

Earl

Edited December 11, 2010 by skydoc_17
CRAYON BROKE!

[dray]

Got to chime in with my 2 cents worth.....

 

A very common known cause of contamination:

to be related to the female species when impregnated.

 

 

 

Good luck.

 

 

Thats how i thought it happend !