Having issues with power steering, please help!

Tawny1989 · 03-03-2013, 09:00 AM

Hi all,
first off, I am a 23 yr old female and aside from the odd things I helped my old man out with growing up I am not 100% mechanically inclined. I plan to take the car to get checked out this week but any help to know what I am dealing with so I don't get ripped off would be great.

So a few months ago I started smelling this burnt plastic/rubber smell when accelerating hard (there is a spot on the highway here where you are going up a steep mountain and requires this as the base of it is a sharp turn in which you slow down to 40 km for). After awhile I started noticing this smell after driving when the car was parked, for example when walking by the hood into the house.

I thought nothing of this until now, the last week there has been a significant change in the steering. The car is fine when driving the main roads, but when making a sharp turn like turning onto a side street or into my driveway the tension gets so tight that it takes everything I have to turn the wheel, causing slower turns. There is no noise coming from the car, but the smell is still there.

The turning seems to harder when accelerating/braking (but this part I may be imagining as now I feel everything is wrong). I got my PS fluid as it was a little low and filled it up but that was about 4 days ago now and it did not help or make any difference. From looking under the hood from what I can see everything looks okay. The belts that I can see don't look too bad, but than again I am not 100% sure of what they should look like.

Any input would be great. Does this sound like it could be a belt where there is a burning smell? I am trying to avoid and hoping and praying it is not related to the axel... really cannot afford to get into the hundreds of dollars range.

thanks for reading, looking forward to some replies!!

shorod · 03-03-2013, 10:46 AM

Welcome to the forum!

Is the fluid level still low, or has it remained at the correct level since you added fluid to it?

The smell could be several things. It could be a slipping belt, it could be a leaking gasket that is allowing oil to get on something hot, it could be a leak in the power steering system allowing oil to leak on to something hot. Usually a slipping belt would be accompanied by a squealing noise. You'd like also notice other issues, such as a charging system that was not keeping the battery charged as evidenced by dim headlights, stalling, or a starter motor that struggles to crank the engine over when starting the car.

The power steering would usually moan when turning, especially if the car is not moving, if the fluid level were low. Did you ever experience moaning or other noises when turning the steering at low speeds, such as maneuvering in to a parking spot?

What year, make, and model is your car? Many of the newer cars have electronically assisted or electrically variable assist power steering systems. If the electrical connector comes unplugged or that system is faulty it will cause stiff steering. Do you know if your car has such a system?

-Rod

Tawny1989 · 03-04-2013, 04:39 AM

@Rod
The fluid is not still low, does not seem to be a leak. The car is a 2003 camry LE sedan? Its not a new car so I don't think what you are referring to is in there. However, strangley enough yesterday I popped the hood after the above message and I opened the cap off the reservoir for PS as it looked like there was some overflow, it bubbled and some of the fluid released from around the cap or seal if you will. After that the steering was perfect all day. It was back to normal. Is there any chance it started because it was low and than it was too full so it caused more issues. I am a little weary that it is driving good again, maybe I should be thankful but I am a worry wort!

shorod · 03-04-2013, 06:33 AM

You might have had air in the system, and what caused the bubbling and overflow was trapped air escaping. Although for it to have been low enough to get air in the system I would have definitely expected the pump to have been making the moaning noise.

Also, a 2003 Camry may have had the electric variable assist (my wife's 2002 Lincoln LS did).

-Rod

Tawny1989 · 03-04-2013, 02:23 PM

Hey Rod

it was just below the min line, it was not completely empty. We tried the PS fluid first and thought it did not work. Now the car is driving great again today... I cannot help but feel sketched out by this. I do not understand how it went to awful tension to back to normal. The only thing that changed was when I took the cap off. If the bubbling is a sign of air being trapped I guess I can settle for that. Do you think I should still have it looked at, or am I just being paranoid now lol.

Tawny1989 · 03-04-2013, 02:24 PM

Also, there was no noise at all when the steering was full of tension. AND even better, the burnt smell is gone the last two days???

Tawny1989 · 03-04-2013, 08:46 PM

ROD YOUR GONNA LOVE THIS LOL

took the car for a coffee a few mins ago, and the tension is back again, not as bad as before but there is a moaning noise...not very loud but there when making sharp cuts to the wheel

swingline · 03-05-2013, 07:43 AM

could be your cv shafts, they sometimes cause some strange intermittent steering issues.

Tawny1989 · 03-05-2013, 02:15 PM

There is no "clicking" sound though like from what I understand would be caused by the cv joints

swingline · 03-05-2013, 02:39 PM

clicking is just one symptom of a worn cv shaft.
might not be the problem.
does it do the groaning, hard to turn thing if you are not moving, just turning the wheel in park?

Tawny1989 · 03-05-2013, 03:45 PM

Hey Rod, no its not hard to turn the wheels in park. I just had my cousin take a look, hes a mechanic also. He says its the PS pump.

Brian R. · 03-05-2013, 11:34 PM

Try jacking up the front of the car and turning the wheels lock to lock a few times with the engine off. See if this gets all the air out of the system. Keep the reservoir filled.

JOET/CAMRY · 03-09-2013, 09:10 AM

Hello Tawny1989,

It seems like your car has a leak in the power steering system.

Power steering fluid doesn't evaporate so you shouln't have to keep adding fluid. The leak needs to be fixed. BTW have you been adding "regular power steering fluid" or dexron 3 automatic transmission fluid. I have a 2003 Camry and it requires dexron 3 automatic transmission fluid for the power steering.

JOET/CAMRY

Tawny1989 · 03-13-2013, 03:15 PM

Hey, there is no leak.. the fluid is not needing to be refilled, I filled it that one time sorry if I wasn't clear on that. My cousin said it was the pump itself. And I did put regular ps fluid....never put it in since I got the car...oops? lol

JOET/CAMRY · 03-13-2013, 03:47 PM

Regular power steering fluid in a vehicle that takes dexron 3 fluid will make the steering hard to turn. I know this from personal experience. Might want to try and flush out the regular power steering fluid thats in your car and replace it with the correct dexron 3 fluid before you change the pump. See if it makes a difference. Just Sayin... : - )

joet/camry

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