belts & power steering

[rh71]

95 Rodeo

1) Since I use it rarely, and often during cold weather, at startup there's a prominent squeal coming from either the belts or pulleys. It goes away anywhere between 15-30 secs as it gets up to speed. Would it be ok to WD40 the pulleys to resolve this? I've had the mechanic put in new belts in the past, and even tighten them after it happened again, but a year later this would start again. Could it also have something to do with the stronger power drag at startup --> alternator belt, etc.? This has been a problem for years, on & off.

2) Just yesterday there was the same squeal that goes away.. then I drove it somewhere, and upon driving home, I notice the steering became really tight. Any sort of turn would cause a vibration and noise, the more I accelerate, the louder it gets. It's very stiff. I check this morning and the power steering fluid is at MIN. I'm about to put more fluid in (have to hit the store) but could there be an underlying problem? The power steering fluid isn't supposed to be "used up". Common causes? I visually inspected the belts and all I can say is that they look in place and spin fine. How does the fluid being low immediately play into the tight steering? There's still reserve...

 

[PlasmaBomb]

You are more likely to get help if you post in The Garage. Ask a mod to move it

<--------- The Garage

 

[rh71]

^ sorry I thought I was in garage... please move.

 

[heymrdj]

Take a look at you PS for any leaks on the driveway. You could have a leak around the pump area. Also DO NOT use WD-40 on the pulleys/belt. Go to the store and get Belt Dressing. About 3$ for a can. Shoots out like hotshot insectiside (you know the stuff that shoots 25ft, just this doesn't go 25ft, more like 7). Turn on your motor and start dousing one area of the belt, letting the belt carry the dressing till it coats the whole track.

 

[rh71]

UPDATE: well there was a faint puddle mark on the street (where I park it) and I didn't notice it until just now. So to be sure - I filled the PS fluid and it settled to just below the MAX line and I re-place the cap. A few minutes later and I don't see leaking on the floor. I start up the engine, then try to turn the wheel a bit... fluid sprays everywhere under the hood... and now I'm back to the MIN line again. There's also a huge puddle now under my car.

Question is... how much would this take to repair? Possible broken hose, steering assembly? What am I looking at in terms of $$ ?

 

[heymrdj]

Originally posted by: rh71
UPDATE: well there was a faint puddle mark on the street (where I park it) and I didn't notice it until just now. So to be sure - I filled the PS fluid and it settled to just below the MAX line and I re-place the cap. A few minutes later and I don't see leaking on the floor. I start up the engine, then try to turn the wheel a bit... fluid sprays everywhere under the hood... and now I'm back to the MIN line again. There's also a huge puddle now under my car.

Question is... how much would this take to repair? Possible broken hose, steering assembly? What am I looking at in terms of $$ ?

If you don't want to go to a shop then crawl under and try to see the source. It's common to have a cracked hose. The seals in the pump itself could be gone and you may need a whole new pump.

 

[bruceb]

I would suspect a bad hose, not the pump. They are the most likely point of failure as they are under high pressure.