Hydraulic power steering pump: common defects and their signs

1. Wear-out.
   • The steering wheel rotates with difficulty.
   • The steering wheel doesn't return to the initial position after cornering.
   • Operation of the pump is accompanied with excessive noise.
2. Jamming of the pressure reducing valve.
   • The steering wheel rotates unprompted, requiring constant adjusting.
   • Difficult maneuvers, like parking, require more efforts and time.
   • Whistling, screeching and other foreign sounds are heard during driving.

How to repair or replace hydraulic power steering pump?

In order to perform repair of the hydraulic power steering pump you need to contact a service station. A specialist will dismount and disassemble it. He will clean all parts and inspect them for presence of damages. Defective elements, such as bearing or sealing will be replaced with new ones. Moreover, necessity of adjustment or replacement of the drive belt may occur, as well as filling of new working fluid.

If damages are significant, the part should be replaced. As the procedure of hydraulic power steering pump replacement is quite laborious, and may also have its own algorithm for cars of various brands, it is better to perform it at a service station.