Disconnect power steering? Featured

If any of this Google found stuff applies to a '99 Cavalier, then you might be in for a surprise:

"Power steering that loses power assist is *far* harder to turn than manual steering with no assist. The steering ratio is faster with the PS too, and that increases effort when it loses assist."

"A disengaged power steering will be a lot more harder to steer than a non power steering version."

"If you want true non assist steering, you have to change the rack...or modify it by removing the piston and seals."

One suggestion was to find a large empty parking lot, get up to 25 MPH and shut the car off. Now try to steer as the vehicle slows down. Do you like what you feel? (Be careful: mind your braking ability)

Many years ago I had good results after adding a power steering "stop leak" product in my old Mazda pickup. I was surprised - but it completely stopped the leak and lasted a couple years. Give it a try while you shop the wreckers for a replacement. John T.

I heard power steering pressures can run pretty high and saw this:

What Is the Average PSI of a Car's Power Steering Pump? by Richard Rowe

Power steering does more than make life a little easier -- it makes cars a lot quicker. Before power steering, manufacturers could build a box with a quick gear ratio for rapid reflexes, or a much slower gear ratio for easier turns. But since tighter boxes made steering harder, they often had to install giant, school-bus steering wheels for extra leverage on them. The modern hydraulic steering system packs a load of power in a small package, and develops incredible pressures to do it.

Pressure Ranges

All cars are different, and require different pressures. Heavy vehicles and cars with very quick-ratio steering boxes typically require higher pressures than lighter and lower-performing vehicles. At idle with the steering wheel static, a typical power steering pump holds about 80 to

I had a Chryler LeBaron. I had 3 in a row and this one was either the

Sometimes I didn't fill it up even when I had no assist, and eventually I never filled it up, and it was barely any different from with fluid and powerS at any speed over 3 miles an hour. At 10 or 20 and above including 65 on the highway I couldn't tell any difference. At 2 mph, I had to pull some to turn it, and I suppose when it wasn't moving, turning the wheel would have been quite hard, but you're not supposed to do that anyhow because it's bad for the tires.

I'd just stop refilling it and see how it goes.

When it was a special occasion, like my birthday or the 4th of July or I needed to do a lot of low-speed steering, I filled it up again once or twice after running empty for months, and it worked as well as if it were new. Seriously. Otherwise I think I was empty for a year or more.

Chrysler isn't the same as GM and maybe the Chrylser design, and the location of the leak, left enough in the pump to keep the pump from wearing out, and I guess you could ruin the pump, but maybe that is where the leak is anyhow. And if you're never going to repair it, it doesn't matter. And this way, when your feeble great grandmother wants to drive the car you can fill it up and she'll have powers for a few hours or days.

It was the 88.

I take this back. There probably was a difference, but it was no trouble at all to steer at speeds over 10mph. Very little trouble at speeds over 3. When I drove the car over 3, I never thought, I really should get this fixed. It was fine.

I drove without power steering for one or two years, and only had fluid in it for about 9 days of the last year. Everything else leaked too, but nowhere near as fast and I refilled them, and the engine ran great.

I've seen the steering gear "shunted" - just connect a hose loop from inlet to outlet to keep it from puking all the oil out and avoid having to force the oil through the non-operative pump. Without pressure it doesn't leak as fast. Still builds biceps though.

That would be my question. If it is just a hose it might be a cheap fix and easy to do. Back in the olden days the return hose was a common failure and they were real cheap since it was low pressure hose (probably the cheapest thing GM could get to do the job). A seal in the rack unit would be a deal killer for me. The pump could go either way depending on the price.

It varied by manufacturer but the manual steering boxes had a ratio in the 20:1 range where power steering was around 14:1. If you remember the good old days you had to turn the wheel a lot farther because of the slower ration.

I had that with my 69 Corvette. For some reason I ordered it without power steering and it was like old times with the bicep thing. You couldn't move the wheel unless it was rolling but you could move the pivot on the steering arm to make it "Faster" and it was almost un drivable even rolling. I moved it right back.

The return hose is wet, as is the pump. I can't get a good look at the rack but there's nothing on the supply hose, I'm going to take it in and hope for luck on the rack. It looks like a pain to get to even if I had a lift, I'm going to let the shop try.

That's good advice that people should try. Also a good idea to find an empty lot when there is some snow and get used to how anti-lock brakes work and feel. IDK how power steering behaved in the early days, whether it was similar or there has been slow increases in effort over time. But I think most people would be shocked to see how much effort it takes, especially at low speed. When the fan belt failed on the BMW X5, it took a lot of muscle to get it home, up the driveway, forget about trying to get it in the garage or similar. I'm surprised there isn't a record of a lot of accidents from a combination of surprise and weak people. Another experiment is to turn off the ignition to the accessory position with the car moving, then keep pumping the brakes until the vacuum is depleted. Again, you'd be shocked at how much peddle pressure it takes to get the brakes to work without the power assist.

If you can get access to it, wipe off the pump and hose near it. Then check again later and you may be able to tell if it's just the hose.

Or steam clean it. I borrowed one of these a few months ago and it did a great job of cleaning up my engine/engine bay. I may ask for one for Christmas.

The repair shop replaced the hose. The cost was reasonable. I think I was lucky this time.

Good for you! Thanks for letting us know.