I was driving home today and my steering wheel felt like it was getting locked up or binding on something. I would turn the wheel going around a turn and i could let go and the wheel would hold it position. Its getting worse in terms of how hard i have to pull on it to break it free. Im not using alot of force but more than i should be with p/s. Im trying to figuire out if its the rack or the computer . The P/s has a good level of fluid. and it doesnt bind up when im at a stop. only when im moving . Any ideas???

 

edit: hang on a sec. You're saying that the p/s works normally when the car is stopped? If so, go directly to the last line of my reply.




Sounds like your pump isn't doing it's job, not the p/s computer.


Either the pump needs to be bled, the pump is kaput, or the belt is slipping.

Check the belt tension - it can slip without squeaking.

Bleeding -> Get yourself a factory service manual, young man. The procedure's on page 10B-8 of the 86-88 FSM (and the procedure will be the same for an s5.)

Pages 15-84 to 15-87 tell you how to troubleshoot the computer...

 

yep, not the computer... probably the pump or the rack

 

Thanks for checking my homework for me, mom.

 

If it were the PS comp, wouldn't there be that annoying "beep, beep" plaguing you incessantly?

 

^ yeah that true mine did that when i whacked my alignment good . . .
the beeping would come and go, and it was annoying.

 

thanks guys atleast now i know where to start

 

actually since I started rebuilding the power steering computers I found only the power steering computers built before 7/87 have the beeper in them. The power steering computers built 7/87 and later have a simple resistor (that of course would not beep).