New Rack and Pinion 2 times, but still PS issues?

[BrianDye]

So normally I take what sellers say with a grain of salt. Probably lying, up-selling, or just general BS 9 times out of 10. The guy I got this LS from though seemed very genuine, and went into detail on everything, not beating around the bush or anything. So far, all of the stuff he's said about the LS has been true, so I wouldn't doubt this is.

He told me the car has had the Rack and Pinion replaced twice but still has power steering issues. I haven't had it started with fluid in the reservoir so i'm not sure if it even works at all, but i'm heading out now to get some fluid to start working on this issue.

I've owned probably upwards of 20 cars now, at least 8 of which were at or near 200k miles. Not a single one ever had a rack and pinion issue, or ever had it replaced, and some of these were a ROUGH 200k. I know the LS has a mind of its own though.

Anyways, right now, theres just a MESS of caked on power steering fluid under the car. The couple times i've taken it around the block, it doesn't have power steering, but i'm guessing thats probably because there was no fluid. Im gonna get some fluid in there and see what happens today or tomorrow if I don't have time before work, but what I wanted to know is are there any common power steering issues on these cars that I should start looking for? Ive never dealt with power steering before, so i'm going in blind.

Any advice/tips are welcomed and much appreciated while I work on this beast! Really hoping to have it done by the end of this month.

 

[LS4me]

.....are there any common power steering issues on these cars that I should start looking for? ....

The pressure switch seems to be a point of failure... Fluid leaks out through the sensor.

 

[BrianDye]

Just logged in to follow up on this thread. Thanks for the info, ill check that out.


So yesterday, I got the car running and wanted to take it around the block with the new coils and plugs, since it was finally running on all 8 like a champ.

I poured the Mercon-V in the reservoir while it was running, and immediately the PS pump started whining because of air in the system. (Does the pump not run if it doesn't have any PS fluid?) Filled it to MAX, then turned the wheel back and fourth to full-lock numerous times. The whine pretty much went away, but as I started driving, it was completely gone. Power steering was smooth as could be, no resistance, no jerking, or pressure spikes/drops, etc.

Got back home and in the garage, I see no leaks. I had it running for a good 10-15 minutes. I did not smell any fluid burning either indicating it would be falling on the exhaust and burning to see nothing dripping on the ground.

I am going to jack the car up this weekend when I change the oil, liberally spray the undercarriage with degreaser to remove all the built up fluid so I have a clean slate to look at, then I should be able to easily see any signs of a leak.

 

[joegr]

... (Does the pump not run if it doesn't have any PS fluid?)...

It's a simple belt driven hydraulic pump. It runs the whole time the engine runs. I imagine that running with no fluid is not at all good for the bearing or at least the shaft seal. I would expect it to be very quiet with no fluid in it.

 

[BrianDye]

It's a simple belt driven hydraulic pump. It runs the whole time the engine runs. I imagine that running with no fluid is not at all good for the bearing or at least the shaft seal. I would expect it to be very quiet with no fluid in it.

I figured thats how it was, but I didn't know if maybe they tried some ground-breaking space-age new technology on the LS . Ive only dealt with power steering issues once, when I had an older Explorer. Was close to home and something happened to one of the hoses which caused a catastrophic leak. Lost all fluid within 30-40 seconds and the pump was just screaming. Fixed it the next day and all was well.


Still stumped on this though. Im not seeing ANY leaks falling onto the ground. Fluid level is still at the same level in the reservoir. I am definitely not complaining. I can deal with a little leak and top off until its fixed, but from what it looked like, there was a horribly bad leak that would've caused me to lose fluid very rapidly.

 

[joegr]

If they didn't correctly bleed the system, it's possible that the fluid foamed and spilled out of the reservoir vent. (Seems like a long shot though.)

 

[cammerfe]

For what it's worth, I got my '02 new. within the past few thousand miles (Now a bit beyond 160K) I have started to have to add PS fluid. First thing in the morning it'll sing a bit. I'll get the quart of fluid from the trunk and add a cupful or so. That'll be good for six weeks or more before I'll have to add again. I can see a bit of wetness and suppose the problem is the dreaded sensor. But changing it is a PIA and I have an engine replacement in the not-too-distant future that'll make it easier. So I'll add the cupful from time to time for now. It never leaves a puddle although it's obviously coming out to some extent.

KS