subject: Getting The Power Steering Serviced [print this page] There are a lot of things that you probably take for granted in your car. That is, until they malfunction and you realize how important or useful they were in order to get you to where you want to go. One such thing is probably the power steering on your car. Most cars have it standard in the package, however there are still some that come with manual steering. What is the difference?
What is Power Steering in a Vehicle?
Power steering means that the vehicle works with you in order for the car to turn. Do you think it is automatically that easy to turn the front wheels of a vehicle that weighs several thousand pounds? Nope. Turning a car a few decades ago took a bit more work than it does now. Actually, quite a bit of work if you see movies with really old cars being driven around. Power steering assists the turning mechanism so that all you have to do is turn the wheel in the right direction and it does all of the work for you. As long as it is performing the way it should be. Power steering is something that can malfunction on a car just like any other system can.
Checking the Power Steering Fluid
The power steering fluid is one fluid that is not easily checked out by the average person at home in the garage. It is one of those items that has to be looked at by a technician when the car is being serviced for something else or is in for a maintenance checkup. But it is important to have to have it checked so that a small leak doesn't develop or else the fluid gets dirty. When the fluid is low or too dirty, then the power steering won't be so powerful anymore and you will really have to work in order to turn the wheel of the car. And you will know if the steering goes out completely because you might find it very difficult to maneuver the car or truck, no matter where you are going or what type of vehicle you are driving.
Problems with the Power Steering and the Fluid Level
Once the steering fluid has been checked and is found to be low, then the ASE master technician simply replaces the fluid. They might monitor it to see if there is a slow leak or a crack where it is seeping out from. If the fluid is dirty, they might also check to see if there is a crack or area where dirt or another car fluid is getting in accidentally. Dirty fluid might require flushing and completely replacing what is in there. Then it needs to be determined why and how it got so dirty in the first place. Once the technicians know that they can repair the problem or give you a diagnosis of the problem and the cost so that you can decide if it is an immediate fix or one that can wait a week or two until the budget is better prepared to handle the expense of the fix.
