Are you having problems turning your steering wheel? Imagine this scenario for a second. Every time you get in your car to drive, you have to apply all of the force to move your heavy vehicle with your own hands. Think about how extremely difficult that would be. Every time you want to turn your car into another direction, you would have to apply force to change the direction. Luckily you don’t have to do this because power steering technology was created.
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If you are having issues turning your steering wheel, you most likely need to replace your power steering pump. This is a very essential part of your car so it is important to get a faulty pump replaced. How much does a new power steering pump cost? The cost is dependent on many different factors but a mechanic will be able to give you a price estimate based on your personal factors. If you need to replace your power steering pump, you should plan on spending anywhere from $200 to $350.
What Is The Function Of A Power Steering Pump?
The power steering pump has a very important job. The power steering pump helps make the power steering feature work properly in your vehicle. How does this pump help your steering wheel move? The pump works with a special fluid that comes from a dedicated reservoir within the system. Then the pump will pressurize the fluid to turn the steering gear. What this does is it enables your wheel to turn without you using a lot of effort.
Can you imagine if you didn’t have a power steering pump doing all of that work? You would have no help guiding your car to turn in the direction you need it to. This would be incredibly difficult because vehicles weigh so much. You would need to push the wheel with the force you created on your own. As you can see, the power steering pump plays a big role in turning your steering wheel.
The Symptoms Of A Bad Power Steering Pump
Like any other part or system in your car, the power steering pump can wear out as time goes on. The power steering pump is a mechanical system but it also uses electrical equipment. This means that it can lose efficiency over time because of excessive usage. It could also start to fail if there are faulty parts within the system. It is best if you can detect this issue early on. A mechanic will be able to help you with any necessary repairs and hopefully limit the amount of costly repairs if detected early. Some of the symptoms you should look out for are listed below:
Unresponsive Steering Wheel: If you are having problems with your power steering pump, your steering wheel will become unresponsive. Have you ever noticed that your car takes a bit longer to turn or it's not turning well at all? If this happens, you know that there is an issue with your power steering pump. This can be very dangerous if you are driving at higher speeds and can’t turn your car like you should be able to. If you are experiencing this symptom, you should go see a mechanic to get your power steering pump inspected. It is very dangerous to drive with this issue and you could end up in a bad situation if you continue to drive.
Loud Noises Coming From The Hood: If you hear a loud squealing noise from the hood, this could indicate there is an issue with your power steering pump. What causes this noise to occur? When you start your car, all of the fluid will circulate on their normal routes. The power steering pump needs fluid to function. The fluid will start to circulate, but if there is not enough of it then it could shift the timing belt. This belt will make that annoying squealing noise. This noise is trying to alter you that there is an issue with your power steering pump.
Rigid Steering Wheel: This will occur when your power steering pump has almost reached failure and your steering wheel will stop responding. This will be the last of the power steering pump failure. It is unlikely that your pump will reach this point, but it does happen. If this happens to you, you need to stop driving your car immediately. You will be prone to accidents because your car won’t be able to steer in any direction.
Noises When Steering: The power steering pump relies on fluid. If your fluid levels get too low it will be hard for the pump to function properly. This will cause annoying whining noises when you steer your car. If this occurs, there is a good indication that you have a problem with your power steering pump.
You should get this checked out as soon as possible for a few reasons. The first reason is because it is very dangerous to drive with a faulty power steering pump. Another reason is that you could damage the entire system if you drive with low fluid levels for too long. This system survives on fluid so it will damage other parts of the system if it does not have the fluid it needs. If this happens, you will be facing very expensive repair costs.
Knocking Noise: Have you ever been driving along your normal route and hear a knocking noise coming from your car? This indicates that your power steering pump is really failing. It is almost the end of this pump. If you don’t fix the power steering pump as soon as you hear this noise, the entire system will get ruined. You will be facing other repairs in the steering system such as the steering lines and the steering racks. The cost of these repairs will add up fast. Always go see a mechanic the moment you start hearing a knocking noise.
The Main Components Of A Steering System
There are six main components of a hydraulic power steering system. Since there are so many components, it can be difficult to determine where the issue is coming from. The six components include the power steering reservoir tank, the power steering fluid return hose, the power steering pump assembly, the high-pressure hydraulic hose, the power steering fluid, and the power steering rack. If any of these components start to fail or have a leaking part, it will affect the entire system. It will not function properly.
It is important to take your car in for a proper inspection if you suspect you have a faulty power steering pump. A mechanic will be able to search for a leak and locate the root of the problem. They will be able to give you a price estimate and replace the faulty part.
When Should I Consider Replacing The Power Steering Pump?
There are a few things to look out for when you are determining if you should replace your power steering pump. If you hear any type of noise coming from under your hood, you need to get it checked out. Your fluid levels could be low causing this noise to occur. This will damage your entire system if it’s not fixed quickly.
Another thing to consider is if you feel like it’s harder to turn your wheel. Is your wheel locking up or not letting you turn like it normally does? You know your car the best since you drive it the most. You will be able to feel if your steering wheel isn’t turning the way it usually does. If this happens, have a mechanic inspect your power steering pump.
Lastly, if you notice any type of leak take your car into a mechanic right away. Your power steering pump could be leaking fluid. If this is happening it will need to be replaced as soon as possible. Don’t let this issue go on for too long because it is very dangerous to drive with a faulty power steering pump.
The Cost To Replace
If your power steering pump is damaged beyond a repair, you will have to get it replaced. There are many different factors that will affect how much a power steering pump replacement will cost you. One of the main factors will be the type of car you drive. The make and model of your car will greatly impact the cost to replace your power steering pump. If you have an older car, a mechanic may have a more difficult time finding the parts they need. Some of these parts could take a while to get because they are not as common as the ones for newer cars. If this happens, you will be charged more money for this replacement.
Another factor that will affect the cost of a power steering pump replacement is where you live. The cost of living is different in every city, which allows repair shops to charge different prices for replacements. It is important to get an inspection and a price estimate before you let a mechanic fix your car. If you do this, you will understand how much the replacement will cost upfront.
The general guide for most power steering pump replacements is around $200 to $350. It might cost you more depending on the type of car you drive and how much labor is involved. This price does include the cost of the part as well as the cost of labor.
Is It Safe To Drive With A Failing Power Steering Pump?
It is not safe to drive with a faulty power steering pump. You should never continue to drive your car once you know there is an issue with your power steering pump. If your power steering pump does not have enough fluid circulating to it, the pump could seize. When this happens, the belt could snap and leave you stranded where you are at. If your belt snaps, you will need to replace at least the belt and the power steering pump. There could be other repairs involved with this issue that will cost you a lot of money.
If there is enough fluid in your system but no power to assist it, it will require a lot of effort to turn your steering wheel. This is very dangerous and unsafe. If you are driving on a road at higher speeds and need to turn quickly, you might find yourself not being able to turn the car. This could cause a serious accident. The entire power steering system will eventually fail the longer you wait to get this issue resolved. The moment you suspect there could be an issue, you need to go get an inspection. Tell the mechanic that you want your power steering pump inspected.
Conclusion
Did you find out that you have a faulty power steering pump that needs to be replaced? It is critical that you get it replaced as soon as possible. It will be very difficult to maneuver your car. Continuing to drive your car with this problem puts you and other individuals on the road in harm’s way.
Although getting your power steering pump replaced isn’t too expensive, these can definitely add up. If your car is starting to age or you are continuously putting a lot of money into your car, you might not want to continue adding more money into it. If you fall into that category, you don’t have to keep replacing parts. You have other options you can look into.
One option you have is to sell your car to Cash Cars Buyer. We will take your car in any condition and give you cash for it. This cash could be used to purchase a newer car that hopefully won’t need as many repair jobs.
So, what does Cash Cars Buyer do? We sell refurbished car parts and cars. We have our own team of mechanics who fix up our cars and refurbish car parts. If you are interested in selling your car to us or finding out more information, go check out our website and get a quote today!