This is about my 2001 Dodge Dakota. 149,000 miles on it now, V-6 engine with a 5-speed manual transmission.
A month ago I replaced the power steering pressure hose because it was leaking. I put the new hose on, added a few ounces of fresh Power Steering Fluid (all of my manuals say only use PSF, do not use ATF, and it says "Use Approved PSF Only" on the PS pump cap too) and I bled the system by turning the wheels back and forth about 25 times. All was OK until this week when I saw a puddle of PSF under the truck. I checked it out and found the power steering pump was leaking. Last night I replaced the pump with an Atsco reman pump from Auto Zone. A new OEM pump is $315.00 plus a $15.00 core at the local Dodge dealer. Way out of my budget, and they don't have one in stock anyway. No parts store around here sells a new PS pump, they only sell a reman. Not Napa, Carquest, AZ or AAP. I did not see new PS pumps on RockAuto either. AZ was also the only store around here that had my pump in stock. The box also says the AZ reman pump is Made In The USA.
So, I installed the AZ reman pump and a new return hose too, and bled the system again by turning the wheels. Filled the pump to the cold level, ran the truck in the garage, checked the hot level, all looked good, no leaks anywhere. I went for a test drive, about 15 miles round trip. Steering was pretty good, more firm and tight than it was with the old PS pump. At the end of the test drive and when I got home I noticed the wheel was harder to turn when doing slow parking maneuvers or driving at slow speeds, like in a parking lot or in my driveway.
I checked the fluid level today, I had a little too much in the pump for the cold reading, siphoned some out to get the correct cold level, took a test drive, truck steers OK when moving but is still stiff at slow speeds. Checked the hot level when I got home, it looks OK, just below the hot line. I had a helper turn the steering wheel with the engine running tonight while I watched the fluid in the pump. It did not look like much fluid was moving while the wheel was being turned, but at the end of the turn when you hold the wheel a few seconds, then I saw fluid moving, but not a very fast rate of speed. The fluid also has little tiny air bubbles in it, but no foam or froth.
When I looked into the PS pump with the engine running but the wheel not being turned, it does not look like any fluid is moving at all. A very reputable local shop down the street told me that means the pump is bad. They also said the only way to remove any air from the PS was to bleed it by turning the steering wheels and/or driving. They said that eventually just the action from drivng will force the air out and it should get better, provided the PS pump is OK. They also said that AZ reman pumps are junk, they won't use anything but Napa.
I have searched all over the Internet and also here on BITOG. I can not find out if my pump is bad or the system has too much air in it or both. The truck did sit overnight with the PS pump and lines removed so it probably did get a fair quantity of air in it. The steering rack is OK, I have had absolutely no steering rack trouble or noise before this PS fiasco.
What do you guys think? Is it a bad pump, or truck just needs to be bled/driven to remove the air, does driving to purge the air even work? I do appreciate any help you can offer. Thanks.
A month ago I replaced the power steering pressure hose because it was leaking. I put the new hose on, added a few ounces of fresh Power Steering Fluid (all of my manuals say only use PSF, do not use ATF, and it says "Use Approved PSF Only" on the PS pump cap too) and I bled the system by turning the wheels back and forth about 25 times. All was OK until this week when I saw a puddle of PSF under the truck. I checked it out and found the power steering pump was leaking. Last night I replaced the pump with an Atsco reman pump from Auto Zone. A new OEM pump is $315.00 plus a $15.00 core at the local Dodge dealer. Way out of my budget, and they don't have one in stock anyway. No parts store around here sells a new PS pump, they only sell a reman. Not Napa, Carquest, AZ or AAP. I did not see new PS pumps on RockAuto either. AZ was also the only store around here that had my pump in stock. The box also says the AZ reman pump is Made In The USA.
So, I installed the AZ reman pump and a new return hose too, and bled the system again by turning the wheels. Filled the pump to the cold level, ran the truck in the garage, checked the hot level, all looked good, no leaks anywhere. I went for a test drive, about 15 miles round trip. Steering was pretty good, more firm and tight than it was with the old PS pump. At the end of the test drive and when I got home I noticed the wheel was harder to turn when doing slow parking maneuvers or driving at slow speeds, like in a parking lot or in my driveway.
I checked the fluid level today, I had a little too much in the pump for the cold reading, siphoned some out to get the correct cold level, took a test drive, truck steers OK when moving but is still stiff at slow speeds. Checked the hot level when I got home, it looks OK, just below the hot line. I had a helper turn the steering wheel with the engine running tonight while I watched the fluid in the pump. It did not look like much fluid was moving while the wheel was being turned, but at the end of the turn when you hold the wheel a few seconds, then I saw fluid moving, but not a very fast rate of speed. The fluid also has little tiny air bubbles in it, but no foam or froth.
When I looked into the PS pump with the engine running but the wheel not being turned, it does not look like any fluid is moving at all. A very reputable local shop down the street told me that means the pump is bad. They also said the only way to remove any air from the PS was to bleed it by turning the steering wheels and/or driving. They said that eventually just the action from drivng will force the air out and it should get better, provided the PS pump is OK. They also said that AZ reman pumps are junk, they won't use anything but Napa.
I have searched all over the Internet and also here on BITOG. I can not find out if my pump is bad or the system has too much air in it or both. The truck did sit overnight with the PS pump and lines removed so it probably did get a fair quantity of air in it. The steering rack is OK, I have had absolutely no steering rack trouble or noise before this PS fiasco.
What do you guys think? Is it a bad pump, or truck just needs to be bled/driven to remove the air, does driving to purge the air even work? I do appreciate any help you can offer. Thanks.
