Steering wheel vibrates when turning
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Joined: May 2007
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Steering wheel vibrates when turning
Hey Folks, I got a 95 Explorer Eddie Bauer. Yesterday, the water pump gave out and destroyed the serpentine belt and tension pulley. I drove for about 1/10 of a mile to my house (thank God I was so close!) with no power steering and the engine started to get hot.
I spent today replacing the fan clutch, water pump, tension pulley and belt. Refilled with new antifreeze. Everything ran great with that after fixing, except when I took the car out to test it the steering whel started to vibrate when I turned left or right. This happened at any speed or at a standstill, in reverse or forward. If I drove straight, there was no vibration. Did I do something to the power steering system when I drove it for the 1/10 of the mile? Thanks for any help you can provide!
I spent today replacing the fan clutch, water pump, tension pulley and belt. Refilled with new antifreeze. Everything ran great with that after fixing, except when I took the car out to test it the steering whel started to vibrate when I turned left or right. This happened at any speed or at a standstill, in reverse or forward. If I drove straight, there was no vibration. Did I do something to the power steering system when I drove it for the 1/10 of the mile? Thanks for any help you can provide!
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2006
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same steering problem happend to me recently. I think you just got air in the steering pump system. another poster told me it would go away after driving it awhile and it did go away. when you turn your steering wheel with the pump not running, it can temporarily put air in the system.
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Joined: Jul 2005
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On these, when you turn the wheels without the P/S pump running, it pulls down the fluid level so far it actually sucks air into the system. This air is what's causing the vibration. Ford has a procedure which involves installing a handheld vacuum pump in place of the P/S cap and pulling full vacuum on the system with the engine running, while turning the wheels lock-to-lock a couple dozen times.
However, from experience, normal driving will usually work the air out on its own. If you want to try to expedite the process, put it in park, hold the RPM at about 2500, and as quick as you can turn the wheel back and forth, lock to lock until the vibration goes away.
If you look at the P/S reservoir, you'll notice it's very small and to make matters worse it sits at an angle, so it really doesn't take much for it to suck air in. I think if Ford had used a larger reservoir, this problem would never occur.
Good luck.
However, from experience, normal driving will usually work the air out on its own. If you want to try to expedite the process, put it in park, hold the RPM at about 2500, and as quick as you can turn the wheel back and forth, lock to lock until the vibration goes away.
If you look at the P/S reservoir, you'll notice it's very small and to make matters worse it sits at an angle, so it really doesn't take much for it to suck air in. I think if Ford had used a larger reservoir, this problem would never occur.
Good luck.
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