Power Steering when truck is not moving or no fuel

[doncaruana]

So I had a bad pressure line leak on my 97 Tahoe and I put some lucas stop leak in it so I could get it driven up to the shop. I had the return and pressure lines replaced but never had an issue with the power steering before this incident.

Now, however, when the truck is stationary it's like there is no power steering at all. If you rev the engine (even while stationary) or are moving, the power steering works again.

The shop says all they did was change the lines and put power steering fluid in it. But that makes no sense to me.

What could they have done and what could even be causing this?

 

[OR VietVet]

The pump likely got damaged when was low on fluid before the lines were replaced and pump refiled. You said yourself you had a "bad pressure line leak". Low fluid can damage pump vanes. Plus, the lines and pump should be bled, after a refill, with tires off the ground and engine not running. Then drop to ground and finish filling and road test and then check/refill as needed. I very much doubt that the shop caused a problem. I don't know why it makes no sense to you.

Plus, before the leak happened, when was the last time the power steering was flushed?

 

[doncaruana]

Well if it was the pump, wouldn't we expect it to have problems all the time? Because once it revs it runs fine.

The leak was sudden, not over time. Driven 3 miles to work, came out and issues. And I put fluid in it and drove it to the shop and it drove fine.

My cousin suggested that the filter screen at the bottom of the reservoir is probably gunked up with debris and that the shop likely didn't flush the fluid and make sure that screen was clear. That actually made a lot of sense to me.

 

[OR VietVet]

The worn vanes in the pump can still work better at higher RPM's than at idle. The hardest the system ever works is at idle. Check that screen for sure. I did not know there was one there. Your rig, your call.

 

[exp500]

Likely the pump. Should be noisy if toast. Lares rebuilts have been good for me. Flush system well on new install, return line to bucket and cycle steering fully, keep refilling pump.

 

[doncaruana]

Not noisy at all. I have a feeling they didn't flush the system.

 

[OR VietVet]

You will end up replacing the pump. I am sure of that by 51%.

 

[doncaruana]

Honestly I think I might replace it anyway just as a precaution at this point because of age. But I really don't think that I ran it long enough or low enough to damage it. When i drove it the initial 3 miles home, it was loud but not difficult to turn. It was just starting to show a little resistance to turning at that point - and very little. And when I drove it the 3 miles to the shop after putting fluid in it, it was okay too. So now I'm just trying to piece together how it's suddenly acting this way and whether I can trust this shop. The main guy is awesome. But his "helper" is the one who worked on it. And if this is as simple as he just filled it up and didn't flush the system, I'm concerned, especially since they knew it was doing this - and that it was a new issue - before giving it back to me.

 

[doncaruana]

Talked to the shop...they never flushed it since when they pulled the hoses all the fluid came out. So they just replaced it. Good help is hard to find...

 

[exp500]

It takes about 2 quarts and Time to flush, so another 30 minutes equals another $50+.