5 driver actions that will break the power steering

Power steering is cheaper and more reliable than electric power steering, and it can also withstand more severe loads when driving, say, off-road. But improper operation of the car can quickly disable it. The AvtoVzglyad portal tells about the most common mistakes of drivers that lead to a breakdown of the power steering.

A breakdown of the hydraulic booster will result in serious expenses, because sometimes the steering rack cannot be repaired at all. The service just changes it. In order not to have to fork out ahead of time, every driver should know what can cause power steering malfunctions. Here are the most common causes of big problems.

Movement with a cracked anther

If you do not monitor the condition of the rubber seals, then the moment will come when cracks appear on them, through which water and dirt will begin to penetrate. The slurry will begin to settle on the main shaft, giving rise to rust, as a result of which the mechanism will play, and driving with play in the steering is prohibited.

Turning the steering wheel all the way

If you turn the steering wheel all the way and at the same time press the gas, then the pressure in the hydraulic booster circuit will increase. Over time, this will extrude seals and damage old hoses. Therefore, automakers do not recommend holding the "steering wheel" in the extreme position for more than five seconds.

Parking with wheels turned out

With this parking, the pressure in the system will jump sharply immediately after starting the engine. This means that the shock load will go to the same seals and hoses. If all this is worn out, then leaks cannot be avoided. And the current rail, most likely, will have to be replaced.

Sharp maneuvers

For optimal operation, the fluid in the power steering must warm up. If, immediately after starting the engine, you start moving, and even making sharp maneuvers, an unheated or completely thickened liquid will provoke a pressure surge in the system. The result has already been described above: seals will be squeezed out and leaks will appear.

Negligent attitude towards the car

The power steering may also break due to the fact that the tension of the drive belt has loosened. You can recognize the problem when starting the engine, when a nasty squeak is heard from under the hood. If such a sound signal is ignored for a long time, the power steering pump will break, and this is a very expensive breakdown.

AND OTHER PROBLEMS

Note that we have only talked about some of the most significant causes that provoke problems in the hydraulic booster. Meanwhile, recently, specialists of automotive service centers often encounter other, no less critical, cases of power steering damage.

Among them, craftsmen often record the use of low-quality hydraulic fluid when topping up. Most motorists purchase such products, tempted by their attractive price. In the end, everything turns into a serious repair. How to avoid such situations? The answer, as they say, lies on the surface. And its essence is simple: when adding liquid to the “hydraulics”, you should buy compositions exclusively from trusted brands.

For example, hydraulic oils from the German Liqui Moly, which has extensive experience in the development of such products. In its assortment, in particular, there is the original hydraulic fluid Zentralhydraulik-Oil (pictured). It uses only synthetic base stocks, which are highly stable and have excellent low temperature properties. And the presence of special additives in the composition of the liquid significantly slows down the wear of GUP parts even with long replacement intervals.