no power steering at idle
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 612
Likes: 52
From: north east CT
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
My old power steering pump had been a little noisy for a while, but it finally failed me last week on the way to work and puked all of its fluid out the main shaft and was sounding very angry. So I went to a very reputable friend for a used pump. I put it on and it worked great super quiet but I noticed it had a little more steering effort then normal. The next morning whe I got to work is when I realized I have not power steering at a dead stop at Idle. hot or cold, the fluid is full with power steering fluid and I have now been driving it for a week with the same issue. Any ideas? If its another bad pump he will give me another one but I want to make sure thats what the problem is first.
CF Veteran
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 4,172
Likes: 4
From: Riviera, Texas
Year: 1998 Sport
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Make sure the belt is tight and not slipping on the pump. If not I would say that you got a bad pump. Did the pump start making any kind of noise when it stopped working this time? Also did you flush the system when you changed out the pump and refill with new fluid?
CF Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,489
Likes: 24
From: Nor-Cal Coast
Year: 90,84
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0,2.5
All I have is to come back to the belt. I had this "canned>>>>
Soaping Belt
Tight, tighter, tightest the darn new belt would still chirp.
Finally in desperation I went out there with a bottle of Dawn dish soap and the garden hose. Idling, I got it wet, then squirt soap on both sides, rinsed some, and soaped a little more. Let it idle a minute all soapy. To end, I ran the hose slow on it running for a couple minutes. Bingo! That solved it. There was some sort of coating on the new belt? Idk.
I normally run my belt as loose as I can, and still have the alternator not slip with the blower on high, and lights on brights. Puts less strain on all the other bearings. Radi pointed out a cool tip. After it might have been slipping, (voltage has been low), see if the Alt. pulley is hot. I want to go back and loosen it a tad now.
Soaping Belt
Tight, tighter, tightest the darn new belt would still chirp.
Finally in desperation I went out there with a bottle of Dawn dish soap and the garden hose. Idling, I got it wet, then squirt soap on both sides, rinsed some, and soaped a little more. Let it idle a minute all soapy. To end, I ran the hose slow on it running for a couple minutes. Bingo! That solved it. There was some sort of coating on the new belt? Idk.
I normally run my belt as loose as I can, and still have the alternator not slip with the blower on high, and lights on brights. Puts less strain on all the other bearings. Radi pointed out a cool tip. After it might have been slipping, (voltage has been low), see if the Alt. pulley is hot. I want to go back and loosen it a tad now.
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