General Diagnostic Table: Inspection: Notes

DIAGNOSIS PROCEDURE

Trouble

Possible cause

Corrective action

Heavy steering effort in all ranges
Heavy steering effort at stand still
Steering wheel surges when turning.

Pulley belt
- Unequal length of pulley belts
- Adhesion of oil and grease
- Loose or damage of pulley belt
- Poor uniformity of pulley belt cross section
- Pulley belt touches to pulley bottom
- Poor revolution of pulleys (except oil pump pulley)
- Poor revolution of oil pump pulley

Adjust or replace.

2. Tire and wheel
- Improper tires out of specification
- Improper wheels out of specification
- Tires not properly inflated ⁽¹⁾

Replace or reinflate.

3. Fluid
- Low fluid level
- Aeration
- Dust mix
- Deterioration of fluid
- Poor warming-up of fluid ⁽²⁾

Refill, bleed air, replace or instruct the customer.

4. Idle speed
- Lower idle speed
- Excessive drop of idle speed at start or at turning steering wheel ⁽³⁾

Adjust or instruct the customer.

5. Measure hydraulic pressure. < Ref. to , INSPECTION , Oil Pump. >

Replace the problem parts.

6. Measure steering effort. < Ref. to , INSPECTION , General Diagnostic Table. >

Adjust or replace.

Vehicle leads to one side or the other.
Poor return of steering wheel to center
Steering wheel surges when turning.

Fluid line
- Folded hose
- Flattened pipe

Reform or replace.

2. Tire and wheel
- Flat tire
- Mix use of different tires
- Mix use of different wheels
- Abnormal wear of tire
- Unbalance of remained grooves
- Unbalance of tire pressure

Adjust, fix or replace.

3. Front alignment
- Improper or unbalance caster
- Improper or unbalance toe-in
- Loose connection of suspension

Adjust or retighten.

4. Others
- Damaged joint assembly
- Unbalanced height
- One-sided weight

Replace, adjust or instruct the customer.

5. Measure steering effort. < Ref. to , INSPECTION , General Diagnostic Table. >

Adjust or replace.

⁽¹⁾

If tires and/or wheels are wider, the load to power steering system is the more. Accordingly, in a condition, for example before fluid warms-up, relief valve may work before maximum turning angle. In this case, steering effort may be heavy. When measured hydraulic pressure is normal, there is no abnormal thing.

⁽²⁾	In cold weather, steering effort may be heavy due to increased flow resistance of cold fluid. After warming-up engine, turn steering wheel from stop to stop several times to warm-up fluid. Then if steering effort reduces normally, there is no abnormal thing.

⁽³⁾

In cold weather or with insufficient warm-up of engine, steering effort may be heavy due to excessive drop of idling when turning steering wheel. In this case, it is recommended to start the vehicle with increasing engine speed than usual. Then if steering effort reduces normally, there is no abnormal thing.