My Mechanic has given up.

Here I am with my 1995 Toyota Tacoma SX Regular Cab 4x4 -2.7L 4Cyc- 162K Miles



The power steering is the issue, it grinds makes a bunch of noise and barely works.

I've spent a little over $1000 trying to get it fixed to no avail. and I am about at wit's end.

-Pump has been replaced twice
-Power Steering Hoses have Been replaced
-Rack and Pinion has been replaced

Problem still happens.
I guess my questions is 2 parts.

What else could it be?!

Is there a way to just bypass the Power Steering system all together and just have Manual steering? If so is it safe?

Anyone's thoughts on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

-Ben

 

What kind of fluid do you have in the PS system?

 

ever check the rag joint in the steering shaft?

 

Plugged screen in the bottom of the fluid reservoir.

 

Boom

Try that, this has been a resolution before

 

Cool I will check these things.

Thanks Much!!

 

is your truck lifted? big tires could be stressing the system

 

I got stock steering and my 37's dont stress it

 

Nope, Standard Wheels/Tire size.

 

it might not be on the PS system. it could be seized ball joints, try disconnecting the tie rods from the knuckle and see if the wheels turn freely or it also just might need a good flushing on the PS system.

 

Hellow to a fellow VA Taco owner...

Is this the truck that was at Redbeards Psycho Racing garage in Hopewell back before christmas?

If so it is the PS resevoir screen...

I was their and helping yall inspect it last time thru. I found the fix a few weeks later and emailed Lonnie but he disagrees. I am sure that this truck was the screen. So sure I would perform the screen fix for free if that is the same truck.


If not the same truck then their is another guy in Va who has installed 2 pumps + 1 racks over that darned screen. Somthing is breaking down and contaminating the Power steering system on these trucks. We flushed many saw dust looking chunks of sludge out of that system. At first I thougth it was internal hose or o-ring break down but squishing the chunks on white paper showed them to be a greasy petroleium based sludge build up. I am sure this build up is now plugging the screen too. Even though you clean the screen with the pump off it still doesn't flow enough fluid since it is only gravity fed.

If you are local to Hopewell / Col Hgts and need some help PM me or ask Redbeard for Whitfields Cell # .

 

Now that's what this place is all about. Whitfield, you're a stand up guy.

 

So what's the status? Did you put the screen in OP?

 

Thanks giscott !!!

Background ~
Back in the fall I was asked to stop by a friends and look at a local Taco with steering isues as described above. Removing and inspecting the NEW replacement rack that was only a few months old we found the saw dust size sludge chunks like I mentioned above. I made mention of a similar situation 10yrs earlier on another make where the PS high psi hose was contaminating the system breaking down internally and the hoses were the only part of THIS system that had not been replaced. At the time I had no recomnedation other then to activly super flush the system and replace the hoses ~ but this was before I knew about the screen.

Knowing what I know now ~ the sludge contamination has remained in the system with each part that was not replaced recontaminating the new parts. As the pump / rack / hoses on this truck were all done at seperate times. Each old part recontaminated the new pump screen in short order. The pump return screen should be removed and thrown away along with an active flush of new fluid performed until the fluid coming out of the return line is clean and free of sludge.

If you still want to run a PS fluid fliter the run a cleanable element filter on the return line prior to the resevoir.

 

Wow, I'm really impressed at the outpouring of Help I got here.. I wish I had found this place earlier! As I could have saved many hours of my time and a lot of money...

UPDATE : I was able to use a flathead screw driver in the PS reservoir and clean out a bunch of build-up on that screen.. This seemed to almost instantly improve the power steering going in and out and reduce the "whine".. I'm still getting the whining sound intermittently but I imagine a good power steering fluid flush would help that..

THANKS!!!!!!!!!

 

I had a 95 4X4 2.7L and the power steering reservoir lost 3/4 of it's fluid. I could not find any leaks anywhere and the unit began to whine. I filled up the reservoir with Prestone power steering fluid which had stop leak already mixed in it. I never had a problem again with it. Hope cleaning the screen fixed your problem.

 

Guys, I'm having the exact same problem with my 97'. Loud whining/humming type sound...power steering working, but a little harder than usual. How is the screen accessed for cleaning?

 

Open the Power steering reservoir and its about i'd say 5-6 inches down from the top. I used a flat head and kind of felt around with it, you can't miss it. - Caution : I'd be very gentle, from what I've read, it doesn't take much to tear up the screen.