Lets play a game, "What the hell is wrong with my car?"
Today I was backing up from my parking space at the fraternity house and the steering wheel WOULD NOT move. Well, actually it would move, but it took a great deal of force for it to go anywhere aside from the straight position. Nothing else is wrong with the car from what I can tell (Lexus SC300), in fact, I had just driven it from Dallas to Arlington (20 miles) with no problem 15 minutes earlier. I had it towed to the local Pep Boys. Here's what I do know, I did not run out of power steering fluid as that was the first thing I checked and none of the hoses burst.
My conclusion: A problem with the power steering pump.
Can anyone else think of anything else it can be?
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
America's chickens are coming home to rooooost!
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Sounds like the power steering pump to me.
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Also sounds like a power steering problem to me.
What kind of car is it? I know about 3 mechanics and can ask any one of them if you'd like,
-NWA742
What kind of car is it? I know about 3 mechanics and can ask any one of them if you'd like,
-NWA742
Some people are like slinkies - not good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Power steering is one of the easier systems in a car. The first thing to check is the belt. Without a belt, fluid is useless, then check to make sure the pump actually turns, as they can seize and the belt will just spin on the pulley until it heats up and breaks. If those are all working o.k., then you need to check for a kinked return line from the actuator to the reservoir, and the actuator itself.
Most likely the belt, then the pump would be my guess.
Most likely the belt, then the pump would be my guess.
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Powersteering pump.
Not up on lexuses, before you go out and get a new one, check the tension on the belt that drives it.
Actually reading JeffM's comments, do just what he said
Not up on lexuses, before you go out and get a new one, check the tension on the belt that drives it.
Actually reading JeffM's comments, do just what he said
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Power steering is for wimps. You Americans should come over here and build up your muscles on a proper car. 
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Been there, Done that Backfire.
Technology has it's purposes.
Technology has it's purposes.
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
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- BR715-A1-30
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RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
My tires are wearing down in the front extremely quickly.
My back tires are fine.
Whats wrong with my car?
My back tires are fine.
Whats wrong with my car?
Puhdiddle
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Its front wheel drive. buy a real car.
seriously though, have the alignment checked. Also, stop trying to peelout at stop lights.
edit:spelling
[Edited 2004-06-06 17:59:01]
seriously though, have the alignment checked. Also, stop trying to peelout at stop lights.
edit:spelling
[Edited 2004-06-06 17:59:01]
When in doubt, one B pump off
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
BR715-A1-30, your tires need rotating, i.e switch the front tires with the ones in the back.
Jcs17, it could also be the boot joint or something like that. Had mine give out on a highway offramp.
-Dan
Jcs17, it could also be the boot joint or something like that. Had mine give out on a highway offramp.
-Dan
A guy asks 'What's Punk?'. I kick over a trash can and its punk. He knocks over a trash can and its trendy.
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Tires need to be rotated regularly, but if theres excessive tread loss that can be indicitive of other problems.
When in doubt, one B pump off
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Power steering is for wimps. You Americans should come over here and build up your muscles on a proper car.
Haha, oh really? Instead of driving around town in fancy golf carts, maybe you Europeans should come over here and experience some real muscle work in a car, as in a muscle car.
-NWA742
Haha, oh really? Instead of driving around town in fancy golf carts, maybe you Europeans should come over here and experience some real muscle work in a car, as in a muscle car.
-NWA742
Some people are like slinkies - not good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
No contest, son.
Like I said, get yerself a British car.
Like I said, get yerself a British car.
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Nice comeback Backfire 
"She Rolls, 45 knots, 90, 135, nose comes up to 20 degrees, she's airborne - She flies, Concorde Flies"
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- Guest
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Nice one backfire.. shooting them outa' the sky!
Regards,
CM
Regards,
CM
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Yeah, and just where is that "British" car in the picture above?
What I really enjoy is how both our 88 F-150 and our 95 Camry don't like to have the steering wheel turned all the way to either side when driving in the rain. I found that out one time after accidentally driving up a street at school where a water main had burst and had to turn around on a narrow street. The steering wheel bucks and jumps and doesn't sound happy. The Camry also does it, but not the Grand Caravan or the Civic, that I know of.
What I really enjoy is how both our 88 F-150 and our 95 Camry don't like to have the steering wheel turned all the way to either side when driving in the rain. I found that out one time after accidentally driving up a street at school where a water main had burst and had to turn around on a narrow street. The steering wheel bucks and jumps and doesn't sound happy. The Camry also does it, but not the Grand Caravan or the Civic, that I know of.
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
The next thing we know there will be a 3rd world airline posting a thread titled "What's wrong with my Aircraft?"
Steve.
Steve.
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
HaHaHaHaHa
Good one Steve.
I hate it when Coke goes up your nose!
Good one Steve.
I hate it when Coke goes up your nose!
757 Most beautiful airliner in the sky!
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
What was the outcome of the power steering issue?
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
The problem is the price of the fuel. Can you realise how expensive it has become ?
As high as 2,50$ a gallon, that's way too much expensive
Signed,
US A.net members
As high as 2,50$ a gallon, that's way too much expensive
Signed,
US A.net members
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Just what I had suspected, the power steering pump broke and the hose was leaking (but the mechanic said the hose could be repaired). Anyway, its turned out to be a huge hassle because Pep Boys, nor any of their distributors carry the pump I need--so it has to be special ordered. Its gonna cost an assload of money to get the part and I don't know when the car will be ready--it could be today, it could be Friday. It all depends on when they get the pump. As the Ugly Duckling commercial said "Life sucks without a car."
America's chickens are coming home to rooooost!
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Ahh, it figures. Bummer they did not have the part. I would have called the local "junk" yards to see if they had a wreck of the same model/year as yours and just pulled it myself. Unless it was burried under the engine, it should not have been too difficult to change.
Good luck with it.
-Jeff
Good luck with it.
-Jeff
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Thats what happens with cars like Lexus, BMW and Toyota, great vehicles but parts are a bitch.
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Luckily, I just got a call from Pep Boys and they said that they found the part and that the car would be finished after I get off work.
America's chickens are coming home to rooooost!
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Parts aren't bad for Toyotas as long as they're one of the popular models (like a Camry) and built in the US. Parts were kind of expensive for our Cressida that was actually built in Japan. It was also a fairly rare car in the US, like I expect that the SC300 is.
My Camry's cruise control is occasionally failing when it's hot and you're out on the interstate going fast. Mom's mechanic said drive up to Nashville, pull a unit from a junked Camry, and it shouldn't cost more than $200. Plug and play installation, too. But Camry's are much more common than the SC series (which is RWD, isn't it? It's not a Camry platform, I believe).
My Camry's cruise control is occasionally failing when it's hot and you're out on the interstate going fast. Mom's mechanic said drive up to Nashville, pull a unit from a junked Camry, and it shouldn't cost more than $200. Plug and play installation, too. But Camry's are much more common than the SC series (which is RWD, isn't it? It's not a Camry platform, I believe).
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
Crap. I went to pick up the car today at Pep Boys and they said the steering 'was still a little stiff.' Turns out the new pump (actually rebuilt--for $400) only improved the steering a little bit. It was still relatively stiff, but it was loose enough to the point where I could drive it from Arlington to Dallas to an import mechanic. That ride was interesting--to make a sharp turn at a slow speed I had to put my muscles really into it. Now they think the big problem is with the rack and pinion steering, the guy at Pep Boys said I was probably looking at $800-$1000 in repairs. Crap.
Yeah MD-90, the SC300 is rear wheel drive and it is not on the Camry platform.
Yeah MD-90, the SC300 is rear wheel drive and it is not on the Camry platform.
America's chickens are coming home to rooooost!
RE: New Game: What's Wrong With My Car?
My tires are wearing down in the front extremely quickly.
My back tires are fine.
Whats wrong with my car?
Check the air pressure first.... if all that is normal then think about possibly rotating the tires or checking the alignment... is there a noticeable wear pattern, like wearing on the sides and not the middle or something like that?
leaving the light without spinning the tires would be another good place to start.
My back tires are fine.
Whats wrong with my car?
Check the air pressure first.... if all that is normal then think about possibly rotating the tires or checking the alignment... is there a noticeable wear pattern, like wearing on the sides and not the middle or something like that?
leaving the light without spinning the tires would be another good place to start.
Things were better when it was two guys in a dorm room.