95 Cavalier LS 2.3L, I was turning tight donuts in a parking lot and suddenly I felt a bump in the stering wheel and then I no longer had any power steering boost. No loss of fluid, everything looks OK mechanically. Where do I start looking for the problem? It's almost like the power steering pump stopped pumping but how do I check this?
Vic
The power steering pump on a 2.4 is gear drivin my one of the camshafts, it's probably the same on your car. You could always just pull one of the hoses off of your pump, have someone tap the key and see if there is any suction/pressure, but be ready for fluid to go everywhere if you remove a hose. It sounds like the problem might be with the rack and pinion, rather than the pump though, if you felt the steering wheel clunk. You'll probably just have to take it to a shop, and let them tear it apart until they find the problem, unless you willing to do it yourself.
Thanks Weebel, the rack was my guess also. Probably since I had it full lock a valve in the rack got jammed wide open and is stuck there allowing full bypass of hydraulic pressure. I'll be fixing it myself so I think I'll give the control valve a smack with a hammer before I yank the rack just in case that loosens it.
Vic
Well, looks like my guess was wrong, but that's good.. I pulled the power stering pump and found that the drive hex was sheared right off the end of the pump shaft. Has to use a magnet to pull the broken part out of the camshaft. Must have been fatigued metal or I really overloaded it when I was turning the left hand donuts in the parking lot. Fortunately the new (take off) replacement pump was cheap $75. and it was simple to install. Bleeding it was the hardest part, 20 times to the left and 20 times to the right with the wheels off the ground and the engine off , as I watched big bubbles belch out of the pump reservoir. Then I started the engine and it worked just fine. Just glad it wasn't the rack, that's a lot more expensive and a lot more work. My wife is extremely happy because that car was a bear to steer with no assist.
I have destroyed 2 2.4L PS pumps doing reverse donuts. The first one I broke the shaft and the second one the internals of the pump came apart. Needless to say I no longer do reverse donuts. My current 80K mile pump is on its way out from to much abuse from hard cornering and a trip to Waterford Hills.
This makes me realize that I'm going to have to be very gentle with this car if I want it to last with low maintenance. They sure aren't tough like the earlier generation Cavaliers but they sure are pretty.
Vic
i did the exact sameee thing.. only thing i did was to get the hex thing out was turned on the engine for a sec it popped out a lil oil not much tho
I only do reverse 180's out of parking spots in the snow. Reverse donuts are really hard on cars. I've noticed that my Sunbird could take a beating WAY better then the Sunfire I have now also (I hate my tranny). Glad to hear it was just the pump. The pump was probably just going out already, and having the wheel at full lock for soo long was that little bit extra to make it finnaly go "screw it, I can't do it anymore", and go out.
That's where a belt drive helps, the belt would just slip but here the mechanical drive has no recourse but to break if it's overloaded. A lesson learned, never hold the steering on full lock unless I feel like replacing the pump.
Vic
Cousin of mine blew a hose once in his old truck from holding the wheel to full lock too long. Better a 20 dollar hose I guess than a 50 dollar pump ('83 Chevy 1/2).
