Power Steering dead when cold out

[nickdalzell1]

Our temps here in KY are like metric lately. singles, teens, maybe lower 20s. seems the colder it gets, the worse my Power Steering gets. i got plenty of fluid, topped it off last night. this morning i started the car and i had NO steering at all. i had to literally overpower the wheel to get it to turn. after awhile, the signature dying doe sound from the pump revives and it works perfectly fine. this issue is worse in freezing weather. is the pump just dying? car has 275K already. so long as it's 32 or above, nothing wrong. are Bonnevilles by nature cold intolerant or something? even my oil pressure is below normal if i drive in single digits. fine anywhere above that.

[Bob Dillon]

Are you using ATF or actual power steering fluid for add fluid?

[blackbeauty99]

Rack and pinion taking a dump? My old century would never turn if the car was not warmed up

[nickdalzell1]

I've used SAE 30 oil for fluid ever since my '84 Chrysler. in my experience, it is the only one that gets rid of that infuriating 'dying doe' sound an older PS Pump makes. so long as the fluid is not leaking or low, it usually is silent, smooth and works quite well. ATF used to be a big 'no no' when I was younger so I never used it. it's fine if the temps are above freezing, but in the 20s it gets stiffer, and if it's teens or singles, it's almost nonexistent until you take off a bit. I doubt it's the rack. it's essentially the same thing you get without the belt on the pump when I first start and take off. it's able to be driven (sometimes takes a quarter mile before it comes back) but it takes a ton of effort to make the steering wheel turn. it doesn't jitter or act like a dry pump, it acts as if the pump doesn't even exist. doesn't make noise or anything. even the belt remains quiet. eventually, it suddenly comes back to life and you hear that noise for a few seconds then it's silent and steering is perfectly normal.

[Bob Dillon]

I've used SAE 30 oil for fluid ever since my '84 Chrysler. in my experience, it is the only one that gets rid of that infuriating 'dying doe' sound an older PS Pump makes. so long as the fluid is not leaking or low, it usually is silent, smooth and works quite well. ATF used to be a big 'no no' when I was younger so I never used it. it's fine if the temps are above freezing, but in the 20s it gets stiffer, and if it's teens or singles, it's almost nonexistent until you take off a bit. I doubt it's the rack. it's essentially the same thing you get without the belt on the pump when I first start and take off. it's able to be driven (sometimes takes a quarter mile before it comes back) but it takes a ton of effort to make the steering wheel turn. it doesn't jitter or act like a dry pump, it acts as if the pump doesn't even exist. doesn't make noise or anything. even the belt remains quiet. eventually, it suddenly comes back to life and you hear that noise for a few seconds then it's silent and steering is perfectly normal.

Drain it an use actual power steering fluid. Worked for me.

SAE 30? No wonder. You're pumping molasses until it warms.

[nickdalzell1]

actual PS fluid is a waste of money. it leaks with it, and makes that annoying whine that i can't stand. if it weren't a serp belt i'd just eliminate the pump if i have to live with the whine. sounds like a dying deer under my hood

[Bob Dillon]

actual PS fluid is a waste of money. it leaks with it, and makes that annoying whine that i can't stand. if it weren't a serp belt i'd just eliminate the pump if i have to live with the whine. sounds like a dying deer under my hood

Suit yourself, but the SAE 30 doesn't seem to be working out that well, does it?

[nickdalzell1]

well if that is all it is--due to cold and the weight then that's fine. I was worried the pump may have been on its way out. if that's not the case then that's alright. this just happens to be the first year since I have owned this car that I have driven in single digits/teens. I've never taken it in any weather like this before.

[Bob Dillon]

well if that is all it is--due to cold and the weight then that's fine. I was worried the pump may have been on its way out. if that's not the case then that's alright. this just happens to be the first year since I have owned this car that I have driven in single digits/teens. I've never taken it in any weather like this before.

If you have to drive it with motor oil instead of the recommended fluid, maybe 10w/30 would be a better choice than straight 30 weight?

[nickdalzell1]

perhaps....

[bjstorm69]

I am having exact same issue. My alternator caught on fire and after fixing the wiring and alternator, my PS got stupid on me. I pulled the pump off, cycled the rack until no more oil came out of the lines, then put it all together using trans fluid which is about 30w. It worked for a while, then it gets hard to steer. I figured that the heat of the alternator fire may have broke down the oil or damaged the vanes on the PS pump. I switched to 10w-40 because that is what I had around. I have dumped the reservoir twice to "clean" it out since using the 10w-40. It has been working well now for a little over two weeks. I generally use tractor hydraulic oil or transmission oil on everything else I own with a power steering unit. Been doing that for 20+ years. Not sure if it is correct, but that is what I do. Seems to me that the 10w-40 has helped because it was a little thicker, or just the constant dumping of the reservoir finally diluted the bad oil. I do not know of a better way to do this, or if the PS pump will eventually fail. It is, however, working at its best since the alternator fire. Take it for what it is worth, I hope this helps.

[nickdalzell1]

my pump makes an infuriating racket when I use PS fluid. SAE 30 oil has always been the only thing that silences the *dang* things.

Doesn't the owner's manual advise NEVER to use ATF fluid in a power steering system?