Hi Guy's
My 06 WRX STI, only covered 16,000 miles, has a funny feeling from the power steering.
Sometimes at low revs it feels as if the power has been turned off!! and is hard to turn, if i rev the engine it comes back to life!!
It seems to only do this at fairly low revs and is very intermittent.
Any ideas??
Regards Dave.

 

only when its cold? or all the time?

 

Check the fluid level first.

 

Hi Guy's
Only seems to have started this week, although i have only owned the car for 2 weeks, no leaks from car, i'll check fluid level in the morning.
It is doing it all the time hot or cold, and feels like the power steering is turned off, only does it when coming to rest.
It drives fine, but come to a rest and try to reverse into my drive and i need arms like Schwarzenegger!!!
Today pulled into the shopping centre fine, went to park up and it's really stiff to turn the steering wheel, come out from shopping and it's fine again.
But get home and try to reverse up the drive and it's back again!!
Weird!!
Cheers Dave.

 

Hi Guy's
Right then, checked fluid this morning and ok, put a little extra in and still the same. Car has an aftermarket alloy power steering fluid bottle.
Only owning the car for two weeks i don't know if the following is just coincidence, but last weekend adjusted the steering wheeel as out of line when driving straight.
That can't have any effect surely, must be coincidence, but went out for a bit and if anything it's getting worse!!!.
Only on low revs, if i rev the car it seems to come back to life, but it's like trying to turn the steering with the engine off, rev it up and it's ok, any ideas anybody?
Cheers Dave.

 

Could the belt be slipping Dave???? Also its not uncommon for a steering pump to fail so could be early signs of that regardless of mileage???

 

Right then guy's, belt not slipping.
No whine or noise whatsoever from power steering pump.
Could the steering rack be at fault, as it's so bloody cold, has it froze!!!, as you see i'm clutching at straws here, but to go from being superb to this over the last week, makes me wonder if the weather is playing any part, at this rate i'll be the next body building champion
at the moment at low revs i have no power steering, sometimes!!!
Cheers Dave.

 

If everything else is checked and okay it's probably going to be the pump.

 

I would say pump by the sounds of it mate.

 

Loose belt possibly?

 

How was the steering wheel adjusted? Was the steering wheel removed? Or was a full allignment done which is the correct way to set it up.

If you removed the steering wheel and just put iit back on straightthen its a good bet the alignment is out and wants setting up properly

Steering wheel should never every really need to be removed just to get it runnung true

It may well be your wheels are pointing in different directions which can give a very odd steering feeling

 

Full alignment check has been done by previous owner, steering wheel was about an inch out of alignment, so removed the steering wheel and re-positioned it straight.
Been out in it today, most of the time it's been ok, but this is what's weird.
In the garage start up and everything is fine, just parked up for 3 hours, strat the car up and it was stiff to turn straight away, coming home fine, then pull up to reverse and it's gone again.
Bloody hell!!!!

 

when we had this car the steering wheel was straight when the alignment was done so something has gone on since then but i always felt the coilover height on the front was a bit low other than that it was fine deffo agree with above should always adj steering rack track ends not remove the steering wheel though!!

 

as above no point taking the sellers word for it. get it checked yourself. may have a bent rack or something as as already said shouldnt need to remove steering wheel to get it straight