Hi.

I've 62,000 miles on a 3.8 liter Dodge Grand Caravan. It has had a bearing noise recently when it's stone cold, that changes pitch just a bit when rotating the steering wheel. It isn't terrible, but clearly something is amiss. Once warm, it seems fine.

I've just started noticing that the vehicle is pulling to the right. Is this what I should expect as it goes south? It's been doing it for about 1000 miles, but now I can almost make an exit ramp buy letting go of the wheel. I'm exaggerating, but not a lot. I'm figuring everything has a default mode, and it just happens to be to the right.

I'm hoping to make it thru the week, but it's a little cold out there, and I hate to be stranded.

I had made an appointment this week to have it alligned, thinking that's all it was. But, am not so sure now. And I had to cancel, as I need to be somewhere. I just have no idea how these things wear out.

For what it's worth, my 97 T&C did 262,000 without any suspension work (or hardly anything else, except having the trans rebuilt at about 140,000). AWD LXI - and was a fine vehicle. I do about 10 miles of dirt road a day, and it can't be easy on anything.

Anyhow. I know a few things mechanical, but know nothing of power steering except to check the fluid level. Which I don't actually do anymore due to a paralyzed arm (among other things). I would expect to see something on the garage floor, and I don't.

So. Do I need to make arrangements immediately, or just build up the strength in my good arm and try to keep it going straight? And for what it's worth, the front tires don't seem to have any weird wear pattern. They just have 60,000 miles on them and I was gonnaa try to milk 'em another few grand.

Thanks in advance, btw, for any advice/help.

Clayton

 

ps pump failure will not casue vehicle to pull. when it goes, you will simply not be able to steer easily either direction.It islikelyyou needan alignment or possibly a belt in one of the tires has seperated. Go get an alignment at a reputable tire shop and they can diagnose it.

good luck!

 

what about p/s fluid reservoir?

wasn't there people who had simmilar problems becouse of the clogged filter on reservoir exit pipe?

 

ps failure, regardless of it running out of fluid or not being able to pump fluid efficiently will not cause the vehicle to pull left or right. It will make it difficult to turn but will not change the geometry of your suspension or the braking in your front end which are the two forces that determine if your vehicle tracks straight on the road. Aside from an actual failure of a part such as a wheel bearing (The symptoms would not go un noticed if the bearing were defective to the point of making a car pull one way or the other), most issues of pulling come down to invalid geometry (alignment will fix that) or defective tire (replacement fixes that).

 

I was refering to the noise from the steering when it's cold, and noise getting worse when turning the wheel. and that noise goes off when the car warms up. that sounds like the pump doesn'e have enough fluid.

car pulling to the side is probably caused by hitting a hole or a stone, and can be fixed by optical alignment of the wheels and steering.

 

My appologies. I agree that the noise could very well be the limited ability for the fluid to freely flow through the system. If the level is correct in the resevoir a clog would be the first thing I would look for. sorry for the misunderstanding ;-)

 

Hi.

Thanks for the help.

Again, I'd owned an 97 T&C AWD for 262,000 or so. So much for Mobil One. I sold a perfectly servicable vehicle that didn't use a drop of oil for $500 or so. It dripped a little, but I never added oil on 5k intervals. Alas, the numbers were high, and I just felt like something newer. It killed me, though. Like selling a damn good refrigerater. A brown one. That I'd used good and expensive oil on for years. Kind of hope it threw a rod within a week.

Anyway. I never did anything with the power steering. I don't recall ever addressing it at all. Nor on the PT Cruiser, which has 100,000+ on it. Nor on any car I've ever own, come to think of it.

I had to laugh about hitting the stone or the holeand posibly knocking the allignment out. I live on a dirt road. I've cracked two wheels on the 97, and the spouse bent one on the PT. Damn things are expensive! I know the dirt roads are a pain in the ***, but it makes the tourists turn around and bother someone else.

So, yes. They see abuse. She just had the rear end piece replaced, which was rattling like nobody's business. Can only think of two old shocks that had had the rubber bushings removed. Holy smoke. Couldn't believe the racket (I'm rarely in the PT). It's been an okay car, but has used a little oil since day one. And hydroplaned like nobody's business with the original tires. Was quite exciting.

Anyway. Will get it alligned, and probably even new tires. They've got 62k on them, and it is winter. I came home in the snow last night, and I sure wish I still had the AWD of the 97. Piece of cake. Now I have to seriously take advantage of the hills, because I ain't gonna just crawl up 'em like I used to. And it didn't help that Mr. Potential #16 McDeer jumped out in front of me. I didn't even brake. He's okay. Stupid as a post, but unscathed. Seriously - after 15, they're but mere rats to me anymore.

And while everyone is under the hood, we'll look into the maintenance of the power steering. Glad to know it probably won't leave me stranded. Have just been so fortunate over the years with vehicles, that I'm not quite used to something going south. I tend to over maintain, even if I no longer do it myself. My first vehicle was a 72 Dart (6), another one with a 318,and then a 78 Triumph Bonneville to seriously teach me about turning a wrench. Those were the days. I get a little ticked when someone wants to bad mouth American cars. I think they're fine.

Hey, thanks for the insight, everybody.

 

Jeepandvan - no problem.

Clayton - regardless of what you may hear, power steering fluid has to be changed regularly. you are lucky that non of your previous cars didn't had any problems with p/s, but that fluid is just like any other. it cathces moist during time, and that's bad for mechanic parts.
so, if you are handy in the garage, take off your p/s fluid reservoir, clean it, and if you know how, change the fluid completly.
fix the allignment and then we will know more, what needs to be looked at.