6G Celicas Forums

Ok, I changed the pressure hose, gave it fluid turned the car on and when I began to turn the wheel, the steering wheel suddenly began to jerk side to side like if it were possessed. What else do I need to do? I thought if I had the car off and turned the wheel lock to lock, it would bleed out, and that didn't work. Then I tried with the car on and that didn't work... I know I am missing something, and figured maybe any experience in this before on another car would also help.

I tried to look for this information online, but found nothing.

its moving itself or it just moving very jerkily? air trapped in the rack is my bet, just keep working it or drive it some.

Yeah it is moving by itself. Like it looks all innocent just sitting there when you turn the car on... Then you go to turn it and BAM! Possessed! I was like "WTF?! HELP! I need an old priest and a young priest!"... Seriously... I got some tips, I guess I just need to work the steering wheel more with the cap off to bleed the air out. But if you didn't know that, turning the wheel of the car with it on the ground and not a jack seems like pointless effort (unless you want a good work out).

This post has been edited by Random_Stranger: Mar 2, 2010 - 4:12 PM

well if the rack is moving itself it sounds like the rack is boinked up...things were normal before the hose was replaced? i still think it could be trapped air though, i always start with the wheel turned hard to one lock and then start it for a a second, turn it off, goto the other lock, start it for a second and then turn it off again to purge the air, top the fluid, then run it while cycling lock to lock to purge any left over air. which it sounds like you've been doing.

Yeah and the lock is going nuts... I hear this can happen if the pump was ran dry, but there was fluid in it when they brought it to me and it was fine... WTF?! AH!

a pump with air just whines/screams. this sounds alot more like a rack problem. its all quiet but the rack is flipping out? might have somehow damaged a seal in the rack or a valve could have gone to poop.

And a valve can be damaged if the power steering system was ran "dry", correct?

yea, and at that age/miles it may not have taken much to do that to it.

Thanks for your help, I asked my shop teacher and he agrees that it is the steering rack.