power steering revisited....is it dying...?

[90eliminator]

so my power steering will sometimes cut out.... weird...but at low speeds or idle it seems to work correctly then as I accelerate and turn it will work then cut out...then work again... so steering is getting to be a little bit difficult. Any ideas, is this a pump starting to fail, a line clogged, or what????... thanks

[aemsee]

first thing to check is your belt. A slipping belt can give you that symptom.

[90eliminator]

so pretty much that be a duh...on my part.... :doh: but would a serpentine belt make any sort of squeeling noise... Its pretty quiet

[trader ray]

depending on what gear and pump you have, there is a filter in it as well. You have to remove the line and fish it out and then just use some cleaner on it. It has been a long time but seems it is in the box side of the pressure line.

[DirtyComanche]

If it isn't the belt, the pump is probably going. It seems that when they go they still work at a limited amount above idle, for a while. Eventually they degrade to doing just about nothing.