Steering: Testing and Inspection

General Diagnostic Table

INSPECTION





NOISE AND VIBRATION

CAUTION:
Do not keep the relief valve operated for five seconds or more at any time or inner parts of the oil pump may be damaged due to rapid increase of fluid temperature.

NOTE:
^ A screeching noise may be heard immediately after the engine start in extremely cold conditions. In this case, if the noise goes off during warm up there is no abnormal function in the system. This is due to the fluid characteristics in extremely cold condition.
^ The oil pump normally makes a small whining noise due to its mechanism. Even if a noise is heard when steering wheel is turned at stand still, there is no abnormal function in the system provided that the noise eliminates when the vehicle is driving.
^ When turning the steering wheel with the brake applied when the vehicle is parked, a screeching noise may be generated by the brake disc and pads. This is not a fault in the steering system.
^ There may be a small vibration around the steering devices when turning the steering wheel at standstill, even though the component parts are operating properly.
Hydraulic systems are likely to generate this kind of vibration as well as working noise and fluid noise because of combined conditions, i.e., road surface and tire surface, engine speed and turning speed of steering wheel, fluid temperature and braking condition.
These conditions do not indicate a problem in the system.
Confirm vibration for an AT model, by applying the parking brake on a concrete surface, shifting into the "D" range, and turning the steering wheel repeatedly from slow to rapid, step by step.








MEASUREMENT OF STEERING EFFORT