Power steering issue--need some advice

[mrdctaylor]

I have a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe with the 2.7L. It has been a great car. Recently, the power steering started groaning pretty loudly so I took it to a trusted mechanic who I've used for years. He's very knowledgeable and fair and always does great work.

There was a hose leaking and the fluid was getting low. Also, there was a problem with the rack. I think there was a small leak there too. Anyway, he replaced the rack and the hose. I got it back and it was still loud. I took it back and he replaced the ps pump and flushed the system again. It was better for a few days and started groaning again. We noticed that the reservoir was foaming and overflowing. He replaced the reservoir because I'd read that the filter in the bottom gets plugged up and it could cause this symptom. It seemed better after that. For a while.

A few weeks later the pump start groaning loudly again once it got hot (maybe 20-25 minutes of driving). I took it back and he put on another pump thinking that he'd gotten a bad part. It seemed to help for a week or so. Now it is groaning again when hot and the reservoir has bubbles/foaming and was almost overflowing even though the fluid level was right when cold. I'm going to take it back to him Tuesday. We are both sort of at our wit's end.

Does anyone out there have any suggestions? It seems like just about everything has been replaced.

 

[Tomioka]

Is the mechanic using A1 Cardone parts? Have the mech try another reman brand or keep throwing [censored] rack and pumps until you hit gold.

 

[Colt45ws]

There is air trapped in the system.
Use a hand vacuum pump to put 15-20 inches mercury vacuum on the reservoir, that will pull any air out of the system.

 

[Colt45ws]

Here is a post Trav made, tells you exactly what to do.
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4490242/Re:_Tiny_bubbles_in_PS_reservo#Post4490242

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Kibitoshin
Is the mechanic using A1 Cardone parts? Have the mech try another reman brand or keep throwing [censored] rack and pumps until you hit gold.

This.

 

[BigD1]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: Kibitoshin
Is the mechanic using A1 Cardone parts? Have the mech try another reman brand or keep throwing [censored] rack and pumps until you hit gold.

This.


Four times was the charm for me. Advance Auto manager at the main warehouse, in my area, admitted to me that Cardone had made lots of bad pumps, and that they were being weeded out by customer returns.

 

[edwardh1]

Originally Posted By: BigD1
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: Kibitoshin
Is the mechanic using A1 Cardone parts? Have the mech try another reman brand or keep throwing [censored] rack and pumps until you hit gold.

This.


Four times was the charm for me. Advance Auto manager at the main warehouse, in my area, admitted to me that Cardone had made lots of bad pumps, and that they were being weeded out by customer returns.




what a cost saver, have the customers do the quality control inspections

 

[mrdctaylor]

Thanks for the replies. I have no idea what brand of parts he is using. I'm writing him a note to leave with the car and will definitely be including some of your quotes in it about A1 Cardone parts! I appreciate the tip. That's exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to find out. I know he is as sick of seeing my car parked in front of his shop as I am!

 

[BigD1]

Cardone puts the symbol 3F on the pumps which means Fluid/Flush/Filter. 4F would be more like it...Fluid/Flush/Filter/Fail.


https://www.cardone.com/tech-help/steering/how-it-works-best-practices/3f-fluid-flush-filter

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

A1 Cardone pumps are complete garbage! I went through 3 on my BMW and just this morning put an OEM pump on it and problem solved, thank you Orielly's for Lifetime warranty and finally a refund. Should have done this 2 years ago. They sort of work but either develop a slow leak, make awful annoying groaning noise/ dump shavings into system. Every few months I was replacing that junk and from day 1 they usually sound terrible. You can bleed, flush, replace filter & reservoir etc. The pump is junk. Get OEM and hope it didn't ruin your other new parts. It is a joke they are allowed to sell these.

 

[mrdctaylor]

I talked to my mechanic today and both pumps were in fact A1 Cardone pumps. He also agreed that it was probably the pump that is the problem. I ordered an OEM Hyundai part online since I was able to find it much cheaper than he could get it at the dealership. He's going to install it for me next week when it comes in. I'll report back here to let everyone know if that fixes the problem. Fingers crossed.

 

[mrdctaylor]

Well my mechanic put the new OEM pump on yesterday. I drove it for 20-30 minutes throughout town (making lots of turns) and it sounded fine. I drove it again this morning and I really think that the A1 Cardone pumps were the culprits. Lesson learned!