Your power steering system is one of the most important parts of your vehicle, as it allows you to quickly change the direction of your car with little effort.  However, if the system begins to fail, it can reduce the overall responsiveness of your vehicle and make driving significantly less safe. Being conscious of the most common warning signs associated with a power steering system that is failing can help you understand when you should head to a mechanic to have your vehicle inspected and any necessary repairs completed.

Wheel Resistance

The first and most obvious sign that there is something wrong with your power steering is if your steering wheel suddenly becomes very hard to turn. This is usually because of some sort of malfunction that is affecting how much power steering fluid is being used by the system, either because of a damaged line that has caused the fluid to leak out or because of some sort of mechanical issue that has prevented the pump from engaging and creating pressure within the power steering system. In some cases, you may also experience excessive shaking in the steering wheel at the same time.

Floating or Hesitation

Another sign that your power steering system is not working as intended is if you notice any sort of lag between you turning the steering wheel and your tires responding. This will feel sort of like your steering wheel is floating with little resistance or response as you turn it to direct your vehicle. This is usually caused by a fluid pump within the system not working quickly enough to provide pressure to move the tires and can reduce how well you can respond to changing conditions on the road. A malfunctioning pump that fails completely can leave your vehicle unable to change direction while driving or increase the length of hesitation.

Irregular Sounds While Turning

Another issue that is commonly attributed to a damaged or failing power steering system is any sort of screeching or squealing while you turn the wheel. This is most often caused by a loose belt within the power steering system and is much more than a superficial annoyance while driving. If the belt fails completely, your steering system could become completely unresponsive and the risk of you experiencing an accident greatly increases. Have an auto repair service like AutoMedics inspect your power steering system at the first sign of this problem.