Power steering warning came on?

ANSWER : Some 2013 Ford Fusion models are part of a safety recall involving loss of steering assist. Contact your dealer with the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or check your VIN number on safercar.gov to verify if this recall applies to your vehicle. Loss of steering assist can be dangerous if you are caught off guard. It would be best to not drive the vehicle. Contact your dealer to have it towed to their location.

ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in. I’d be happy to provide my insight. This is a common issue in the Chevy Cobalt. The electrical system on modern cars is very sensitive and everything needs to be working nearly perfect in order for the check engine lights not to come on and this includes even having a strong battery. I would recommend having the battery tested as even a weak battery can cause issues like this. I would also recommend having the car computer scanned at the same time to see if any trouble codes show up which may indicate potential problems elsewhere.

If you would like help inspecting your battery or electrical system, consider having an expert automotive technician from YourMechanic come to your home or office to inspect your vehicle for you, and make or suggest any repairs as needed.

ANSWER : Hi there – this behavior, sometimes called "phantom steering shake" is often due to a steering torque sensor in the steering column. This device sense how much effort is being put into the steering wheel to make a turn. This determines how much "power assist" the electronic steering adds to your own effort to turn the steering wheel. If you are getting the "shake" while idling and still, this can be the beginnings of failure of this sensor. I would first go back to Ford to discuss the Recall (#14V284000), because this appears to be precisely the problem you are having. Escalate to Ford Customer Service. If this is unsuccessful, I recommend a steering wheel shakes inspection performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, confirm this diagnosis, and give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

ANSWER : With a power steering fluid leak that big, you certainly should have the vehicle inspected as soon as possible to find the exact cause. Any of the components you listed can be the source of the leak. The power steering pump as well as the rack & pinion steering unit rely on the fluid for lubrication as well as cooling. The whining you hear is from the pump when the fluid runs low or empty. Your issue can be caused by something as simple as a fluid hose right now, but continued ’running dry" of the power steering fluid, can result in damage to both the pump and the rack & pinion unit. If that happens, you can take what may be a repair of a few hundred dollars and turn it into a repair of a couple of thousand dollars.

ANSWER : This suggests that you may have a leak somewhere else in your power steering system such as one of the hoses or the rack and pinion system. As you may know, the power steering system is a highly pressurized system that can have as much as 300+psi of pressure in the system at times, so it is not uncommon for these types of leaks to happen. If you’d like to get this fixed, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose the leak in your power steering system and make the the necessary repairs to fix it.

ANSWER : Hello…it sounds like you have a loose or faulty hose connection. Of course, it is also possible that a coincidental leak developed, for instance in a rusted steel tube on the return side, at the same time that you were doing this repair. A YourMechanic specialist could diagnosis this for you and assist you with the repair of your power steering and inspect your vehicle for leaks.

ANSWER : Hi there. You might have a blown high pressure hose from the pump to the steering rack. The fluid is getting onto the exhaust system and may pose a fire hazard. I recommend you do not drive the vehicle, for safety reasons, until you have the leak fixed. I recommend you have a mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, inspect your power steering system’s leak to make sure what the cause of the failure is.

ANSWER : Hi there. If everything else has already been installed from the donor vehicle then it sounds like the high pressure hose is all that you need to install. The hardest part of doing this is the routing. One thing you may also want to double check is that the donor vehicle and your 2003 Escape have the same rack. There are different models depending on the model and the size of your wheels. You need to install the pressure line first, but if it does not line up then you may have the wrong rack installed. If you would like some assistance installing this hose, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to you to [replace your high pressure steering hose] https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/power-steering-pressure-hose-replacement