Power Steering Issue

[XWrench3]

So my daughters KJ has developed a power steering pump issue. I think it may be related to the very recent extreme cold weather that we just had. She went out to go into town, and she came right back into the house saying that her truck was making a TERRIBLE noise. So, I went out to listen to it (at -6 degrees f. , that was ALL I was going to do), and I figured it was either the alternator ot the power steering pump. I have had both make horrid noises in sub zero weather in the past. I touched the alternator first, then the power steering pump. And it was obvious that the power steering pump was making the noise, and accompanying vibration. We closed the hood, and her boyfriend took her to town. I looked at it just now, and the fluid is quite aerated. What I thought was very odd, was that after approx. 2 minutes of run time, there was a LOT of air pressure inside the pump. enough that it nearly blew the cap out of my hand when I removed it. I have never had that happen in the 60 years of working on my own cars. I brought the cap in the house thinking that maybe there is a vent in it that is frozen. / Since we have no maintenance record on this truck except the last 9 months or so. And the fluid was pretty ugly looking, I thought we would do a "down and dirty" quick flush, and do it correctly when there isn't 8" of snow on the driveway. something that I found curious, was after removing as much fluid as I could with a turkey baster, and refilling it, I had her start the engine, and steer the wheels side to side then shut it off to repeat the process. I kept a tight fitting funnel in the fluid fill opening of the pump. and after that short amount of time, the fluid had pushed its way half way to the top of the funnel after it was turned off. So the fluid is being pumped FULL of air somehow. I have never been inside of a p.s. pump, so i have no idea how they function. Does she need a new pump? or is there ice in it someplace (she does do a LOT of short trips) that a nice 50 mile trip will melt, retuning the pump to its proper function? I guess I have been lucky, as in all of these years, I have only had to replace one rack in a p.s. system. And I had to have 1 high pressure hose replaced, because I had just had surgery, and I could not do it myself. I have changed the p.s. fluid in most of my vehicles, but that is all that I have ever had to do.

 

[KJowner]

Is the suction line split or loose? Failing that I'd guess a seal has gone letting it draw air in. They are usually only a simple vain pump, no idea if a seal kit is available though.

 

[LibertyTC]

Get Jeep well warmed up first.
The KJ OEM spec uses RED ATF+4 automatic transmission fluid in the power steering pump.
Suction out the pump reservoir & start over. Front of pump has a full line indicator.
If pump is very noisy, jack up the front of the Jeep, and move wheels back & forth to bleed air away in the system.

 

[DadOSix]

So my daughters KJ has developed a power steering pump issue. I think it may be related to the very recent extreme cold weather that we just had. She went out to go into town, and she came right back into the house saying that her truck was making a TERRIBLE noise. So, I went out to listen to it (at -6 degrees f. , that was ALL I was going to do), and I figured it was either the alternator ot the power steering pump. I have had both make horrid noises in sub zero weather in the past. I touched the alternator first, then the power steering pump. And it was obvious that the power steering pump was making the noise, and accompanying vibration. We closed the hood, and her boyfriend took her to town. I looked at it just now, and the fluid is quite aerated. What I thought was very odd, was that after approx. 2 minutes of run time, there was a LOT of air pressure inside the pump. enough that it nearly blew the cap out of my hand when I removed it. I have never had that happen in the 60 years of working on my own cars. I brought the cap in the house thinking that maybe there is a vent in it that is frozen. / Since we have no maintenance record on this truck except the last 9 months or so. And the fluid was pretty ugly looking, I thought we would do a "down and dirty" quick flush, and do it correctly when there isn't 8" of snow on the driveway. something that I found curious, was after removing as much fluid as I could with a turkey baster, and refilling it, I had her start the engine, and steer the wheels side to side then shut it off to repeat the process. I kept a tight fitting funnel in the fluid fill opening of the pump. and after that short amount of time, the fluid had pushed its way half way to the top of the funnel after it was turned off. So the fluid is being pumped FULL of air somehow. I have never been inside of a p.s. pump, so i have no idea how they function. Does she need a new pump? or is there ice in it someplace (she does do a LOT of short trips) that a nice 50 mile trip will melt, retuning the pump to its proper function? I guess I have been lucky, as in all of these years, I have only had to replace one rack in a p.s. system. And I had to have 1 high pressure hose replaced, because I had just had surgery, and I could not do it myself. I have changed the p.s. fluid in most of my vehicles, but that is all that I have ever had to do.

If your pump is not leaking all over the jeep, you may be drawing air in the return line, or have a leaky rack and pinion. Hard to tell on the R/P unless you peel an inner boot back. Got a lot of fluid behind the boot? That is likely it.

 

[XWrench3]

Is the cooler on the return line, or the high pressure side? I still haven't crawled under it. but the lines going up to the grill are pretty oily. It looks like a couple of cans of brake cleaner, just to try to see where the leak is coming from. I hate when cars break in cold weather. I TRY to keep my truck prepared for c c c cold weather. but I cant tackle EVEERYBODY'S vehicle up to *****. And her hours got cut, because of the weather (she works in a high end resort restaurant. And with winters what they are nowadays). So no snowmobilers, and way to cold for boats and jet ski's!

 

[DadOSix]

Is the cooler on the return line, or the high pressure side? I still haven't crawled under it. but the lines going up to the grill are pretty oily. It looks like a couple of cans of brake cleaner, just to try to see where the leak is coming from. I hate when cars break in cold weather. I TRY to keep my truck prepared for c c c cold weather. but I cant tackle EVEERYBODY'S vehicle up to *****. And her hours got cut, because of the weather (she works in a high end resort restaurant. And with winters what they are nowadays). So no snowmobilers, and way to cold for boats and jet ski's!

Interesting thought on the cooler. I would *think* return side. I will look as soon as one comes home today.

 

[KJowner]

Coolers are conventional fitted to the return on a hydraulic system.

 

[JeepJeepster]

Yes, the cooler is on the return (low pressure) side.

 

[XWrench3]

Thank you. I was unaware of that. Is it the same for the automatic (42RLE) transmission? The reason I ask, is many years ago. I burnt up a ****** sitting in a traffic jam. So now I avoid them like "the plague"! Seriously. I would rather get the ticket from pulling a u turn, or driving through an "emergency vehicle only" turn around on a highway. and I would drive an hour or more to stay out of one. I know Liberty's come with one. But I want to install an additional or a larger cooler to make 100% certain it never happens to my Lib.

 

[KJowner]

I normally drop mine into neutral in a jam, but everything else I own is manual so I'm well in the habit!