Power Steering Randomly Out

[auto]

I woke up this morning, get in my car, start it. Let it warm up a little....but in the mean time, my PS light comes on and my PS is out. I've had the pump replaced, rack & pinion and all that jazz. Could there be air in my line or something? I'm confused.

Help?

[CyFi]

try flicking your key from the off position to the on position a number of times quickly. Sometimes the relay contacts get a little carboned up and flicking the key often seems to clean it up a little bit.

[auto]

Originally Posted by CyFi

try flicking your key from the off position to the on position a number of times quickly. Sometimes the relay contacts get a little carboned up and flicking the key often seems to clean it up a little bit.

I got it checked out at Firestone and they said I need a new Relay and pump. The manager replaced my pump in Jan of '06. And he gave me this estimate


1. Romve/Replace PS Pump - $72
2. PS Pump - $469.99
3. PS Relay - $269.99
4. P&L + Tax - $137.72
_______________________-
TOTAL = $877.70

Soooo....screw that.

[CyFi]

what makes him think you need a new pump? Did you try the key flick? I highly doubt they properly diagnosed the system..

[MR2-MRnot]

on a very rare occasion, moreso when i first got the car, my ps light would come on, and my ps wouldnt work, so i would shut it off and voila it would be fine wen i restarted it!!!

[driftin07]

Wow horrible timing! My power steering went out today as well it was perfectly fine one min then the next its out all within a 15min period of time what could it be my fluid level is fine no noise what so ever! Any more suggestions to fix the problem?!

[driftin07]

did the key flicking thing doesnt work for me!!

[driftin07]

found the answer! cut the car off while rolling and let it come to a stop and cut i back on this cleared up my problem!!

[TomsMR2]

its the relay. you're doing exactly what cyfi said. you need to replace the relay.

it a 30 dollar relay too, not a few hundred.

[cakemashin']

my power steering goes out randomly. but not while i'm driving it. it usually goes out on random occasions right as i get in and start it. but most of the time it works fine. sometimes if it goes out when i start it, i will shut off the engine but leave the key in the "ON" position and turn the wheel quite a bit without it running. this sometimes helps. is this a relay problem also? or some other problem?

[auto]

Originally Posted by TomsMR2

its the relay. you're doing exactly what cyfi said. you need to replace the relay.

it a 30 dollar relay too, not a few hundred.

That's exactly what I was thinking. That's why I never go with what Fireshit has to say to me. Do you know where I could get the relay from?

[pinoy_dorifto]

I have a problem with my PS also, the PS light doesn't lit yet, but i feel the sudden change on the steering. The steering response became heavy compared from a few days before, and I also hear a little whining noise on idle. I was thinking maybe just the fluid, i have to check it tomorrow morning.

[TomsMR2]

Originally Posted by auto

That's exactly what I was thinking. That's why I never go with what Fireshit has to say to me. Do you know where I could get the relay from?

i think you can use generic toyota relays in place of the ps specific one.. its been so long since i looked into it.

you could more than likely pop it out and take it to a parts store and just tell them to match it. a relay is a relay, if the pins line up and its rated for the same amperage it'll work!

[SW21T]

i had the same problem it wasnt the pump and no relay was messed up i just drove it regerly and it just started working on its own

[TomsMR2]

^ thats because it was the relay.