What is Power Steering (PS) what does it do, do I need it and does it require service?
Power Steering adds assisted steering to reduce effort required to turn the steering wheel. Most Power Steering System equipped vehicles have a fluid pump (PS Pump) driven by a belt off of the engine pulleys by a belt. Fluid is stored in a reservoir which supplies the pump sometimes reservoir is attached to pump and sometimes is separate. The pump pressurizes the fluid and pumps it through a high pressure hose to the PS equipped steering box or rack and pinion to help assist in turning the wheels. Then there is a hose which returns the fluid to the reservoir container. Many of today’s vehicles are being equipped with electric assisted steering. One type uses an electric motor to drive a fluid pump as described above eliminating the belt, another type has a motor built into a rack and pinion which directly turns the input steering shaft aiding in turning the wheels. This eliminates the belt and pump (pros and cons another discussion).
A vehicles power steering system, gives the driver leverage to turn the steering wheel. Without PS it would be very physically strenuous to try and turn the steering wheel when maneuvering vehicle at low speed and almost impossible to turn steering wheel when not moving. Generally speaking most PS equipped vehicle can have you turn the steering wheel from all the way left to the right (called lock to lock) in about 2.5 turns. For vehicle not equipped with PS steering, called manual steering, lock to lock would probably start at 3.5 and up turns for the same turning capability, and would be hard to steer standing still. As you start to drive a vehicle the turning effort diminishes with speed, but manual steering equipped vehicles will not have the quick reaction time with one handed driving as would a PS equipped vehicle.
Most of you would agree that PS is an essential item to have in our vehicle to be able to park between vehicles, also having less lock to lock turning requirement. Like any other fluid used in a vehicle they will need servicing. PS belt will need replacement over time and both electric and belt driven pump assisted systems will need to have fluid inspected at least every 30k miles (30,000) and if needed flushed. We can only protect our PS system by flushing the fluid. PS fluid break down will lead to PS pump failure, rack & pinion or PS box failure all expensive repairs and all require flushing of system when new parts are replaced.