stevem5000

Hi...

I have a 2000 Fronty, 2wd, 4 banger...

Power steering has been acting up for the past couple months...
It's "loosing" it's power...sometimes I have full power steering, sometimes it's like I have no power steering, or something in between...

Doesn't seem to make much difference how fast the engine is turning...

And it doesn't loose very much fluid...I have topped it on only once in the past 5-6000 miles...

At the fluid container, the hoses going down to the pump are quite "oily" on the surface...I suspect they MIGHT be sucking in a little air...kicking out minute amounts of fluid...but I don;t think this is enuf to be the cause of my problem...

I am going to replace the hoses first...

Here is the question...

The problem is probably the pump going out, or it's the rack & pinion...

The pump is relatively easy to replace, the r&p not so...

In your collective wisdom, assuming replacing the hoses does NOT fix the problem...which do think is more likely to need replacing, the pump or the r&p???

Thanks your input
Steve

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2000 Frontier King Cab
2WD, 5 spd, 4 banger
Alpine CDA 9833
Boston Acoustic RC620
Boston Acoustic NX97
Sony 2100GTX
RE8 Subwoofers in custom box to fit inside jump seat openings

jerryp58

Is your 2000 a rack & pinion? I thought my '04 was a simple recirculating ball system or whatever the correct term is (steering box, pitman arm, steering arm, tie rods, idler arm).

Anyway, I'd suspect the pump if it's not the hoses.

Did you lose enough fluid to have air in the system? Maybe after you change the hoses and bleed the system it'll behave better. What's a pump cost? Is it worth replacing it while your down there.

Oh, and how's the pump's belt? Could it be loose and/or slipping?

Just some thoughts.

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Jerry
2004 Frontier, King Cab, XE, 4x1, 4-cyl, 5-spd
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