Huntington Beach Ford
May 23, 2019

Power steering is one of the cornerstone features of modern vehicles and is the reason why directing a vehicle is ten times easier than it used to be several decades ago. But when your power steering belt begins to significantly wear down or outright fails, then it can make driving your Ford Fusion throughout Costa Mesa so much more difficult.  

That is why it is important to be able to determine when your power steering belt is in need of replacement. Luckily, this article breaks down the symptoms of a bad power steering belt and what you can do when yours begins to fail you.

How a Power Steering Belt Works

An engine typically has multiple belts, so figuring out which one is the power steering one might be a little tricky for some people. It is usually located on the front of the engine and is in charge of operating the entire power-steering hydraulic-fluid pump. What this means is that the belt is tasked with making sure that the power steering is actually accessible to the driver. Without the power steering belt, the entire system ceases to work and all ability to use it is lost.

How to Spot a Significantly Worn out Power Steering Belt

Being able to spot a significantly worn-down power steering belt is important because it allows you the opportunity to get the situation fixed before the belt fails entirely and you lose all power steering in your vehicle. One of the easiest ways to tell if your power steering belt is beginning to fail is by paying attention to how easily and consistently the vehicle is able to turn. If you notice that driving your Ford F-150 through Costa Mesa can sometimes feel slightly difficult or jerky, especially around corners or maneuvers that require a lot of turning, then it might be a sign that your power steering belt is beginning to slip.

Another identifier to watch out for is a sudden squeaky noise coming from the engine. If you ever hear a grinding or squeaking noise coming from the engine when you turn the wheel, then that is a really significant indicator that your power steering belt has seen better days.

Looking for Damage

If you do not hear anything or feel any issues when turning the wheel, but still have a suspicion that something might be wrong with the power steering belt, then you can always examine it for yourself. If you do this, then you need to know exactly what type and significant wear and tear you are looking for.

Having any sort of oil, gravel, or other sorts of debris on the belt is not a good sign. This could potentially mean that the belt on your vehicle is not working properly and might be in need of replacement. In the meantime, just try to gently clean the affected portions of the belt and check to see if the debris has caused any damage to occur.

Power Steering Problems Not Related to the Belt 

The power steering belt is by no means the only component of the power steering system in your vehicle. There are many other parts including the power steering pump, steering yoke, steering coupler, power steering hoses, and more. Besides the power steering belt, the power steering pump is the most common part to end up failing. If you are wondering how to tell the difference between a failing belt and a failing pump, then you will need to look for the following symptoms.

A high pitched whining noise is one of the most obvious indicators that your power steering pump is the part that is failing. The grinding or squeaking noise that you will hear from a power steering belt is different from this kind of noise. The whining noise will only occur whenever you turn the wheel.

Having a delayed steering response is the other main sign that it might be your power steering pump that is breaking down. Turning the wheel of your Ford vehicle as you drive through Costa Mesa should result in the vehicle immediately adjusting to match your steering input. However, if you notice that you turn the wheel and have to wait for a full second before the vehicle matches, then you should probably go get your power steering pump checked out right away.

What to Do When You Have a Bad Power Steering Belt

When you notice an issue with your power steering and think you have determined that it is the power steering belt that is the problem, then it comes time to get it fixed. You have a couple of options about how you can go about getting it fixed. If you are particularly handy with tools and have a decent amount of experience working on vehicles, then you could definitely perform the repair yourself.

Replacing the power steering belt is not a particularly difficult task, but there are a couple of issues that might arise if you try to do the repair yourself. The biggest issue is that you might not even be able to access the power steering belt in the first place. In some vehicles it is relatively easy to get access to, however, other vehicles require you to completely unhook and raise up the engine. This is not something that the vast majority of car owners should attempt to do themselves since they likely lack the tools and experience to do it properly.

So for many individuals, the best course of action when your power steering belt is acting up is to take it to a professional to get it fixed. While it is technically possible to continue to drive your vehicle even once the power steering unit has completely failed, it is generally not a good idea. Without power steering capabilities, it will become so much harder for you to have control over your vehicle.