My cts 2010 power steering issue and noise hard to...

Dear Sir
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Here are some solutions to handle with steering wheel hard to turn:

1. Check air pressure of your car tires

If you find out that your steering wheel hard to turn at low speeds, the first thing you should check will be the air pressure of all your tires. All tires of a car should be filled with equal air and stayed at automaker’s recommended PSI (Pound per Square Inch) in order to prevent improper air amount in tires that leads to stiff steering.

2. Check power steering condition and fluid level

Steering wheel hard to turn at low speeds can happen due to some problems related to power steering fluid level and condition. Therefore, if this case occurs, you need to check both power steering condition and fluid level. (Note: You can easily found the power steering fluid in a cylindrical reservoir which is close to a power-steering belt and being labeled clearly. The cylinder may be a plastic cylinder or a metal one). Inadequate fluid is the reason makes hard and stiff steering. Thus, you need to keep the fluid at accurate full level and the color should be a dark red. If you observe that the fluid color is too dark and old, it’s time for you to change the fluid.

3. Check the pulley on the power steering unit

When your steering wheel hard to turn, inspecting the pulley on the power steering unit is what you should do. Notice that you only check the pulley when the engine of your car off to ensure the safety. Normally, proper tension doesn’t exceed one inch of play or three quarters. For checking tension, you just press your thumb down on the belt. Make sure that the pulley belt condition is good enough with no cracks or frayed edges.

Moreover, you also take a visual check with the car engine running to ensure that the pulley belt is running well. If you observe that the belt is slipping, you can face stiff and erratic steering.

4. Check the power steering unit

Next thing to do is inspecting the power steering unit. As a leak from connecting pressure hoses will decrease your pressure and thus leads to hard steering. Hence, a visual check for fluid leaks here is what you should do.

5. Check the front end parts

Check the front end parts like tie rod ends and ball joints for wear and lubrication. Too much wear on ball joints or tie rod ends is too dangerous and can cause steering wheel to turn as well. Inspecting these parts to make sure that your car has got proper front end alignment. A warning sign would be irregular front tire wear and your car will pull to one side when you drive it. You can face stiff steering, particularly when you make a turn if all the wheels of your car are not aligned precisely.

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Kind Regards
Engineer mohammad