I need some help people. my power steering seems to lock up randomly after my 95 4runner v6 warms up to normal temp. i just took it for a drive to pick up some more atf to flush the system again and discovered that if i'm revving over 1500 rpm then all power steering is returned. any ideas on what the problem might be? Thanks for any help!

 

get any funky sounds when its not working? worse when using the brakes? Could b the vsv on the bottom of the ps pump?

 

nope, no new sounds when it doesn't work and it isn't any worse when i'm not braking.

 

Sounds like the belt may be slipping...did you check the tension/condition of the belt?

 

is the pressure switch connected/functional?
hope the fluid isn't overheating also...

 

checked the belt when i flushed the system and it's tight. not sure about pressure switch or fluid overheating. i highly doubt it's overheating as i dipped my finger in the psf to see if it was still dirty after driving it for a bit.

 

okay, i think i just got impatient. i drove through town and back home today with no problems at all after putting in the atf last evening and letting it sit all night. i'm beginning to think the reason that it was doing this was because i had been putting regular power steering fluid in instead of the atf. oops!

Thanks for everyone's help anyways.

 

okay, it started acting up the next day so i changed the fluid again. done it about 4 times now and it's still acting up. power steering no longer returns at 1500 rpm. still lose power steering after the temp gauge reaches normal temperature and up until then i have full power steering. drove it to work today on the highway and lost it but after work i went through town and had PS for all but 2 turns that i took...

i'm completely baffled now and would appreciate any and all suggestions on what the problem could be..

EDIT: over the past 3 days of changing the fluid and looking around the PS pump i could not see any signs of leaking.

 

How are u changing fluid? Did u get all the air outta the the system?

Usually... I drain the system by pulling off a hose from the steerin gear box, start the rig, and watch it drain into the bucket( dont forget the bucket....lol) when it starts getting low, refill, and repeat... after you have done that a few times, reconnect the line, fill ps reservoir, leave cap off, and slowly turn the steering wheel all the way to one side... then slowly, all the way to other side... repeat this process 4-5 times, and should b good.

 

to drain it i've been using a syringe and sucking all the fluid out until i can see the bottom then filling it back up. i didn't think about leaving the cap off and turning it to let air out. i think i'll go try that now.

 

tried the last comment and it didn't work. while having the valve cover gasket replaced today i had our mechanic see what he could find out about the power steering and he said it baffled him too. after he looked some things up though he said that the abs is somehow pressurized by the power steering and that it's controlled electronically. heres a few pictures of what he was talking about.

he suggested researching a little more into it as he said he wasn't very experienced with toyota steering components but he thought that if the plug on the left of the picture there was pulled that it would disengage the abs but at the same time would end the power steering issue.


this is a picture from further back to show where the part is. front of the vehicle is on the left back is on the right.


tell me what you all think.

 

bump. here's the fsm page for the abs actuator. does anyone know if it would hurt anything to pull the connector on the actuator? would i shut anything off other than the abs?

http://www.the-roo.com/4runner/Brake/absactua(2).pdf

 

another bump, basically i'm just adding extra stuff now just in case other people run into this problem and also for just a little more help from people. i've run through the fsm's and tinkered a bit and come to the conclusion that my problem is the power steering gear. and my question for everyone that might have any idea is what is a decent price for these and is there a better option than a stock one?

 

@ET
I picked up a 1994 IFS power steering gear/box for $60 off of craigslist for my 87 PU.

they do have rebuild kits, but I personally wouldn't even bother.

 

yeah, after looking at the fsm i don't think i have the experience and i don't want to buy all the tools just to rebuild it. i'll check CL but usually there isn't squat for toyota's anywhere nearby. anyone know if o'reileys or an automotive store would check pressure on the PS gear. i really want to avoid the dealership.

 

new update on this problem just in case someone else turns up having it.

i took it to sears and had them check the pressure and they said it was the power steering pump. they wouldn't let me have the old part to take it apart to find out what was wrong but my thoughts are that the control valve was sticking or the spring on it was worn out. they replaced the pump and it works great now.