# Power steering works to the right but not the left. Ideas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 4, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-steering-works-to-the-right-but-not-the-left-ideas/443948 "2008-04-04T17:14:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-steering-works-to-the-right-but-not-the-left-ideas/443948/1 "2008-04-04T17:14:56Z")
A co-worker has an '01 Olds Intrigue. His power steering always works when he turns right. It usually doesn’t work when he turns left but sometimes it does. What could be causing this strange behavior and is it something a shade tree mechanic could fix? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-steering-works-to-the-right-but-not-the-left-ideas/443948/2 "2008-04-04T17:47:38Z")
Nothing that big bucks won’t fix. Sounds like a bad rack and pinion to me, let’s see if the gearheads corroborate. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-steering-works-to-the-right-but-not-the-left-ideas/443948/3 "2008-04-04T18:51:02Z")
How many miles on vehicle? How long has problem existed, and did any event immediately precede it? Sudden or gradual loss of power assist for left turn action? ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-steering-works-to-the-right-but-not-the-left-ideas/443948/4 "2008-04-04T19:00:16Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] How many miles on vehicle? How long has problem existed, and did any event immediately precede it? Sudden or gradual loss of power assist for left turn action? [/QUOTE] 1. 110K miles 2. About a year. 3. He heard/felt a popping when making a turn. He only heard/felt it once. 4. Sudden loss of assist. It’s either there or it isn’t. Usually it isn’t. TIA. I’m pretty sure that whatever it is, it can’t be good. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-steering-works-to-the-right-but-not-the-left-ideas/443948/5 "2008-04-04T19:07:06Z")
I’ll confess my ignorance about MV inspections in Oklahoma. Since the problem was first noted, has the vehicle been up on a lift for either safety inspection, or a professional evaluation of steering gear/front suspension components? ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-steering-works-to-the-right-but-not-the-left-ideas/443948/6 "2008-04-04T19:32:33Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] I’ll confess my ignorance about MV inspections in Oklahoma. Since the problem was first noted, has the vehicle been up on a lift for either safety inspection, or a professional evaluation of steering gear/front suspension components? [/QUOTE] No to both. Oklahoma no longer requires safety inspections. When we did have them, they were mostly a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-steering-works-to-the-right-but-not-the-left-ideas/443948/7 "2008-04-04T19:48:46Z")
I agree with **beowulff** , the problem is in the steering gear (rack and pinion assembly). The cure is to replace it with a rebuilt rack. This involves dropping the subframe. It’s not out of the realm of some shadetree mechanics, but I’d say a number of them would lack the tools and/or expertise to do it.