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power steering

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Tombukt2, Oct 1, 2024.

  1. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    So my power steering unit up above my knees is sticking when I'm driving down the road and I try to get off center with the steering wheel It clicks like it's letting go kind of like the fob stuck in the slot when I go to correct steering movement going straight ahead and try to correct turning the wheel to the right I can hear a click like something's holding the steering wheel and then it clicks and lets go how do I know that it's in the power unit oh boy. Because of jacked up the front of the car and I can steer the car and turn the wheels with my bare hands on the right or left wheel smooth as glass no issues It's not until the car is ready and the power steering unit is on that this happens also I noticed when I run the steering wheel from put the center over it 9:00 and then move it over to 3:00 Do this going back and forth there's something moving in the steering system that involves that little electric motor I can hear it running and when I move quickly from the 9:00 position to the 3:00 position there's like a gyro inside the steering column that catches up to me over on the 3:00 side and I can feel it in the steering wheel that kind of goes click and then when I move the steering wheel from 3:00 back to 9:00 that little gyro gear or whatever is going to meet me over at 9:00 and so on and this does this in all of the generation twos I have here but in this particular car this one sticks and it's kind of a nerving when you're driving and it's not in the front end it is definitely in the motorized steering doodad and I haven't really looked at the breakdown of it but by the way the electric motor hangs and what the steering shaft goes through there must be a some kind of a circular gear that the steering shaft is connected to but the electric motor is over there on the right so it must somehow connect to that circular gear that the steering shaft is going through I'm not real sure but something weird is going on in there so I guess I'm just going to change it from this 09 that I have that's in very nice condition it just got smacked in the side but I'm willing to bet that my problem is in this variable power assist electric steering business that has to be because the same click occurs when I'm jogging the steering wheel from 9:00 to 3:00 and 3 to 9 with the electrics on engine not running You can hear the noise of the gear turning and something trying to catch up to the rotation I'm making of the steering.
     
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    If you check out pages CH-77 and CH-78 of the 2004 New Car Features manual, you'll at least have a usable mental picture of what you're looking at.
     
  3. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Base
    I will take a look and check it out I guess I also have an '09 here that I'm just going to take the unit out of because it's working perfectly in that car and then when I get the one out of the silver car I'll be able to look at it and see where the slop is or whatever is going on here but all of the generation twos do this they don't stick but there's something that rotates around like a gyro and when you move the steering wheel and stop it catches up like and feel it clunk into the back of the steering wheel turn the other way stop and wait and this ring comes around don't then hits the other side seemingly that's how it's supposed to work but in the silver car something sticks etc and when I move to make a correction while driving when it unsticks it's kind of nerve-wracking you can feel it in your hand like something kind of snapped. I am sure it is not in the front end of the car I can hear this with the engine off but everything on and ready when I jog the steering wheel I can reproduce the sound and the sticking
     
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    IV
    Worm drives are typically very easy to turn when the worm is driving the round gear, and harder when the round gear is driving the worm. Of course this one is made so it's easy enough, so you can steer if the power is out. You're giving the motor armature a good spin as you crank the wheel, and naturally it will keep going and clunk.

    I would suspect wear in the motor or worm gear bearings, in the funky one.