Occassionally the steering in my 05 TL 6MT becomes very tight and hard to turn. This will happen in the midst of turning into a parking spot or my garage for example, and happend very unexpectedly, almost causing me to hit my garage or the car next to me.

Even one of the service writers noticed this and does not know what it is.

Any suggestions.?

 

I have an 06 mt. For me, it is related to engine rpms. When I am feathering the clutch and the rpms are low (below normal idle), the power steering pump doesn't put out enough pressure and hence the steering gets hard. This would be worse if you had an underdrive crank pulley.
Mike

 

I hate to say this and hope I'm wrong, but it sounds like a bad power steering pump. Bad PS pump may be the answer if you are also one of the members with the weird squeals or V-belt movement under the engine compartment. Let us know.

 

I do have a strange noise if the car is idling and you stand by the passenger front wheel it sounds like something is spinning very slowly and rubbing inside the engine compartment.

Well, it goes in thursday for an oil change, clicking sound from the front end, and now this. I just told them to keep the car until it was fixed. If I get it back and it's still not right i'm gonna be one angry customer. Been in 3 times for this clicking sound already.

 

Will....

Well, you were close. They ended up replacing my entire rack and pinion.....

Still cant figure out what the clicky suspension is though.

 

Rack and pinion?!!
Glad the problem got resolved though.
On the clicking noise- several other members had posted in threads where they encountered similar noises due to shifting/movement of CAI components under load. and were able to resolve the problem by rotating and tightening them down; check to see if that might be a source of your TL's clicking sound?

 

nope, already checked that. It only happens when the car is cold, goes away after it warms up. Definitely rotational. My car just sat outside for about 6 hours in 25* weather and when I got in and started driving, I thought something was about to fall apart. It was the worst sound I have heard come from a car in a long time.

 

whats the opposite of that? i feel that my power steering is too loose? like theres a range of +/- 5 degree turn that doesnt really seem to turn my wheel.. its almost like i have to over steer to get right enough turn?

does that mean my power steering has too much fluid?

 

did changing the rack and pinion fix it though, because I had the same complaint on my 05 TL. It was tight when going slow speeds like into a parking spot or out of the garage/drive way.. anyway they replaced the rack&pinion.. that was about 1 year ago, but it is still tight. Much much tigher than the TL loaner I got recently or my RL.. I am thinking about taking it in agian.