Dear Tom and Ray:

The steering on my 1986 Cadillac Sedan DeVille (front wheel drive) sticks when turning right, but not when turning left. This only happens when the engine is cold. After a few minutes, everything is fine. I've had it looked at by two mechanics. One says the rack is bad. The other says it's the pump. The fluid level does not change. What do you think? Troy

Tom: It sounds like you have G.M.P.S.S., Troy...General Motors Power Steering Syndrome. The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta declared GMPSS a nationwide epidemic around 1985.

Ray: The problem is a defective steering rack, and the symptoms you describe are absolutely classic. By the way, yours is the 8,557th letter we received about this problem.

Tom: After many years, GM finally agreed to replace these defective racks for free on cars less than five years old and with less than 50,000 miles on them. But even though your car is further along than that, you should still ask Cadillac to fix it for free. Who knows, maybe they want you to consider buying another Cadillac someday?

Ray: Right. My brother has predicted that General Motors is going to be the car company of the 90's. And one of the signs that he's right is that they're finally fixing the mistakes of the '80s.

Everybody wants a new car. But from a purely financial point of view, there is no question that buying a used car is always cheaper, even in the long run. To learn more, order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1993 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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