Dear Tom and Ray:

I own a vehicle that has power steering. A few of my friends, while driving my vehicle, get into situations that require them to turn the steering wheel until it can't be turned anymore. But they insist on trying to turn it more even though the power steering pump begins to whine and the belt begins to squeal. These large-armed friends actually seem hell bent on getting that last atom in the steering column to turn. Can this put such a strain on the power steering pump and/or the hoses so that harm is being done to these parts? -- Donald

Tom: Yes. The whining and squealing should be their sign to stop doing what they're doing. I remember that from my childhood. When my brother started to whine and squeal, it was time for me to loosen the vise I had clamped around his leg.

Ray: When you hear squealing, that means the power-steering belt is slipping. And when it slips, it gets glazed, which means it'll slip more in the future and need to be replaced sooner.

Tom: And the whining is the power-steering pump straining. At full lock position (when the steering wheel is turned all the way to one side) the pump is putting out maximum pressure, and that's when a weak seal or hose is most likely to blow, causing a leak.

Ray: So this situation is to be generally avoided. It won't hurt to do it occasionally, like when you're wedged in a parking space between a Lamborghini and a Ferrari, and your usual "Driving by Braille" method seems ill-advised.

Tom: But those so-called friends of yours who do this on a regular basis are harming your car. And I'd suggest the method that my mother uses on me whenever I make my brother whine and squeal: a swift dope slap to the back on the head. A few hundred of those should alter their behavior.

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? 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.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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