Steering Shudder...

Odin8 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-11-06, 03:38 AM

Alright, so my baby is having another problem. From the cost of repair work and what I bought the car for, I'm not belly up yet, but I do seem to be approaching that sooner rather then later. She's just too pretty to get rid of...yet.

I get a steering shudder seemingly only when I'm standing still, switching gears and turning the wheel. For example, if I were to back into a parking spot, I'd have the car in drive, shift to reverse while starting to turn the wheel, get a shudder for a couple seconds, then continue on fine. Or if I were to back out of a parking spot, I'd be going from reverse, shifting to drive while turning the wheel, get a shudder, then fine again. I'll come to a complete stop before I start to switch gears too, so not as if I'm shifting with the car still rolling. If I'm standing still in gear, and I didn't recently switch, I can turn the wheel fine without any shudder. If I switch gears, wait a second or two before turning, it'll be fine. Never get it when the car is moving and I'm turning. So it seems to be something with the act of shifting the tranny into gear while turning the wheel at the same time. When I say shudder, I mean it...the steering wheel shudders, and there is a noticeable shudder throughout the car.

Checked my power steering fluid, which was full. My power steering does seem to be a little more whiney then I think it should be lately, so the pump may be on it's way out...may just be me being over critical though. All I could think of was maybe they didn't bolt a mount back together right after they swapped my engine? On a side note, I do notice a little clunk when I shift gears, to/from every gear except going into neutral. Seems to be a bit more, I dunno, hard then it should be. Tranny shifts perfectly while driving and seems fine otherwise. Dunno if this is tied in, figured it might go along with the whole bad mount idea. I'm certainly no mechanic though, just thinking of stuff that seems to make sense to me.

Any suggestions/help? No codes either, by the way. Thanks guys...
Jon

lry99eldo · #2 (**permalink**) 02-11-06, 09:48 AM

I get the same thing on my '99 Eldo. Knowing a few things about power steering and related hardware I've come to this conclusion. Right or wrong, it's only my opinion with no actual expertise.
When the car is not moving, regardless of gear, it will sometimes shutter as you describe. Yet the shutter is short and consistent. The cycle of this shutter suggests to me that the pump and the rack are at odds to each other for a second. Also, our Caddys have quite a bit of weight and tire to move so it really doesn't surprise me that it does happen.
I sort of anticipate this now, and to prevent it I let the car move just and inch or so and then begin steering. And like you say, it doesn't seem to appear again once things are in movement or use.
This doesn't mean that it's right, and I'm not one to just chalk up things like this to the " Oh, they all do it " catagory, yet like I said, I think I kind of understand why it's happening. To me, it's the pumps' inability to overcome the pressure requirement right at that moment and needs a bit of "help" by moving the car just a bit.
Although my drive belt is about 10K old now, I'm sort of looking at that possibiltiy too, it might be just a bit stretched or not tensioning just right. I don't want to over think it, but if it persists and does it more often, that will be the first place I look. It would be the more simple place to start, know what I mean Vern?
lry99eldo

Odin8 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-11-06, 01:27 PM

Hm...the shudder I get is also very consistant and short, so seems I have the same thing. It'll also do it all the time, whenever I get in that scenario, it'll do it, not just sometimes.

I just want to make sure it's not a sign of something really expensive on it's way out...if it's my power steering pump, or a belt, I can spring for that. Gonna have a bit more trouble if it's something big in the suspension or my tranny. I can live with it, but it just bugs the shit out of me to know it happens, you know? Also a pain if I'm trying to be quick, like I'm backing out on a road with traffic coming, that sort of thing.

I may have to check my belt, because I'm pretty sure it wasn't replaced when they swapped engines, and my tensioner pulley whines a whole lot sometimes, so maybe because that's going bad, it isn't putting the right tension on the belt? Like I said, I'm also wondering if the whole thing is linked to my tranny having hard shifts. Any other ideas guys?

Thanks so far...

JC316 · #4 (**permalink**) 02-11-06, 03:30 PM

My SLS dosen't do that. It sounds like you have air in the system. Have the lines going from the pump to the rack ever been taken off? If they have or if you have ever gotten air in the system, it requires a procedure to purge the air out of the system. You have to get the wheels off the ground and run the steering wheel to the left and right, thirty to fifty times.

Odin8 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-12-06, 04:31 PM

If they replaced my engine, would disconnecting those lines be part of what they had to do to get it out? I'd assume yes? If it was air in the lines, would I get it in a specific scenario everytime...like I am, or would it happen at random whenever the wheel was turning?

NoFear365@yahoo.com · #6 (**permalink**) 02-27-06, 11:33 AM

I have the same problem on my 96 Eldo. I also have the "mysterious" knock in my front end. Slowly I'm thinking it's all related to my rack now...

shaynes302 · #7 (**permalink**) 04-20-08, 07:05 PM

I have a 99 ETC Eldo and I never had this problem until I had to repalce the power steering pump. I replaced the pump about 2000 miles ago and it does seem to be getting better.

JC316 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-20-08, 08:11 PM

Holy old ass thread batman! My advice still stands, did you do the proper purge procedure? If so, maybe it just took a while to purge it all...

shaynes302 · #9 (**permalink**) 11-27-08, 01:24 PM

Well it seems we may all have been wrong. My steering rack started leaking over the weeked so it went into the garage for a new rack. I just got it back yesterday and seems to turn much easier but it still makes a groaning noise when I turn the wheel from side to side. I have bleed the system 2 times but it still makes that noice. It also seems to studder if I turn the wheel quick while sitting still. The rack cost close to a grand to have replaced. This will be the last time I have any work done by anybody other than the dealer. The shop that did the work knew nothing about my Eldorado. The first rack they installed did not work. I hope this one holds up for a few miles.

submariner409 · #10 (**permalink**) 11-27-08, 04:14 PM

shaynes, I don't want to rain on your parade, but a new or rebuilt steering rack should be dead quiet and smooth.

Give it a hundred miles of combined city/rural driving and if it doesn't perform like a Cadillac steering system, politely make your case to the installer. Yes, the labor is more complicated than some racks, but less than others. Bottom line is: It should be satisfactory.