HELP!! STEERING CAUSES MOTOR TO KILL!! NEED FIX

Hi everybody, I got a 95 Riv 3800 series supercharged w/ just about 80,000 original miles! About 2 weeks ago I had my old power steering pump go bad soo I replaced it w/ a re-Manu one. Now I'm getting squeaks from my tensioner pulley (the one connected to the alternator & power steering pump) and if I cut the wheel in u-Turn position my car kills and I have to restart everytime!!!

Had a local mechanic down the street look at it but he claims this is due to a bad head gasket and I need a new motor but I have not 1 symptom of head issues and this only started after I replaced my pump!

If anybody has a fix or better idea of what is going on I would love the help!!

I would look at your PS return line for a kink or some sort of restriction. You also may have air in the lines.

I would look at everything you touched when doing the job first. Make sure all is good.

I looked at everything on tht end of the motor and just realized a leak.. It's PS fluid but it's not coming from the pressure line it's coming from close by the gas lines.. I'm not 100% on this but I traced it to the gas line and it feels wet! Any diagnostics for this out ther? Really not looking to purchase a new engine

you need a new mechanic. sounds like ya may have a pinch in the gas line and its starvin the engine. turn it till it dies and then look pop the hood and check for crimped or pinched lines. if you have a leak figure out what fluid it is and that will help the more mechanically inclined guys like aa and abandon and others to help you better

If the car restarts and runs ok after your "steering kill" I would look for a wiring problem related to the R&R of the old ps pump. GM pumps are designed to clutch out at full lock IIRC.

It could be that a hi pressure ps hose leak is dousing something (the ignition module?) and causing the like that way.

Finally, if your motor and/or transmission mounts are weak , what it could be is -- at lock the engine shifts in the cradle and tugs on the wiring harness. Check the wires in the big connector block high on the passenger side of the firewall. On the older 95-96 Riv's there was a good bit of wire that I presume was brittle and breaking inside the insulation. Do you know how to check for wires busting inside the insulation?

Albertj

joshuadalegrimes: Yea I should have never took my car to them all they did was piss me off w/ that diagnostic! But I'm getting back under the Riv this weekend to double check my lines hopefully I see what the exact issue is!

Albertj: I honestly don't know how to check for busted wires in that area but have a good eye and now that you pointed that out I will draw more attention to that area! Is there something specific I should look for to tell if there's an issue?

The 95 Riv ps pump does not have any sort of clutch, but does have an internal pressure relief valve. At full turn, the pump pressure does increase significantly. If your pump is bled properly and free from leaks, the pressure relief valve, if functioning properly, allows excess pressure to escape into reservoir to avoid damage. It is not recommended to hold steering to full extent of its mechanical limit with car running. At lo rpm's, the pump can stall the engine if demands of the pump create a load that the engine cannot recover from fast enough.

My advice, take it for what its worth:
-inspect your work (check for leaks or kinks in ps lines)
-follow proper bleeding technique
-when pump is properly bled and system is free from leaks, test drive car and see if stalling problem is still present.

If problem still exists, wiggling suspected wiring harnesses (with car in park) should stall the car if wiring is the issue.

Good luck!
It is also possible that you bought a defective pump.

Thanks bigdave... The first thing I'm doing this week is going over all my work, I plan to repair any line thts leaking or seems to be kink' up...

Quick question tho! If my line wasn't bled properly wouldn't that cause a strain in my steering? I don't have 2 use any force when turning the wheel which makes me think all is ok until the car kills at u-turn!!

I also think a bad tensioner pulley is in play because I'm hearing chirps when I cut the wheel now...

Chirping from the belt could be a sign of air in the power steering. As the pump tries to move air, it bites causing the belt to slip on the ps pulley. Do you need the bleeding procedure for our cars? Let me know.

Yes BigDave if you could post them it would help! THANKS...

-ignition turned off, raise front of vehicle
-turn steering wheel full left(engine still off)
-fill reservoir to "FULL COLD". leave cap off
-have someone watch fluid level and condition, turn st wheel lock to lock at least 40 times (engine still off)
-helper should add fluid when needed to keep level at "FULL COLD"
-if now you still have bubbles in your fluid, check all your connections for leaks and repair them. return to top and start over
- if fluid is free from bubbles, start engine, at idle check and add fluid if necessary, reinstall cap
-return wheels to center and lower car to ground
- keep engine running for 2 minutes
-turn wheels in both directions(not lock to lock) steering should be smooth and quiet.

I'd like to add that your belt chirp might be caused by a mis-aligned P/S pulley. If it was pressed too far in or not far enough, it will cause a chirp.....

Thanks BigDave I will most definitely follow that procedure after as I figure out what lines may need repair! I didn't do this the first time so I kno that's one of my issues!

Abaddon: LOL it's funny you say that because my dad told me when I was putting the pump on not to touch the pulley because I might not put it back on as good as it needs 2b, it was hell taking off took all my strength but putting it back on I might have been at half strength! I will surely go back and make sure I have it tightened correctly!