Lately, when I start my Maxima in the morning, the steering sticks. It's stick, then releases, sticks, then releases. Then for the rest of the day it's, it turns smoothly. I want to say the power steering pump neds to be replaced??
I am a Nissan ceritifed Scope Technician with over 10 years experience in a Nissan dealership.
To me, it sounds like your problem is "morning sickness". The problem is there only after the vehicle sits for a period of a few hours (overnight) and then is gone once the vehicle warms up some.
What happens with "morning sickness" is this: there are nylon rings in the pinion section of the steering rack and pinion. Over time, these nylon rings wear grooves into the aluminum housing in which they reside. When the steering rack and pinion is cold, the pressurized power steering fluid can move past these rings causing difficulty in steering or an unsmooth steering condition. Once the fluid warms up some, the nylon rings expand and seal the gap and fluid can't get past anymore and it stays where it's supposed to be, leading to the normal steering you experience the rest of the day.
The only repair for this condition is to replace the power steering rack and pinion. A used one can be a gamble as this could reoccur in a short time. A brand new one is overly expensive. That leaves a good quality aftermarked remanufactured rack and pinion as your best option. And be sure to have the vehicle aligned when that work is completed.
Hope this helps!!!
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My power steering in my 2002 Nissan Maxima gets very tight when I try to pull out of a parallel park position after work each day. The car has been sitting for about 8-9 hours at this point. In the morning I pull straight out of the driveway and do not notice steering problems. After pulling out of the parked position and driving just a few feet, the problem disappears. My mechanic replaced the rack and Pinion steering rack and it is still doing this. Help.
I would look into purchasing the nylon fittings if available. I'm not sure but I would think the nylon is wearing out over time if this is a sealing issue. It's difficult to believe the aluminum housing is wearing first, but it is a possibility. We have the same problem on my girlfriend's 99 maxima. I'll post a follow up with what I find.
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It sticks when I first start the car from cold.It is very quickly ok for rest of day
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