I just had the rack and pinion and lines replaced on my 99 contour svt. Why does the steering lock up when I start it? The steering wheel spins when it's turned off though.

inner seal on the rack and pinion is leaking to the outter seal replace the rack and pinion

Could be the pump or rack and pinion. Pumps usually whine real bad before dieing(especially when turning). The rack can blow a seal and die all of the sudden.

take off both tie rod ends their are 2 nuts on the bottom their is two power steering lines on the passenger side when you have the lines off the rack will just pull off the steering rod when you put it back in you line up your steering wheel on the inside

look for split in the hard line where fluid is leaking. If you see split, change the line only. make sure power steering reservoir is filled and rack and pinion is full (charge with steering wheel left/right motion). You should be able to remove wheel and inside wheel panel to see power steering fluid shooting out of any hole. There is hydraulic pressure on the lines.

something is wrong in the steering column where the key cylinder unlocks the column Either the car was damaged by an attempt to steel the vehicle or it is altered using non factory original parts. If you customized the steering you should have seen the issue while the steering wheel was removed while checking the key

I would be checking the point where the shaft from the wheel is on the pinion shaft for loose or missing a lock bolt. It appears that the shaft is moving over the splines of the rack pinion because of a missing bolt or clamp.

either the steering shaft has broke or the rack and pinion is broke have someone turn the wheel and look under hood near where the steering shaft meets the rack and pinion. do you see it spinning? if so the rack is most likely broke inside. if not the steering shaft may have snapped. hope this helps

YOU HAVE TO SAFELY RAISE SUPPORT VECHICLE ON JACK STANDS.MAKE SURE YOU HAVE VECHICLE PARKED ON LEVEL SOLID GROUND.ONCE VECHICLE RAISED.REMOVE FRONT WHEELS.REMOVE TIE RODS END COTTER PINS AND CASTLE NUTS.REMOVE TIE ROD ENDS FROM THE KNUCKLES.REMOVE FRONT STABILIZER BAR.POSITION THE DASH OPENING WEATHER SEAL FOR THE STEERING COLUMN OUT OF THE WAY.REMOVE OR DISCONNECT THE FOLLOWING.REMOVE PINCH BOLT RETAINING THE STEERING COLUMN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT COUPLING.REMOVE STEERING GEAR RETAINING NUTS BOLTS.REMOVE REAR SUBFRAME BOLTS.USE WIRE TO SUPPORT EXHAUST COMPONENTS UNLESS YOU ARE REMOVING THEM COMPLETELY.SUPPORT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM FLEX TUBE AND REMOVE THE FLEX TUBE TO DUAL CONVERTER Y PIPE ATTACHMENT.LOWER THE VECHICLE SLIGHTLY UNTIL THE REAR SUBFRAME SEPARATES FROM THE BODY APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES.REMOVE THE HEAT SHIELD BAND AND FOLD THE HEAT SHIELD DOWN.ROTATE THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY TO CLEAR THE BOLTS FROM THE FRONT SUBFRAME AND PULL TOWARD THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VECHICLE.PLACE A DRAIN PAN UNDER THE VECHICLE AND DISCONNECT THE POWER STEERING LINES.REMOVE THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY THROUGH THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VECHICLE***** TO INSTALL ****** INSTALL NEW TEFLON O - RINGS ON THE POWER STEERING LINE FITTINGS. PLACE THE RACK AND PINION RETAINING BOLTS IN THE GEAR HOUSING.INSTALL RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY THROUGH THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VECHICLE.INSTALL POWER STEERING LINES ON THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY. INSTALL RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY ON THE SUBFRAME.INSTALL ******** HEAT SHIELD.INSTALL TIE ROD ENDS TO THE KNUCKLES TIGHTEN THE CASTLE NUTS AND INSTALL THE COTTER PINS.INSTALL STABILIZER BAR.INSTALL RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY RETAINING BOLTS.TORQUE THEM TO 85 - 99 FT LBS. RAISE VECHICLE UNTIL SUBFRAME CONTACTS THE BODY.INSTALL REAR SUBFRAME RETAINING BOLTS TORQUE THEM TO 83 - 112 FT LBS.INSTALL EXHAUST SYSTEM FLEX TUBE TO DUAL CONVERTER Y PIPE.INSTALL FRONT WHEELS.INSTALL A NEW PINCH BOLT IN THE STEERING COLUMN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT COUPLING ON THE RACK INPUT SHAFT TORQUE PINCH BOLT TO 25 - 33 FT LBS.POSITION THE STEERING COLUMN OPENING WEATHER SEAL OVER THE STEERING GEAR HOUSING.LOWER THE VECHICLE FILL THE POWER STEERING FLUID RESERVOIR. START THE VECHICLE AND CHECK FOR LEAKS. CHECK FOR PROPER WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND STEERING WHEEL POSITION.BLEED POWER STEERING SYSTEM.

Rather difficult. Involves disconnecting the tie rod ends. Steering linkage from steering wheel. Disconnecting the power steering pump lines and unbolting the rack and pinion from the body. Not a lot of room to get at stuff.

It sounds like your valve in the rack and pinion steering has gone bad or your steering pump has gone, but if the fluid is good in the power steering pump and there was no wining noise form the pump then it's a good chance the the rack and pinion needs to be replaced. Good luck and keep me posted.