97 Lumina hard to turn

first check the condition and level of p/s fluid. if low top off first and turn your steering wheel left to right and back several times to try to bleed air out of p/s system. if p/s is still stiff or hard your p/s pump pressure output can be measured with a pressure gauge. if pressure is below specs its time to replace it. if your p/s output pressure is good then you would need to inspect your p/s hose or lines for kinks or restrictions to your steering rack. on certain model vehicles p/s sensitivity can be adjusted on the steering rack. you would need to check the vehicles service manual to see if its possible to adjust steering rack sensitivity.

I would maybe have someone take a look at the stabilizer bar and ball joints. Unless you request them to look at the whole steering assembly, meaning torsion bars, etc. they might not find the issue. on another note maybe your power steering pump could be taking a dump on you, was it hard to turn?

YOU HAVE A RUPTURE PRESSURE LINE IF YOU HAVE NO POWER STEERING FLUID IN THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR.LOCATE LEAK THEN BLEED POWER STEERING SYSTEM BY ADDING POWER STEERING TO RESERVOIR.DONT OVER FILL BY FULL COLD MARK ON POWER STEERING DIP STICK.ADD FLUID TO RESERVOIR WAIT A 2 MINUTES.CHECK FLUID LEVEL AGAIN.WHEN POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL STOP DROPPING.START ENGINE LET IT RUN FOR 10 SECONDS.THEN TURN OFF ENGINE CHECK POWER STEERING FLUID ADD FLUID IF FLUID LEVEL DROPS. WHEN FLUID LEVEL STOP DROPPING.SAFELY RAISE SUPPORT VECHICLE FRONT WHEELS.START ENGINE.NOW TURN STEERING WHEEL GENTLY FROM STOP TO STOP MEANING LEFT TO RIGHT DONT HOLD IN POSITION.LET THE STOP TO STOP BE QUICK.CHECK POWER STEERING FLUID AFTER YOU HAVE TURN STEERING WHEEL ABOUT 7 STOP TO STOP.WHEN FLUID LEVEL STOP DROPPING YOU AT HOT MARK ON DIP STICK BLEEDING PROCESS COMPLETE.TURN OFF ENGINE LOWER VECHICLE BACK TO GROUND WAIT ABOUT 5 MINUTES CHECK YOUR FLUID LEVEL.IF FLUID LOOKS LIKE A TAN COLOR.YOUR POWER STEERING SYSTEM FULL OF AIR.TURN OFF VECHICLE LET VECHICLE SET A LONG WHILE TO AIR BUBBLES SETTLE DOWN LOOK FOR LEAKS AROUND POWER STEERING PUMP FRONT SEAL AND CHECK FOR LEAKS AROUND POWER STEERING LINES.

If the P/S pump is not low of fluid and you have not just recently added P/S fluid then the pump needs replacing. If you recently added fluid to the pump and it was low it may have air in the system. Start the engine and turn the steering wheel fully to the right and fully to the left 10 times. This will remove any trapped air.

it could problem with power steering pump or rack, check with technician what it is.

It could be various things.
Low steering fluid
Dirty steering fluid
Bad steering pump
Loose or missing belt
Bad steering box
Air in the steering system

I would check what you know how to check. If they're okay, have a mechanic check the rest.

yes fill it move wheels and fill it move wheels fill it till it stays full.

why not just replace the turn signal switch must faster and safer . buy one from your local parts house then you can see its not that easy to install but you can do it with a little help

Most of the time the pump will make a whining noise when used. this is a warning for a bad malfunctioning pump. if there is no noise during a hard turn, it will most likely be an issue with the steering assembly. heres a step by step guide on checking the pump.


Step1 Check the fluid levels of your vehicle first. Add power steering fluid if necessary before you proceed any further. Step2 Connect the power steering pump and hose to the pressure gauge and shutoff valve. Fit the hose to the power steering pump correctly. Make sure the shutoff valve is open before test the power steering pump. Step3 Idle the engine while turning the steering wheel all the way to the right and all the way to the left to release any air from the power steering pump. Step4 Close the shutoff valve to check system pressure for about 5 seconds. If the shutoff valve is closed longer than 5 seconds, your power steering pump can overheat and this can cause damage to the pump itself. Step5 Compare the pressure reading against the manufacturer's specifications. If the pressure is within limits, your power steering pump is working correctly and you're ready to roll. Step6 Troubleshoot if the pressure reading is not the same as the manufacturers specifications. Consult the manual for your vehicle or for your power steering pump (if you just installed a new one) to determine the source of any further problems.

If it's a power steering pump low on fluid, it will buzz real loud and worse when you turn the steering wheel left or right.

Fill with power steering fluid. Look in owners manual for type of fluid.

when fluid is added, turn stering wheel full left and full right to purge trapped air.

If this does not fix, you may have a bad pump.

Please rate as fixya if ths solves your issue.

Rpeort back on rsults and good luck.