Recent Feedback
2002 Escalade shudders when making parking lot maneuvers, but only after having been driven a while. Could there be boots that swell and allow steering fluid to flow away?
Optional Information: Year : 2002 Make : Cadillac Model : Escalade Engine : 5.3 Already Tried: Replaced Hydro-Boost and power steering pump, but problem is same
This problem is familiar to me, and it is caused by a faulty steering gear. Replacing the gear will correct this issue.
You need to be more specific on what gear.Why do you think a reputable garage would have replaced the hydro-boost and power steering pump?What do you know about the boots swelling up, allowing the fluid to drain away from the gears, after driving a while?Problem does not occur when car is cold, overnight.
I can't speak to why a "reputable" garage would get this wrong. A power steering pump is just a pump: it supplies pressure all the time, that's all it does. Generally speaking, a pump either works or it doesn't, and there's not much question that yours was working before and still does.Same for the hydroboost. It has nothing to do with steering. It's simply connected to the power steering hoses, because it uses that pump pressure to supply brake assist.The steering gear (the actual gearbox that turns the steering linkage) is where the problem lies, and more specifically, with the spool valve inside the gear. As the vehicle warms up, the power steering fluid warms up, too. When oil warms up, the viscosity drops, allowing the fluid to leak past seals that don't leak when the fluid is cold. That's why it doesn't act up until your engine is warmed up.We used to replace spool valves in the gearboxes for this concern, but it's a quirky repair and requires some expertise and special tools. In your case, I would simply replace the steering gearbox with a rebuilt unit.I don't know what your mechanic is talking about when he says the boots are swelling up. There are no boots on this truck's steering system.Final point: being a businessman as well as a consumer, I would demand that the "reputable shop" make this right at no charge to you. They spent probably $1000 or more of your money and didn't fix the problem. Now they can spend their own money to make it right. I would insist on it.-Jerry
Thanks,Yes, i will tell them to credit me the $900 I paid last week.Is there only one gearbox? I saw online about changing out a 670 gearbox with a 680.Do you know about this?What do you think the gearbox replacement should cost?The boots I was talking about were on my old Q45 or my lexus sedan, but I thought it was same kind of problem.
Yes, there is a bulletin to replace the 670 with a 680, and that is to address a problem with low assist during parking lot maneuvers. The 680 is more money, so if you don't require that additional boost, there's not really a need for it.A reman gearbox will probably set you back around $400, plus about 1.5 hours of labor to install it, so you can probably expect to spent $600 or so on this by the time fluid is added and everything.The Lexus Q has rack and pinion steering, completely different setup.-Jerry
One last question,Should I ask for the 680 for more boost assist?
I was actually just doing some research to give you the part number for that gear, but I don't see that bulletin on GM's list anymore.... they may have done away with that option. The other gear is called a 700 gear now, and though they are interchangeable, I don't have an application or a part number for it. Your repair shop should be able to call the local GM parts counter and see if that's something they know about, but it appears that GM has rescinded that bulletin.
Experience: ASE Master Technician, L1, Master GM Technician. Over 20 years of bumper to bumper GM experience.
I just want to make sure there could not be any problem with joints or axle in causing this problem.The garage has already agreed to replace the gearbox.You said "reman gearbox". Does this mean they overhaul it, or install new one, or what?
A "reman" gearbox is a rebuilt box from a company that specializes in rebuilding gearboxes. A1 Cardone is probably the biggest remanufacturer in the country, and their products are sold in lots of stores that you'd recognize.Another option is to buy this gear directly from GM. It's a few bucks more obviously, but there won't be any question about its quality: it's brand new, made by Saginaw Gear, the company that has made gearboxes for GM and other factories for decades.Putting a "new" gear in this solves the problem without guesswork. A1 Cardone is a pretty reputable rebuilder, and I don't usually have a problem with their products.As for what else it could be..... if I'm understanding your symptom correctly, it can't be anything else.