About a month ago, my family took a trip in our 2015 GMC Acadia SLT. (Roughly 89k miles)
My wife noticed a strange feeling in the steering wheel when she would turn, almost as if the steering wheel was pushing back against the turn.
When we got back home, I checked the power steering fluid level, and it was empty!
I looked for a leak and found the power steering hose that connects the pump and the steering rack had some dampness on it and
the steering rack itself seemed to have a slight leak on the underside. I decided to flush the old fluid and replace it with Dex VI ATF as recommended.
This actually made the problem worse!
When I took our Acadia for a test drive, the steering wheel now vibrated terribly when turning and made a horrible sound!
I did some research and found that Acadias are notorious for power steering pump and steering rack issues,
so I decided to replace both. While I was at it, I also replaced the front struts and rear shocks as well as
installing new brake pads and rotors all around. I also replaced the power steering hose as well as the serpentine belt.
All the parts are aftermarket, except for the steering rack and serpentine belt, which are both OEM.
Unfortunately, upon completion, the problem still persisted.
When I took our Acadia for a test drive after the repairs, the steering continued to shake and make noise.
Here is a YouTube video showing someone experiencing the same issue...
I tried unplugging the Variable Effort Steering and tried the steering while it was up on jack stands.
It actually seemed to make the problem go away, so I took the vehicle for another test drive.
Unfortunately, the "Service Power Steering" message came on and the power steering did not work... it was difficult to turn, but the vibration and noise seemed to be gone.
I plugged the Variable Effort Steering back in and the problem came back, plus I received a message that
the Traction Control turned off and to "Service Stabilitrak."
I figured the wiring that plugs into the steering rack must be bad. I tried testing the wiring with a voltage meter while my wife revved the engine and turned the steering wheel, but
it did not seem to register anything on the meter. At this point I'm not sure what else to do, so any help would be greatly appreciated!!!
My wife noticed a strange feeling in the steering wheel when she would turn, almost as if the steering wheel was pushing back against the turn.
When we got back home, I checked the power steering fluid level, and it was empty!
I looked for a leak and found the power steering hose that connects the pump and the steering rack had some dampness on it and
the steering rack itself seemed to have a slight leak on the underside. I decided to flush the old fluid and replace it with Dex VI ATF as recommended.
This actually made the problem worse!
When I took our Acadia for a test drive, the steering wheel now vibrated terribly when turning and made a horrible sound!
I did some research and found that Acadias are notorious for power steering pump and steering rack issues,
so I decided to replace both. While I was at it, I also replaced the front struts and rear shocks as well as
installing new brake pads and rotors all around. I also replaced the power steering hose as well as the serpentine belt.
All the parts are aftermarket, except for the steering rack and serpentine belt, which are both OEM.
Unfortunately, upon completion, the problem still persisted.
When I took our Acadia for a test drive after the repairs, the steering continued to shake and make noise.
Here is a YouTube video showing someone experiencing the same issue...
I tried unplugging the Variable Effort Steering and tried the steering while it was up on jack stands.
It actually seemed to make the problem go away, so I took the vehicle for another test drive.
Unfortunately, the "Service Power Steering" message came on and the power steering did not work... it was difficult to turn, but the vibration and noise seemed to be gone.
I plugged the Variable Effort Steering back in and the problem came back, plus I received a message that
the Traction Control turned off and to "Service Stabilitrak."
I figured the wiring that plugs into the steering rack must be bad. I tried testing the wiring with a voltage meter while my wife revved the engine and turned the steering wheel, but
it did not seem to register anything on the meter. At this point I'm not sure what else to do, so any help would be greatly appreciated!!!