bad truck, bad!

Ned Bulken

Member
Messages
5,529
Location
Lakeport NY and/or the nearest hotel
was driving over to mark's this weekend, and I heard a squeal start up under the hood of my truck... which got worse as we went. Well, on the way home, there was NO power steering, so I either have a bad belt, or I need a new power steering pump. Yech.

Thankfully I can park it (mostly, thanks to the work car I rarely drive it anymore, and with the breakdown I really will try Not to do so) until next payday (two weeks), get it fixed, because I have a road trip for the hollydaze after christmas. My folks live in VA, and I'm the more mobile of the two family units. Lori and the boys probably won't go with me this year, so I'll just get the GMC fixed and then head down for new years.
 
Last edited:
was driving over to mark's this weekend, and I heard a squeal start up under the hood of my truck... which got worse as we went. Well, on the way home, there was NO power steering, so I either have a bad belt, or I need a new power steering pump. Yech.

I would say you diagnosis is right on the money. Should be a pretty simple diagnosis. If there is still a belt on there, it's probably a bad pump. If the belt is missing....... :D It needs a new belt. But you would have guessed that one.
 
Have you "popped the hood" yet? Depending on year, it will be a serpentine belt thus power steering is the only thing you noticed that you lost. The squealing could have been from the belt tensioner bearings going bad. Once it went, the belt would have flipped off. It isn't a bad repair and you can do it in your driveway. 15 minutes tops.
 
Top