Kia Sorento: Troubleshooting

Symptom	Probable Cause	Remedy
Steering Wheel Play	Loose Clamp Cap	Tighten
	Steering Gear Mounting Bolts Loose	Tighten
	Loose or worn tie rod end	Tighten or replace as necessary
Steering Wheel Operation Not Smooth (Insufficient Power Assist)	Drive Belt Slipping	Readjust
	Damaged Drive Belt	Replace
	Low Fluid Level	Refill
	Air in Fluid	Bleed Air
	Kinked or Damaged Hoses	Correct Routing or Replace
	Insufficient Oil Pump Pressure	Repair or Replace Oil Pump
	Flow Control Valve	Replace
	Excessive Internal Oil Pump Leakage	Replace Damaged Parts
	Excessive Oil Leakage from Rack and Pinion Gear Housing	Replace Damaged Parts
	Deformed or Damaged Gear Housing or Valve Body Seals	Replace
Steering Wheel Does Not Return Properly	Excessive Tie Rod End Turning Resistance	Replace
	Clamp Bolt Overtightened	Adjust
	The tie rod and/or ball joint does not swivel smoothly	Replace
	Loose steering gear bracket mounting and/or worn steering shaft joint	Tighten
	Worn steering shaft joint and/or body bushing	Repair or replace
	Deformed strut	Replace
	Damaged Gear Bearing	Replace
	Kinked or Damaged Hoses	Reposition or Replace
	Damaged Oil Pressure Control Valve	Replace
	Damaged Oil Pump Input Shaft Bearing	Replace
Noise	Squeal noise in steering gear All power steering systems may make noise. One of the most common is a whining sound when turning the steering wheel while the vehicle is not moving. This noise will be most noticeable when turning the wheel while the brakes are applied. There is no relationship between this noise and steering performance. Do not replace the valve until the whine becomes excessive. A replaced valve will also make a slight noise and is not always a solution to the problem.
Knocking or clunking in rack and pinion	Hose contact with vehicle body	Move
	Loose transaxle bracket	Tighten
	Loose tie rod end and/or ball joint	Tighten
	Worn tie rod and/or ball joint
Noise from oil pump	Low Fluid Level	Refill
	Air in Fluid	Bleed Air
	Loose pump mounting bolts	Tighten

Troubleshooting

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