Update Time: 04-07-2009

If you have ever driven a vintage car, then you definitely know how hard it is to steer a car without power steering. The power steering system uses hydraulic pressure to make turning the steering wheel easier, and requires only a little bit of maintenance to keep running smoothly.

The main thing that you should do is check the fluid level in your power steering pump every month or two. This should be done while the car is warm and running, on an even, level surface. If you do it while the car is cold, or while it is on any sort of incline, without the car running, you will not get an accurate reading of the fluid level, which can lead to over-filling it and possibly damaging a one to five thousand dollar system on your car.

The power steering system is a "closed" system, which means that the fluid level should be relatively stable throughout time... If you notice a big loss every time you check, you may have a leak in the system. To check for a leak, top off the fluid and check in a few weeks to see if you are low again. If you are low again, you most likely have a leak and should fix it as soon as possible.

If you notice that the car's power steering fluid is low, add more fluid immediately. Driving a car with low power steering fluid is extremely bad for the pump and can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs.

Either way, top off your fluid and turn the car back on, turning the wheel a few times. Congratulations, you are done!