Why is my steering wheel hard?
This steering pump may have gotten damaged by running it dry before you fixed the steering hydraulic fluid (ATF) leak.
Hello Paul, my 1999 Mercedes Benz ML 320 has hard steering. It started with a leaking steering hydraulic hose pipe. I kept topping up until we fixed the leak. For a while the steering was soft until it became hard again. It is worse when I park. There is no leak and the steering hydraulic is at the correct level. What could be wrong? Ndahura
Hello Ndahura, your W163 Mercedes ML 320 may have a faulty steering pump. This is a device which relies on engine speed to provide hydraulic pressure to the steering gearing or steering rack of your Mercedes. This hydraulic pressure makes the load of the car lighter when you operate the steering to turn the wheels.
This steering pump may have gotten damaged by running it dry before you fixed the steering hydraulic fluid (ATF) leak. Overtime, running the pump dry damages the internal components such as the vanes which are lubricated and cooled by the hydraulic fluid they are pumping. Replace the steering pump and renew the steering fluid.
