I was wondering if anyone knows what this could be? When I start it up, I sometimes get a smell for a few seconds and then it goes away. It kind of smells like anti-freeze, but I don't think it is. Plus, since it has gotten cold out, its somewhat hard to turn the wheel for the first 1-2 minutes after it sits overnight. The temp gauge sits in the lower middle but never goes past 1/2 way. Thoughts??
I think it is slow turning the wheel when cold, possibly because the power steering fluid thickens up a bit in these types of cold temps! Especially when sitting outside overnight for a period of hours. I've noticed this in the past with other vehicles, but it should go away in a bit. Otherwise you may want to check your fluids for winter conditions... Not sure on the smell though... Suggest a full winter flush and/or checkup!
like ALL fluids they get thick in really cold weather.. just be gentle for the first few minutes... dont reef on the steering.... allow the steering fluid to warm up like the rest of the car...
agreed, the smell on startup is most likely oil, it seeps down past the valve seals, all cars do it at least a little bit, just make sure you let it warm up before you drive it!!!!
:laugh: The steering goes back to normal within a minute of driving. It sits in my garage, but its a detached garage and its just as cold in there as it is outside. Thanks for the help guys. I really appreciate it
That's what I smell on some cold startups on my FXT, also. I've pulled over one time when I smelled and saw small puffs of white smoke come out of my hoodscoop. I popped the hood and see no trace of coolant or any drips. I'm stumped as well.
My steering rack does the same thing. On the smell, is it fuel? There is a recall on the 02 WRX fuel rails. One side gets a longer metal tube and the other side gets a longer ruber tube. Either way, it worked for me.
