97 Ford Taurus Steering Problem

I have a 97 Ford Taurus and suuddenly my steering has become very tight. The steering becomes tight then loosens up, them becomes tight again. The steering also occasionaly makes a noise. What do you think is the problem?

Sounds like a loose or worn drive belt. Is it accompanied by a squealing noise from the same? Belts get artificially aged by exposure to the HEAT(ea.al) under the hood and reveal this condition by having a glazed, slick or shiney appearance on the smooth side of the belt, or heat checking(cracks in V ribs) under/inside of belt. In either case replacing the belt is a pretty cheap way to go...
HOWEVER ! Ford powersteering pumps have a notorious reputation for random failure, excessive noise and inconsistant operation. If this is your case replace the pump with one that is backed by a good guarantee.
Good luck with it your Taurus is otherwise bullet-proof if you give it proper maintenance.

what kind of maintance needed for 97 ford taurus at 112,000 miles

hey david how u doin i stay in dallas and i have a ford taurus with the exact problem with my steering i wuz trying to see do u have a shop

my 97 ford taurus is going crazy, when I place the car in reverse or drive, the radio cuts out, the steering gets hard, my electric windows wont work, and my seat belt light flashes, and I hear the relay chattering,,someone told me its the transmission range selector, and if I disconnect it, the problem will go away, but I removed the wiring plug, and the car wont start,,as I drive along, the rpdio comes off and on, the steering gets better, then it starts again,,does anyone know exactly what the problem is.???. the car runs perfect, and all of the lights and such work fine,,it just started doing it yesterday..thanks...jerry

have a 2002 ford taurus with a power steering problem, have put on 3 new power steering pumps,remanufactured, new rack & pinion, new hoses, new fluid, lower ball joints, power bled the lines with vacuum, car is good for about a month, then it starts making a whining noise & steers hard. Please help us.

jerry wrote:

my 97 ford taurus is going crazy, when I place the car in reverse or drive, the radio cuts out, the steering gets hard, my electric windows wont work, and my seat belt light flashes, and I hear the relay chattering,,someone told me its the transmission range selector, and if I disconnect it, the problem will go away, but I removed the wiring plug, and the car wont start,,as I drive along, the rpdio comes off and on, the steering gets better, then it starts again,,does anyone know exactly what the problem is.???. the car runs perfect, and all of the lights and such work fine,,it just started doing it yesterday..thanks...jerry

I have the same car of the same year and was giving me the same problem. If you have gotten it fixed already you can disregard my comment. But I tell you exactly what the problem is. There is a small but major part called "neutral safety switch" under the hood. To find it easily, let someone sit behind the wheel and press gas pedal putting the
car on park while you watch that part moving as he is pressing on the gas pedal. The part that is moving is called "neutral safety switch". What it does is neutralizing the car's both electrical and mechanical activity so that unintended accident or incident would not happen. For example it prevents the car from jumping if in case when you try to start the car when it is not put on park properly. You will find it in the auto parts store for less than $25 dollars and can change it yourself. But be careful to see how the old one is installed so that you would install the new one the same way. And also when you disconnect the old one from the electric socket do it gently and wisely. If it the car does not start right away then the new part needs just a little adjustment twisting the gear inside either to the left or right. Then put it back again. your car will came back to life again and be as smooth as it should be. I wish you good luck. Peace and grace be to you.

I have a 94 taurus SW with steering oil leakeag from the boot and want to replace with new one, unfortunatly there is not much space to work,i,m thinking to put out compltet assembly to replace withh new one,how can i remove the power steering assembly? kindly help me in regard.

I have a 97 taurs with a steering problem. It makes a humming noise that gets louder the faster I go. It pulls to the right, an when I go around a left corner it feels like it just doesn't want to turn (though it does).I've gotten it inspected 5 months ago and have only put on about 1200 miles in that time.It was doing it when I got my sticker, just not as bad as it is now. Any ideas what this may be?

my 2001 taurus lx has a dragging or rubbing sound coming from the steering wheel. I thought as I have moved to a different climate, that would have something to do with it. I turn the wheel several times both ways, the rubbing is not constant. Mostly left turns. I have 73,000 miles on this car, other than that, it runs like a dream, I have regular servicing and take good care of her. Occasionally, there is a slight drip at the passenger front side. Thank you for you suggestions.