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The power steering system is a crucial part of any vehicle. For ease of driving and convenience, you need to ensure your car's power steering system is in perfect working condition. Otherwise, you can experience critical problems, including uneven tire wear, difficult steering, car drift or pull on either side, etc. All these problems not only compromise your car's performance but also present serious safety risks. 

To ensure your power steering systems remains in the perfect working condition all year round, follow these five simple maintenance tips:

1. Check Power Steering Fluid Levels

Your car's power steering fluid is crucial for a properly functioning system. Your system's pump generates enough pressure to force the steering fluid to apply pressure to the vehicle's piston. You'll experience power steering problems due to leaks that reduce the fluid's volume. Consequently, steering becomes harder, and you may hear some squeaking noises when manoeuvring. Therefore, it's wise to check for leakages and fluid levels before topping up or having an oil change.

2. Replace Contaminated Power Steering Fluid

The quality of power steering fluid is essential to your car's overall health. Check the steering fluid's quality by inspecting its colour, presence of metals or any other dirt particles inside the fluid. If the oil is darker, this means it's contaminated and require replacement. Furthermore, if you notice a dark-coloured fluid with floating particles inside, flush the system and replace it with a newer, high-quality power steering oil.

3. Check the System's Hoses

There is a couple of hoses through which your power steering fluid flows. One carries the oil to your system's rack and pinion, while the other returns the oil to your car's reservoir. Most systems feature rubber hoses, which may deteriorate after prolonged use. Thus, you must inspect them regularly to confirm their condition. 

4. Replace Your System's Filters

It would help if you replaced your power steering fluid filters annually. But sometimes, your mechanic or manufacturer may advise on the number of times you need to replace them. If you are good with cars, filter replacement is an easy task. Otherwise, always leave this job to the expert mechanics who know how to fix them. 

5. Replace Malfunctioning or Damaged Pumps

Finally, one of the possible signs that you have a damaged or malfunctioning pump is abnormal whining noises while steering the wheel. If you ignore these symptoms, you may end up catering for costly repairs sooner than later. Inspect this problem to determine whether you have a malfunctioning pump and replace it immediately when required.