My car steers very light, it's lighter (more sensitive) than my last Lincoln TownCar. Can't find much about this subject. I've read that good tires and keeping tire pressure at 29/30psi helps give the car a more planted road feel, but not much on a bad damper creating (an over-assist feeling). Anyone been there done that ?

 

I have light steering as well and had changed my damper a while back. It didn't have any effect. I think the problem may be with the steering solenoid. The steering solenoid is supposed to open a valve built into the steering rack at low speeds to increase the steering assist. It then closes the valve as your speed increases to lessen the assist.

There's also a steering control module located under the dash that works in conjunction with the solenoid/rack. I guess this is a possibility as well, but I think the solenoid would be the more likely culprit.

 

might just be the fact that the LS has always had rather light, boosted steering.

 

I changed mine at well past 175,000 & noticed very little difference.

 

if money wasn't a factor, id jump on it!

 

I wanted to follow up on the problem of light steering. I've had very light steering for a long time now and figured maybe the solenoid valve on the rack was bad. I finally flushed the power steering fluid this past weekend and the problem has gone away! The steering feels "normal" now like I would expect it to in this car. Very smooth, consistent and predictable. Before, a slight movement of the steering wheel on the highway would make the car difficult to keep between the lines. I put Mobil 1 Full Synthetic ATF fluid in it. Dexron/Mercon compatible.

A had kept toying with the idea of taking the solenoid apart like many others have and checking the screen, but people who have reported dirty screens have typically had the opposite problem of the steering being too heavy.

Jim

 

You've haven't felt light and boosted until you've driven a domestic car.

 

That's definitely the idle control valve below the power steering pump. Feels so light when steering, almost like the car is floating. My valve was leaking so I pulled it out today and bypassed it.

The car feels much better now.Tighter and solid, connected to the road.


EDIT**

Took it on the highway tonight and it's waaaaay better now. I'm not constantly correcting the car, steering wheel is much tighter!

Try it out!