While navigating a highway, your vehicle unexpectedly loses power steering assistance, making the steering wheel very difficult to turn. Which of the following actions represents the safest procedure to control and stop your vehicle?
- Grip the steering wheel firmly with both hands to overcome the increased resistance, ease off the accelerator, signal, and carefully steer onto the shoulder.Answer
- BImmediately slam on the service brakes to bring the vehicle to a complete stop inside the active traffic lane before steering effort increases.
- CTurn the ignition switch completely to the LOCK position while moving to reset the vehicle's electronic power steering system.
- DMaintain your posted cruising speed and jerk the steering wheel sharply in the direction of the turn to force the hydraulic fluid through the pump.
Answer
Grip the steering wheel firmly with both hands to overcome the increased resistance, ease off the accelerator, signal, and carefully steer onto the shoulder.
Although power steering failure dramatically increases the physical effort required to turn the wheel, full steering control is still available through mechanical linkage. The driver must grip the wheel firmly with both hands, ease off the gas pedal to slow down gradually, signal intention, and guide the vehicle safely out of active traffic onto the shoulder.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Handling Power Steering Failure