If the accessory belt fails to spin your power steering pump, it isn’t going to pump. Be it a failed belt (which will also impact the alternator and AC compressor) or a seized bearing or whatever else. No pumping, no pressure. No pressure, no power steering. And a sufficient leak, without regular topping up, will eventually allow air into the system. Which, again, means no pressure and no power steering.
How easily (and costly) it’s repaired depends entirely on the nature of the failure. A belt might only set you back $15 to $25 USD and be doable with a cheap socket set and a breaker bar that reaches the tensioner (if you’ve got an automatic tensioner). A bearing might only be $7 but how many people already have the puller and press? Removing and replacing a failed pump? For my old truck the OEM part is discontinued. We’re starting at $80 (remanufactured) going up to around $200 new aftermarket with a reservoir and pulley. And I’ve the luxury of a spacious engine bay and longitudinally mounted engine. Good luck to anyone with a small car and transverse mounted engine; taking off a wheel, popping clips, removing skirting and wheel well plastics… “Easy” becomes relative mighty quick.
I haven’t worked a day in my life as a mechanic (not even small engine) that wasn’t for myself or friends and family, and I still know enough to say you’re either wrong or incomplete in your claims.
They stated slipping belts and a leak. A PS pump still works with those. A serp belt replacement is the easiest possible thing to do on a car besides plugs. Electric? Youre shit out of luck. $3000 down the drain minimum for electric.
I’m just saying the push for electric steering was so they can control your car easier under the guise of safety. Its not an improvement for the end user.
I saw what was written. I stated when/how it wouldn’t work (and, in fairness, if the pulley and pump were seized then squealing and burning rubber would be an obvious sign). I already pointed out the ease and low cost of a belt replacement myself, there wasn’t a contention about it. Electric is more expensive but I never contested that point either.
I get what you’re saying but I hadn’t taken a position on it. I just had a problem with what you presented as absolutes. If I were to appeal to experience myself; I developed a steering fluid leak while in Bumfuck, Nowhere. With no fluid to keep replenishing it, and before I could make it back to civilization, the reservoir had emptied and I’d lost all power steering. It’s just what happens when air is allowed to compromise a hydraulic system.
Now, do I think drive by wire has the potential to be abused by threat actors, the alphabet soup groups, lil Billy’s Flipper 9001, and so on? Sure, so long as RF plays a role or can potentially be added into the system. Do I think there’s an end goal to turn vehicle “ownership” into something more like an unserviceable and indeterminate rental agreement? Absolutely, same as everything else being reduced to a service. But did those questions have anything to do with my gripe? Nope. Without stalking through the rest of your replies, I’d imagine we’re mostly on the same page.
As a quick edit, are you just saying “You can still steer without power steering?” Like “steering still works without the ‘power’ part?” It just dawned on me that was possibly what you saying, and that’s certainly true. I can opine about how godfuckingawful it is at low speeds on rough “roads,” but it’s true you can still steer and get an upper body workout at the same time.
If the accessory belt fails to spin your power steering pump, it isn’t going to pump. Be it a failed belt (which will also impact the alternator and AC compressor) or a seized bearing or whatever else. No pumping, no pressure. No pressure, no power steering. And a sufficient leak, without regular topping up, will eventually allow air into the system. Which, again, means no pressure and no power steering.
How easily (and costly) it’s repaired depends entirely on the nature of the failure. A belt might only set you back $15 to $25 USD and be doable with a cheap socket set and a breaker bar that reaches the tensioner (if you’ve got an automatic tensioner). A bearing might only be $7 but how many people already have the puller and press? Removing and replacing a failed pump? For my old truck the OEM part is discontinued. We’re starting at $80 (remanufactured) going up to around $200 new aftermarket with a reservoir and pulley. And I’ve the luxury of a spacious engine bay and longitudinally mounted engine. Good luck to anyone with a small car and transverse mounted engine; taking off a wheel, popping clips, removing skirting and wheel well plastics… “Easy” becomes relative mighty quick.
I haven’t worked a day in my life as a mechanic (not even small engine) that wasn’t for myself or friends and family, and I still know enough to say you’re either wrong or incomplete in your claims.
They stated slipping belts and a leak. A PS pump still works with those. A serp belt replacement is the easiest possible thing to do on a car besides plugs. Electric? Youre shit out of luck. $3000 down the drain minimum for electric.
I’m just saying the push for electric steering was so they can control your car easier under the guise of safety. Its not an improvement for the end user.
I saw what was written. I stated when/how it wouldn’t work (and, in fairness, if the pulley and pump were seized then squealing and burning rubber would be an obvious sign). I already pointed out the ease and low cost of a belt replacement myself, there wasn’t a contention about it. Electric is more expensive but I never contested that point either.
I get what you’re saying but I hadn’t taken a position on it. I just had a problem with what you presented as absolutes. If I were to appeal to experience myself; I developed a steering fluid leak while in Bumfuck, Nowhere. With no fluid to keep replenishing it, and before I could make it back to civilization, the reservoir had emptied and I’d lost all power steering. It’s just what happens when air is allowed to compromise a hydraulic system.
Now, do I think drive by wire has the potential to be abused by threat actors, the alphabet soup groups, lil Billy’s Flipper 9001, and so on? Sure, so long as RF plays a role or can potentially be added into the system. Do I think there’s an end goal to turn vehicle “ownership” into something more like an unserviceable and indeterminate rental agreement? Absolutely, same as everything else being reduced to a service. But did those questions have anything to do with my gripe? Nope. Without stalking through the rest of your replies, I’d imagine we’re mostly on the same page.
As a quick edit, are you just saying “You can still steer without power steering?” Like “steering still works without the ‘power’ part?” It just dawned on me that was possibly what you saying, and that’s certainly true. I can opine about how godfuckingawful it is at low speeds on rough “roads,” but it’s true you can still steer and get an upper body workout at the same time.