ok so i just bought my 01 cummins auto.. i know this is probably an old topic but its all new to me so here goes...

i understand the p/s and brake system works together somehow (understanding more about this day by day) but im having some problems. my power steering seams like it barely works unless i am going over 10 mph for instance three point turns in my little street are a workout! also after about 40 mph the "abs" and "brake" lights come on on the dash. now i understand this is a common issue with the speed sensors failing on the rear diff but my sensor is brand new. also when applying brakes normally at a dead stop you can feel them pulsing or ticking under your foot as you hold the pedal down.

trouble shooting...

i have a new power steering pump and steering box and almost all other front end components as well as all new brake lines

i have bigger tires .. but not big enough to have the trucks power steering not be able to move them

lights on on dash .. new speed sensor (abs sensor) on rear diff .. could it be bad right out of the package ? or just something else i am missing ?

and the pulsing of brake pedal .....

also if anyone can throw in a little more information as to how exactly brakes and power steering work together that would be much appreciated

thanks alot,
bert

 

It can be a few different things, i had the same problem with mine the steering pump went out.So i replaced it and bled the lines out and havent had a problem since. What fluid did you use for the power steering pump? And also did you bleed the lines real good? And i know this sounds really dumb and stuip but did you hook the lines up right?

For the ABS and brake light,on the rear speed sensor theres a certain clearance you gotta have between the ring gear and the speed sensor. Here is a little trick you can do. Get a jumper wire and put it in pin 7 and pin 14(which should be your brake and ABS sensor on where you would plug up a computer to read codes. I can't remember what that is called) (im thinking thats it but not totally sure on the pin numbers) But it should flash a certain amount times and you can look up and see what it is.

 

i just bought the truck so im not sure if the lines are bled very well or if they are even hooked up right. im going outside to check in a little while. and ill probably pick up a manual to ensure the lines are correct. the fluid looks to be red like automatic tranny fluid. i didnt put this in but i have used it before on a couple of my cars and never had a problem.

looks like ill also need a manual to check this clearance and also to decipher the number of blinks i get after that trick.

thanks for the response

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also going to look into a VACUUM PUMP RESEAL KIT.. ive noticed a tiny puddle of oil under the truck about where the power steering is .. this might be a culprit as well..

 

If you need some more help. I can go into more detail and maybe get some diagrams on it for you.

 

thanks man .. the power steering issue is fine while moving and bearable at idle but i dont want brakes to fail. i bought a manual and everything seams to be hooked up correctly.all wires are intact the speed sensor is in fact brand new .. how would i know if my vacuum pump is having issues ? also i noticed the pulsing with the brake pedal, if i press harder (dead stop in drive) it slowly pushes to the floor in increments of about 1/4" every pulse

 

Here is what i did to mine, i flushed the whole system and replaced with new fluid and bled it real good.And roughly along the same time i had to get a new vaccum pump too. With i know you said it had new fluid and powersteering pump. When was it installed, all this new stuff?

But my .02 cents, it think the whole pulse thing is within the powersteering/vacuum pump. Didi you see if you got any vacuum leaks?

 

check the abs sensor wires on front hubs my rims rub through them and or they can be bad i replaced both sides and now my abs/brake light doesn't come on and off and the pulsing is gone there $100 a piece. though at first i just spliced them together but they finaly failed. just a thought

 

Lets start with the steering issue. If the new pump is not providing the needed pressure or volume of fluid your steering will be very hard at idle. The power break buster uses pressure from the power steering pump for the ABS system. The vacuum pump is part of the power steering pump and does not have anything to do with breaks but does control your heater and AC damper doors.