Things You'll Need:
- Nissan power steering fluid
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Step 1
Service your Maxima regularly. You should have your steering gear and linkage, axle and suspension parts checked and lubricated if needed every 30,000 miles. Nissan recommends that you step the maintenance up to every 7500 miles if you drive under severe conditions. This should allow you to avoid more expensive repairs caused by steering breakdown.
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Step 2
Check your power steering fluid as often as you change your oil. Use Nissan power steering fluid to top off a low reservoir and make sure the fluid is clean and free of air. Check for leaks and loose connections that can allow air into the system.
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Step 3
Maintain your tires, wheels and alignment. Tire wear, unbalanced tires, uneven pressure and poor alignment also cause many common steering problems. If you do experience vibrations or pulls, check your wheels first. Once you have ruled out power steering fluid and wheels as the possible cause of your problem, then you can check for other causes.
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Step 4
Track down problems that make your steering wheel hard to turn by checking the steering box, rack and power steering pump. You may also need to lubricate or repair the gear or linkage components.
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Step 5
Adjust your steering box and linkage if your steering wheel feels too loose. You may also discover that parts of the linkage are too worn and need to be replaced.
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Step 6
Correct power steering problems by checking the drive belt and the pump. You may also have a leak in the power steering fluid lines.
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Step 7
Fix pulling or drifting by checking the linkage. If your steering system is fine, you should check your brakes, wheel bearings, ball joints and springs.
