Power Steering Failing

[Raver too]

Power Steering failing

Steering goes heavy / Power assistance fails for up to 2 mins.

Usually after a good 40 mins of driving. Well, has happened on oly four occasions in 500 miles since cam belt change.

I have very recently had fan/alternator belt and power steering belt changed as they were next to each other and I needed timing belt change. I immediately thought it could be related to the issue as I have never had this happen before.

Came across the following thread : http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=27128 POST#4 "Are you absolutely sure the pumps gone??? Its quite common for the power steering relay to fail which means that the pump doesn't pump. Never heard of anyone having a pump fail though. You could check to see if its the relay by trying the flick the ignition on/off quickly about 20 times trick. If the contacts on the relay have stuck that normally clears them for a while."

Could my problem be the steering belt being too tight? or the relay perhaps. the car in the quotations is a mk3 MR2 (made after year 2000) and it is possible that my 98 Rav4 (3 SFE engine) doesn't have an individual relay - so if the relay is the problem, surely some other functions that utilise a relay would be affected.

Any ideas anyone

[jedi134]

A power steering relay? never head of one of those before? why would it want to cut off? Once engine is running the pump should be always on should it not?

[HEMI]

there would only be a relay if it was electrical,as the belt being too tight,no,that wouldnt stop the pump working,its auto adjust anyway,silly things really,have you checked the fluid?

[Raver too]

there would only be a relay if it was electrical,as the belt being too tight,no,that wouldnt stop the pump working,its auto adjust anyway,silly things really,have you checked the fluid?

Fluid is fine.

The power steering works as well as ever from the moment the engine starts.

It's just that the steering has gone extremely heavy on only 4 occasions, and as I say after at least 40 mins of hard driving - i.e some bends and 60 -70mph speed.

Garage that changed belts has had a look and reckon that it is a tight belt belt but better than it being slack.

Fluid fine also.

I had a peugeot 205 Gti that had some relay problems - these were commonly known issues and once the relay was changed, problem solved. They have lifespans and can wear like anything else. Although I never knew of any tricks with the relays on Peugeots such as blipping the ignition 20 times, it was a simple case of replacement for less than £6.

But.. I don't even know if there is a relay on the Rav-4. There must be some electrical pathway of some kind.

[PhilGee]

Your power steering set-up does not have a relay if it is a belt driven hydraulic system. Sounds like a pressure related fault. When the garage replaced the timing belt did they disconnect the power steering fluid reserviour? Just wondering if there is some air trapped in the system? They shouldnt have disconnected it though, you can do the belt by just un bolting and moving it out of the way.