Steering Column; Diagnosis - Isuzu Trooper 1999 Workshop Manual

Steering Column

WARNING: TO AVOID
TROUBLE-SHOOTING THE SRS SYSTEM, DO NOT
USE ELECTRICAL TEST EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS
BATTERY-POWERED
VOLT-METER, OHMMETER, ETC., OR ANY TYPE OF
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
SPECIFIED IN THIS MANUAL. DO NOT USE A
NON-POWERED PROBE-TYPE TESTER.
INSTRUCTION IN THIS MANUAL MUST BE FOL-
LOWED CAREFULLY, OTHERWISE PERSONAL IN-
JURY MAY RESULT.
When servicing a vehicle equipped with Supplemental
Restraint System, pay close attention to all WARNINGS
and CAUTIONS.
For detailed explanation about SRS, refer to Restraints
section.
The steering column has three important features in
addition to the steering function:
1. The column is energy absorbing, designed to
compress in a front-end collision to minimize the
possibility of injury to the driver of the vehicle.
2. The ignition switch
conveniently on the column.
General Diagnosis
Condition
Vehicle Pulls
Abnormal or Excessive Tire Wear
Wheel Hop
DEPLOYMENT WHEN
OR A/C-POWERED
OTHER THAN
and lock are mounted
Possible cause
Mismatched or uneven tires.
Tires not adequately inflated.
Broken or sagging springs.
Radial tire lateral force.
Improper wheel alignment.
Brake dragging in one wheel.
Loose, bent or broken front or rear
suspension parts.
Faulty shock absorbers.
Sagging or broken spring.
Tire out of balance.
Improper wheel alignment.
Faulty shock absorber.
Hard driving.
Overloaded vehicle.
Tires not rotated periodically.
Worn or loose road wheel bearings.
Wobbly wheel or tires.
Tires not adequately inflated.
Blister or bump on tire.
Improper shock absorber operation.
POWER ASSISTED SYSTEM
3. With the column mounted lock, the ignition and
steering operation can be locked to prevent theft of
the vehicle.
The column can be disassembled and reassembled.
However, to ensure the energy absorbing action, use only
the specified screws, bolts and nuts as designated, and
tighten them to the specified torque.
Handle the column with care when it is removed from the
vehicle. A sharp blow on the end of steering shaft or shift
lever, or dropping the assembly could shear or loosen the
fasteners that maintain column rigidity.

Diagnosis

Since the problems in steering, suspension, wheels and
tires involve several systems, they must all be considered
when diagnosing a complaint. To identify the symptom,
always road test the vehicle first. Proceed with the follow-
ing preliminary inspections and correct any defects which
are found.
1. Inspect tires for proper pressure and uneven wear.
2. Raise vehicle on a hoist, then inspect front and rear
suspension and steering linkage for loose or
damaged parts.
3. Spin the front wheels. Inspect for out-of-round tires,
out-of-balance tires, loose and/or rough wheel
bearings.
Replace tire.
Adjust tire pressure.
Replace spring.
Replace tire.
Adjust wheel alignment.
Repair brake.
Tighten or replace the appropriate
suspension part(s).
Replace shock absorber.
Replace spring.
Balance or replace tire.
Check front end alignment.
Replace shock absorber.
Replace tire.
Replace tire and reduce load.
Replace or rotate tire.
Replace wheel bearing.
Replace wheel or tire.
Adjust the pressure.
Replace tire.
Replace shock absorber.
2A–5
Correction