Expert: Von Sudderth - 1/17/2005

Question
Hi Von,

I've got a 1990 Nissan Stanza XE that has been sitting idle for about three years. Now that it's running, there is a creaking sound whenever I turn the wheel more than 15 degrees. It's worse when it's cold and when the car has just started up. It seems to come from directly under the dashboard. A mechanic told me I needed to get the rack and pinion bushings replaced, but it seems like the problem is more severe than just bushings. Any ideas on what it could be, how urgent a problem it is and what I should do?

thanks,

Michael

Answer
It does sound like a rack.  If you have power steering you can get the fluid changed on the rack as a way to see if the creakiing will go away.  But, this sounds like morning sickness.  That is what mechanics call a car that has the creaking and grabbing when the car is cold.  After the car warms up the creaking quiets down.  A rack is not that big a deal if you did it yourself.  But, to pay someone you are talking something like $500 bucks or more?  I know a rebuilt rack goes for $199 for my Maxima and then there is the labor and the alignment that would have to be done to get it installed and working properly.