Power Steering fix - Why did this work?

[bcpianoman]

For a while now I’ve had problems with my power steering cutting in and out at low speed when the car is cold. When it was happening I could hear the serpentine belt chirping too. I’ve changed the “o” ring at the power steering pump and adjusted and readjusted the tension on the serpentine belt. I was beginning to think I’d have to change out the idler pulley or maybe the pump itself. I knew it wasn’t the alternator pulley because I’d had to change the alternator when I was having this problem and that didn’t help either.

While I was trying to figure this out a neighbour dropped by for a beer. He suggested I spray the pulley with tire cleaner with the car running. I thought he was nuts – that that would only reduce friction and compound the problem. But it worked! The problem was gone 30 seconds after I sprayed the pulley with a couple of shots of Wet’n’Black tire cleaner. Go figure. I just hope the fix lasts.