My mom has a 99 xlt and yesterday it starting giving trouble. It if very difficult to steer right. Takes alot of muscle. Left is a breez. I tried addind power steering fluid but no luck. Any suggestions?

It sounds like you may have air in the system. By turning the wheel back and forth from lock to lock it should burp the system and get the air out. Else you may have a seal gone in the rack or a leak somewhere.

What do you mean turn the wheel form lock to lock it? DO you mean lock the wheel?

I mean Jack up the front and place on stands. Then with the engine running. Turn the wheel as far left then as far right as it will go. OK.

Alright I got ya, but would this not be the same as if I were to make a hard right while driving it?

Yes it would but you need to turn fairly quickly from left to right and back several times to push all the air out. If that is your problem. Check for any signs of leaks as well. The air got in there some how.... OK

Alright thanks, ill post if it worked! Thanks for yuor help

The way we bleed the systems at work is to disconnect the coil pack top off power steering fluid and let the engine turn over about 15 times. Sense it turns over slowly this removes the air really quick and thorouhly. When I first started for Ford an old tech showed this to me after I kept turning my wheels back and forth (which is usually the instruction in a chilton manual which works but takes forever). It saved me a lot of time when replacing pumps and engines (where fluid was lost). Also if you only have a problem steering right afterward, check all your linkage to be sure something isnt bent on that side, and if all is well your gear box must be the culprit. (the pump could care less which direction you are turning it just provides hydraulic pressure but the gear box actually directs the fluid to assist your steering)

Coil pack? Whats that? Is it the cap to the power stearing? Doesn't sound like it is but thats is a stabe in the dark. COuld you explain what it is please?

The ignition coil is what I mean by coil pack. Disconnect your coil pack (where the plug wires connect to get spark - disconnect the 4 wire electrical connector not the wires) then bump over your engine about 15 to twenty times (turn key over to start of course the car will not start but keep the engine turning about 15 to twenty times, do this two to three times and the fluid level will fall and air will be purged from the system this is a more efficient way to purge the air). Hope that helped ya.:D