I replaced the power steering pump on my Dakota a few weeks ago because it was leaking. I had a very hard time bleeding the air from the system but I did eventually get it bled so I had power steering again. Last week I started having trouble with my PS again. I had nearly no assist when driving slow or doing parking lot type maneuvers. It got progressively worse until this past Thursday when I lost all power steering assist. The ps pump was also very loud and squalled like a banshee at the slightest turn of the steering wheel.

I read up on it and reasoned the pump had to be the problem. I had no problems with the rack or intermediate shafts/steering u-joints prior to replacing the pump. The replacement pump I bought was an Atsco reman pump from Auto Zone. A new OEM pump is $351.00 plus a $15.00 core at the dealer, or I could have bought OEM from online Mopar sites for around $250.00. Those prices were out of my budget so I went with AZ.

The first AZ pump came in a plain white box that said "Atsco Remanufactured PS Pump" and "Remanufactured in the USA" on it. It also has some of the black paint flaked off of it around the filler neck. I installed it and that was the pump that failed on me this past week. Last night I bought another ps pump at AZ and also paid the core charge. I did it that way to save myself a trip to AZ and back. Otherwise I would have had to go to AZ, rent the ps pump pulley puller tool, come home, remove the pump and pulley, drive back to AZ and exchange the pump. I returned the first pump in the second pump's box today and just got a refund on my credit card. It made things easier and I did not have to interrupt the job driving back to AZ to exchange the original defective pump.

The reason for this long-winded post is to point out that the first pump came in a plain white box with black writing on it. I think that pump was either not rebuilt correctly from the start or possibly was a defective pump that never got rebuilt to begin with and was erroneously shipped out for sale when it should not have been. The pump that I bought last night works great. I installed it today, bled the system with the front wheels off the ground, key on, engine off, had very few air bubbles in the ps reservoir, then started the truck and bled it again by turning the wheels lock to lock about 20 times. All air bubbles in the reservoir disappeared and the truck drives perfectly and the power steering is back to normal specs again. I can once again turn the wheel easily with one hand.

I am not trying to start a "this brand part is better than that brand" or "OEM is better than aftermarket" war here. I just wanted to point out that the second ps pump that I bought yesterday and installed today had the AZ Duralast blue and red label on the box. The Duralast label also said "Remanufactured in USA" and "Exported to Mexico" on it. The defective pump did not have AZ's label anywhere on its box. So I am just trying to point out, if any of us here buys a reman ps pump at AZ, make sure it has the AZ Duralast label on the box. It might save you the headache and hassle of doing the job twice.

Jimmy

 

I will need a new PS pump in the next year so I feel your pain having used bad parts in the past.

Im not sure I trust Auto Z parts you never know were they come from simple stuff like brake pads and shoes you cant screw those up but something like a PS pump makes you wonder Hmmm Hmmm were do these parts come from??

 

I currently work as a commercial specialist at AutoZone. Meaning I sell parts to and deal with the auto shops in the area. The DuraLast labeled boxed power steering pumps are coming in slowly and replacing the Atsco boxes. From what I understand, and I may be wrong I'll check tuesday, is that we've changed companies to reman the pumps. I would agree that the Atsco pumps are hit or miss in terms of quality. I put one on my town car that leaked at the shaft seal right out of the box. Replaced it under warranty a few days later with no problems since then, about a year ago now....

 

Interesting, and good to know. Thanks for the info. The Duralast pump also had a different sticker on it that said "3F Fluid, Flush, Filter" on it. I Googled that and it came back with a hit on the Cardone web site:

http://www.cardone.com/tech-help/ste...d-flush-filter

So I guess AZ pumps are being remanned by Cardone now? If so, then AZ will do better and AZ will be the place to buy a reman ps pump. I had checked with Carquest on mine, their price was about $75.00 plus about a $50.00 core. My Duralast pump was only $49.99and had a $38.00 core. If customers can get the same quality of pump at AZ for $25.00 less, then AZ and the customer both come out ahead.

Jimmy

 

If you ask me, (and this is coming from one of the technicians who puts your parts on cars and gets to warrenty them out time and time again cause of the crappy parts) ALL your remaned parts are junk... It seems to me that AZ has the LOWEST quality standards in the industry. I have installed thousands of parts onto hundreds of cars... and AZ parts by far have to be warrentied out more then any other distributor. Ex. I had to install 3 power steering pumps onto a 2002 camry, the first one seized up while bleeding, the 2nd one was seized up in the box, the third one was missing the shaft so it never got installed, the 4th we ordered from XL parts... it works fine... Your duralast brake pads are guaranteed to squeel their @$$es off... just my 2 cents... O and 01silvercc... you'll get to swap it out again... I promise...

 

Pay - more,.. Stay away from auto zone junk.

 

Well i've been at AZ for over a year now. I feel that the majority of our parts are of good quality. I will agree that P/S pumps and some other items from certain companies are junk, like Airtex for one. And in regards to our brake pads, the manufacturer of our Gold line pads has changed and on top of the life time warranty have a warranty not to squeek....even tho people slap them on unfit rotors or on rotors that a ******** resurfaced terribly. We've been stealing commercial accounts left and right from advance due to their terrible customer service (in the area) and parts quality issues. The only other parts places around here is NAPA and a single CarQuest. Same customer service issues with NAPA and CarQuest pricing is very high overall.

 

Let’s just say I have been around the block a few times so I’m used to this but reman parts are always junk I will always buy new if I can get it some stuff like calipers forget it they don’t sell new and a power steering pump I have looked and can’t find NEW I have looked everywhere why can’t I find a new PS pump?

The quality of auto parts now is terrible at best even the brand name parts company’s now sell junk it’s so disappointing like Raybestos all their stuff is from China now I don’t think they make anything all they are is a supplier not a producer.

To me brand names are dead there quality is hit and miss because it all comes from China now.

SMjunkie I’m not sure that’s a good name if sticking up for AutoZone and working for them (SMjunkie)?

I just wish I could rely on Brand Names like we used to it sucks hoping that some company’s products are still up to the old quality standards of times past look at (Stant) http://www.stant.com/ they were quality till a few months ago now they are garbage the name means nothing NOW wow did they trash their quality name in a flash.

 

I was one of those AZ Commercial Specialists about 12 years ago and unless things have changed, which it sounds like they haven't, AZ is constantly changing vendors to supply there parts. They really don't care about the quality as long as the vendor give them the cheapest price which in return gives them the highest profit margin. Just remember...you'll always get what you pay for.

 

Im not here for AutoZone. Just putting in my input because I do work there. And im not sticking up for them so much as giving my opinion. You'll notice I did diss some of our products.