Sorry its so long but .. Recently I borrowed my close friends 1989 Dodge Dakota. Paid him some money, transferred it to my name, put insurance, ect, have now been driving it for about a month. An hour ago, I turned a corner in a parking lot, and all of a sudden the engine started steaming a lot and the engine shut off. I took the keys out and got out, and a nice man was wakling by and stopped to look at it. I let it cool down then I topped up the radiator where the water goes in and where the antifreeze goes in (sorry, I know how to top them up but I don't actually know what they're called!) and the oil. The man said it was probably the headgasket, but it should at least make it home and to try starting it, so I did and it was fine. I drove a few blocks away, including a few corners, and as I turned into a gas station the steering went and it slowly started steaming again, not as bad though. I checked the power steering fluid and it was dry. I went in the store and bought some fluid and put it in, checked it and it was fine, checked all the other fluids again, and started the truck, but this time there was still no steering. The engine runs fine though. Its still sitting at the gas station and the guy who owns it is at work and so are all of my friends that I know who might know how to help me! Sorry again that it's so long, I'm just hoping anyone might have any idea whats going on! Thanks!

 

Could be anything, but a head gasket does sound like one possibility. I will move this to the 1st Generation Dakota Sub-Forum.

 

Did your belt come off? The steering pump needs to prime as well.