Powersteering

Powersteering and brake boosters. In modern cars we take them for granted. Until recently, however, we used to do just fine without them. Those times now seem forgotten. Most automobile magazines and websites I see give stern warnings against turning off the engine while moving, even in cases like runaway engines. They advocate putting the gearbox in neutral or park, even if that means almost certain damage to the gearbox and/or engine. A good example is this Cartalk column. The reason for this is that upon killing the engine you'll lose the brake booster and power steering. Balony, I say. Loss of power assist should be considered a normal event. It can happen even in regular driving. It might be as simple as a broken belt to the powersteering compressor. The vacuum hose to the brake booster could jump off (perhaps after a backfire) or tear. The engine could stall or just quit. There is absolutely no need to scare people into a doomsday type of "if the engine quits I'm lost" mindset. What should be done is to get people to practice engine out events. Go to a deserted parking lot, build up a speed that will allow you to roll on for a bit but won't put you in danger, turn off the engine and feel how the vehicle handles. Get an idea of how hard you'll need to pull the steering wheel and pump the brakes without the engine running. Experience the symptoms of power loss, and learn to recognize it instantly. Like all driving it is a matter of training and experience. And if you get that experience, there's no need to ruin a $2500 gearbox or a $5000 engine for want of half an hour of easy and fun self-education¹. While you're at it, get out on a deserted country road and experience how long your car will continue rolling with the engine out and the gearbox in gear and in neutral. Most vehicles at highway speed will easily continue for several hundred yards in neutral. Combined with your newly acquired skills at unassisted steering and braking this will enable you to safely make it to the shoulder instead of blocking traffic lanes. The important thing is not to panic and keep driving the car.

Just to make sure there is no misunderstanding: Never put the gearbox of a moving car in Park. You'll certainly ruin the gearbox, and almost certainly lock the driven wheels and lose control of the vehicle. Do try to downshift to as low a gear as possible. And one more thing: When turning off the engine, turn the key back one position, and one position only!. Turning the key all the way back and perhaps even taking it out might engage the steering lock, and you definately don't want that to happen. So just one position back, depending on the vehicle it is usually from II or run to I or accessory.

Bram

¹ The one exception to this is people who don't have the physical strength to handle a vehicle without power assist. Fortunately, this is a minority of drivers. If you find out you're one of them, just keep in mind that mechanical damage is cheap compared to hospital bills and lawyers, and damn the engine.