We all depend on our trucks to perform as designed. They all do need some checks to ensure that will happen when we need it to. Almost all vehicles have power steering these days and it is very important to keep it in top working order, your life can depend on it. What do we need to do regularly so we can mitigate a possible failure?
First, we need to understand the power steering is a hydraulic system. That means there is a pump, a reservoir that holds and cools the power steering fluid and the steering sector or steering gear. With the engine running the pump will create pressure, drawing fluid from the reservoir, pressurizing the steering gear. With the steering gear pressurized, when you turn the steering wheel the hydraulic pressure will assist your input to move the steering wheels in the direction you chose. That’s pretty simplified but that's basically how it works.
What we need to do is make sure the power steering reservoir has enough fluid so the pump can do it’s part. Easy enough, the reservoir on the Cascadia is on the left side of the truck, under the hood near the steering shaft mounted to the frame. The reservoir is opaque/white that has an area that is marked full and low. You just wipe off the area that is marked to see the oil level. Add power steering fluid, see the owner’s manual, if it is low, be sure to clean around the fill cap before removing it. If the level is within range, close the hood and you’re ready to go.