Hi,

The steering wheel is very stiff and hard to turn. It feels like there is some free play when I turn and suddenly it becomes very stiff again.

I brought my car to a shop for this issue and they replaced both the high pressure and return hoses due to some leaks. It didn't address the issue and they triggered the check engine light with A2 1-1-3, which I'll deal later.

Any ideas?

Do I have a bad pump or a bad rack?

Thanks

 

IIRC 113 is the "Replace ECU" code. They did something.

On the steering -- it sounds like the pump, at least. You can read more here Troubleshoot Rack & Pinion Steering