Whining Power Steering Pump

[Banshee]

Just left the girlfriends house to go home and I've noticed that steering left and right at lower speeds causes the pump to whine like a petrol remote control car, when it whines the steering temporarily becomes heavy and is almost snatched from you :nenau

Any ideas?

 

[briggie]

yus ...... my mistral did that when it was low on fluid ....... worth a check :thumb2..........or belt slipping

 

[briggie]

oh and sometimes the floaty thing inside the top up wotsit used to stick down sometimes too ..... a quick prod with a stick / finger and top up fluid cured it

 

[elty001]

Mine got low on fluid when I had a leak on the cooler pipe that runs across the bottom of the radiator.would go stiff and squeak about half cycle of the wheel.
Fixed leak and topped up the fluid and all was ok again.

 

[Banshee]

Ah right i'll check the fluid level in the morning i have a leak at the moment i'm wondering if it could be power steering fluid

I thought it may be coolant but it has a slight brown tinge to it when i put a piece of plain white paper underneath the car

 

[solarman216]

belt slipping most likely, Rick

 

[terrano bob]

as above or fluid :thumbs

 

[AlexD333]

oh and sometimes the floaty thing inside the top up wotsit used to stick down sometimes too ..... a quick prod with a stick / finger and top up fluid cured it

Are you saying you can get a false reading of the fluid level?

 

[briggie]

Are you saying you can get a false reading of the fluid level?

yus

 

[rustic]

oh and sometimes the floaty thing inside the top up wotsit used to stick down sometimes too ..... a quick prod with a stick / finger and top up fluid cured it

On my 1995 td, the fluid tank has a filter in it, similar to the brake fluid container, but when you unscrew the cap, there is a dipstick moulded to the cap it'self.

I have just had a quick look.

Years ago I added some molyslip to it, (gearbox stuff, as recommended by Richard from Molyslip).

How often should steering fluid be changed, if at all...if it still looks red it's ok?

Rustic

 

[Banshee]

Right a quick update on this

I still haven't had time to check the belt properly but I have checked the fluid and it' about 3/4 full and is a reddy brown colour.

The steering isn't going heavy or snatching anymore but the noise has now got worse, even when the car is up to temperature, even now sitting at standstill in neutral revving the car even makes the pump more audible of its whine!!! :doh

Lower speeds are worse and are more audible, what can I do?

Surely this can't be the belt slipping

 

[elty001]

Until you check the belt tension/condition and top up the fluid I'm afraid it will keep the annoying noise.
Only takes a few minutes to adjust the belt tension and top up the fluid.
Only then will you know if you have cured it.

 

[macabethiel]

Right a quick update on this

I still haven't had time to check the belt properly but I have checked the fluid and it' about 3/4 full and is a reddy brown colour.

The steering isn't going heavy or snatching anymore but the noise has now got worse, even when the car is up to temperature, even now sitting at standstill in neutral revving the car even makes the pump more audible of its whine!!! :doh

Lower speeds are worse and are more audible, what can I do?

Surely this can't be the belt slipping

Classic belts slipping. Have you checked the condition of the belt for wear / cracking. My old Merc 230E had the identical symptoms that you describe when I fitted a new belt and it was fine.

 

[Banshee]

Until you check the belt tension/condition and top up the fluid I'm afraid it will keep the annoying noise.
Only takes a few minutes to adjust the belt tension and top up the fluid.
Only then will you know if you have cured it.

Classic belts slipping. Have you checked the condition of the belt for wear / cracking. My old Merc 230E had the identical symptoms that you describe when I fitted a new belt and it was fine.

Cheers boys, I'll pop the bonnet at lunch and check whats occurring

I think I'm going to do a full fluid change and bang a bit of Molyslip in there as has been recommended by a few on here :thumb2

 

[Sweety]

I would change the P/S fluid if it's a red/brown colour as it should be red, you could try putting the belts on from the Mav to see if that makes any difference but failing all else you have a spare P/S pump sitting on the Mav:thumb2

 

[briggie]

I would change the P/S fluid if it's a red/brown colour as it should be red, you could try putting the belts on from the Mav to see if that makes any difference but failing all else you have a spare P/S pump sitting on the Mav:thumb2

^^^^^^ what he said :thumb2

 

[Banshee]

Sounds like we have a plan then boys

The aircon isn't ran off the same belt is it as the old one didn't have it and this one does

 

[firebobby]

Sounds like we have a plan then boys

The aircon isn't ran off the same belt is it as the old one didn't have it and this one does

I thinks my 3.0 runs the AC and PS off of one belt, yours maybe the same :nenau

 

[Sweety]

No the aircon pump has it's own belt which is about an inch wide & ribbed unlike the others

 

[Banshee]

Ok I got under the car after work and removed the bash plate as this was wet with fluid that was leaking from the power steering oil pump system somewhere.

I dried everything off, topped the reservoir off and it started leaking from some weird joint on what I can only guess is the pump oil cooler pipes :nenau

Can anyone confirm from this pic I took?

More importantly how do I stop the leak :nenau