Horrible Sound After Installing New Power Steering Pump

UmmYeahOk · Jan 31, 2015

My power steering pump has been whining for about a year or so. The car doesn't see much fun. About 1000 miles a year, if even that. It would make that whine every time you start the car up, and then after a mile it will go away. If you spray WD-40 on the pulley, it will go away immediately.

We then replaced the entire power steering pump assembly with a new one, and OMG! HORRIBLE DEATH SQUEAL! Constant! Super loud. Super embarrassing. Never goes away. And when you try to spray lubricant, the horrible squealing noise just continues, unaffected. It's got about 200 miles on it now, and supposedly did not make that noise when first installed. Did I get a bad pump, or installed it wrong? There are bolt nuts where it mounts that look as if they touch the inside of the pulley, which I would suspect might cause the noise, except, there's a big enough clearance gap for me to slide a business card between them. Maybe with the engine running/vibrating, that changes the clearance, but I have no idea how to test safely. Plus, even if it is that, I can't tighten them any further. What should I look for? It's got plenty of new fluid. Did I just get a bad pump?

90lxwhite · Jan 31, 2015

Does the noise you're talking about sound like a bad power steering pump? Does it change pitch or tone when you turn the wheel? If so you might have air in the lines that need to be worked out. Take the cap off if the power steering resivor and have a buddy turn the steering wheel lock to lock while you look in the resivor for bubbles. Do this until no bubbles. Fill w fluid if necessary

UmmYeahOk · Jan 31, 2015

Just checked. Turned the wheel all the way left and right several times. Sound didn't change at all. Its rhythmic. I do know that the pump might be over filled Seems like every time I wipe off fluid, more appears pooled in the cap, and around areas like the fuse box cover.

90lxwhite · Jan 31, 2015

Turn the wheel w car running w cap off then check level again.
How tight is the belt. Do you see any pullies wobbling?

addermk2 · Jan 31, 2015

This thread needs a video

UmmYeahOk · Jan 31, 2015

90lxwhite said:
Turn the wheel w car running w cap off then check level again.
How tight is the belt. Do you see any pullies wobbling?

The only pully that wobbles is one of the under drive pulleys, but is not the source of the sound.

This thread needs a video

I will try to get one tomorrow, when I try testing it with the cap off like 90lx suggested.

90lxwhite · Feb 1, 2015

addermk2 said:
This thread needs a video

Quick thread jack but: I can't ever get my videos taken from iPhone to upload on here...what's the skinny??

madspeed · Feb 1, 2015

UmmYeahOk said:
The only pully that wobbles is one of the under drive pulleys, but is not the source of the sound.

Hmmmmm, you have a wobbly pulley and wonder why your belt is making a screaching sound.

UmmYeahOk · Feb 1, 2015

90lxwhite said:
Quick thread jack but: I can't ever get my videos taken from iPhone to upload on here...what's the skinny??

My plan was to just upload it to YouTube, then link.

madspeed said:
Hmmmmm, you have a wobbly pulley and wonder why your belt is making a screaching sound.

That's not where the noise is coming from though. The belt doesn't make the sound, nor does the under drive pulley. Do you think that would cause enough stress from both the pulley and the belt to affect the power steering pump?

I plan on capturing both on video later to show you.

I had told my husband my concern about the particular pulley's wobble days ago, and asked if maybe that's the cause of it, as he installed both (though at way different times) but he claims that would not affect it, and remains stumped about the noise of the power steering pump.

madspeed · Feb 1, 2015

sounds like undue stress is being placed on the power steering pump pulley which is causing the noise. I would guess that the wobbly pulley is not on squarely and contributing to the issue

UmmYeahOk · Feb 1, 2015

Well, that can't be the answer. Because, if true, that would mean that his wife was right this whole time. And we can't have that now, can we? =)

I'll try to get a video up this afternoon, if possible.

UmmYeahOk · Feb 1, 2015

Here's the video. I tried to show how close the mounting bolts where to the PS pulley. The top aluminum under drive pulley (middle), that I keep panning to, is what I suspect to be wobbling. AC is turned off, but when turned on and spinning, the noise still remains the same.

madspeed · Feb 1, 2015

sounds like bad bearing on the pump

90lxwhite · Feb 1, 2015

madspeed said:
sounds like bad bearing on the pump

Yeah that's not the power steering whine I was thinking of it was say low on fluid or air in the lines. Take the belt off and spin the power steering pulley by hand and see if it chrips. Be a bad bearing if it did huh?

madspeed · Feb 1, 2015

Yep, it's def not a bad pump, but was it a remanufactured unit? Sounds like bearing to me

UmmYeahOk · Feb 1, 2015

Yes, it was remanufactered. They don't replace those? I mean its a 21yo car, who knows what year the original came out of before it was remanufactered.

That's annoying, because the entire reason we got the new PS pump was BECAUSE of the noise. ...which wasnt nearly as bad, and would go away after a mile of driving.

addermk2 · Feb 1, 2015

Did you have this same noise before? You say this noise went away after spraying the belt?

Take your belt off and slowly turn each pulley by hand. Sounds more like your idler is going bad.

UmmYeahOk · Feb 1, 2015

PS#1:
The noise was tons quieter, and would disappear after a miles drive, or if you sprayed lubricant directly on the PS pulley itself.

PS#2:
Noise is crazy loud, as in the video. You can hear it from far far away. It DOES NOT disappear when driven, and DOES NOT disappear when lubricant is sprayed on the pulley.

addermk2 said:
Sounds more like your idler is going bad.

The sound isn't coming from there, plus I sprayed lubricant there too just to see if it affected anything. But that is an original 3.8 pulley that came with the car (originally was a v6). So its got 181k miles on it.

madspeed · Feb 1, 2015

hmmm' maybe onto sumtin there. Running a V6 tensioner ona v8?

addermk2 · Feb 1, 2015

Just pull the belt off and spin everything slowly, by hand.

Horrible Sound After Installing New Power Steering Pump

UmmYeahOk

Member

90lxwhite

I'm kind of a She-Man

UmmYeahOk

Member

90lxwhite

I'm kind of a She-Man

addermk2

UmmYeahOk

Member

90lxwhite

I'm kind of a She-Man

madspeed

Colonel Mustard

UmmYeahOk

Member

madspeed

Colonel Mustard

UmmYeahOk

Member

UmmYeahOk

Member

madspeed

Colonel Mustard

90lxwhite

I'm kind of a She-Man

madspeed

Colonel Mustard

UmmYeahOk

Member

addermk2

UmmYeahOk

Member

madspeed

Colonel Mustard

addermk2

Similar threads

Horrible Sound After Installing New Power Steering Pump

Member

I'm kind of a She-Man

Member

I'm kind of a She-Man

Member

I'm kind of a She-Man

Colonel Mustard

Member

Colonel Mustard

Member

Member

Colonel Mustard

I'm kind of a She-Man

Colonel Mustard

Member

Member

Colonel Mustard

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency