Hi guys, just the other day i was heading to work and I heard a noise i never heard before. It was a faint sound but I noticed it cuz i drive it everyday but everyone in that rides in my car cant really hear it or notice it till I pointed it out to them. Its like a power steering pump thats dry and you're trying to turn it. Im sure you guys know that sound. But its really faint. My 02 has 145k miles on it know and ive never had to change anything in it. Well at first I thought it was my transmission whirring so I changed the transmission fluid to Mobile 1 synthetic, and the noise was still there. So then it peaked my interest enough for me to jack it up again and listen for the noise. I was hoping it wasnt anything too big like my a/c or alternator, well i checked and it sounded like it was coming from the back of my motor near the belt, which would point to my power steering pump. Im not 100% sure its my PS pump but it really sounds like a PS pump type of noise. All the fluids are still topped in the PS reservoir. So any suggestions?

And the noise increases as I accelerate also. But like I said before its very faint. Should I find a PS Pump and wait for it to go out? Or could it just be easy as changing my belt, maybe the belt is old and the PS is slipping or something? Any suggestions are appreciated. thanks guys

 

Does the noise increase when you turn the steering wheel?

 

No it doesn't. Thats the weird thing about it. My cv boots are good and the PS fluid is still there.

 

Have you tried flushing the fluid? I worked for an oil change company several years ago who had a power steering flush machine. I've seen power steering pumps come in screaming, get a power steering flush, and leave as quiet as a neglected child at it's grandmothers funeral. Turn the wheels back and forth while flushing if possible.

Just my 2 cents.

 

Imma give that a shot asap. thanx

 

the tensioner for the puley for the power steering pump is loose. just pull down the screw to the right of the puley and tight the screw firmly