Q: Power steering pump whining and leaking

asked by on February 16, 2016

The power steering pump in my car is whining and is using fluid, though it is not leaking on the ground. In addition, the car is hard to steer and is smoking.

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Hello. If the system is losing fluid then there must be a leak somewhere. Most of the time the leak is at the rack and pinion so it tends to leak further back on the vehicle. If the pump only whines when it is low then that is common. If it whines when it is full also then it may need to be replaced. If the leak cannot be found I typically add dye to the fluid and allow it to identify where the leak it when using a UV light. If you need to have this inspected, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to find the leak and repair the problem.

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