Q: Whining noise while steering
Hello, I brought my car in for a whining noise from the steering column. Had the power steering fluid flushed and the dealer also stated the reason could be a bad clock spring. Had that replaced also. It's been a few days and the same whining noise is still there. I had no symptoms of a bad clock spring (looked it up online after the fact) so that was not the problem. Do you think it could be the pump? Also, should I only have to pay the difference for what it costed to replace the clock spring and what the repair for the pump is? Thank you.
My car has 47000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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| Power Steering Pump Replacement | $173.61 - $1817.09 | Get a Quote |
Hi There, A whining noise is definitely a classic sign of either low power steering fluid or a power steering pump that is beginning to fail. The power steering system works on a very high pressurized system that works very hard to maintain sufficient power to assist the driver with steering the vehicle. As a result, when the pump is overworked due to the rack and pinion not pump fluid properly or potentially due to pinched fluid lines, this may cause it to leak. When this happens, as the pump loses fluid it may cause it to squeal or whine as a result of inadequate fluid. The lack of fluid will cause the hydraulic pressure in the system to drop and you may notice the steering becoming a bit more stiff when turning the wheel. Power steering leaks are fairly common, but should be looked at immediately by a qualified mechanic as power steering fluid can be flammable especially when under extreme pressure. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your power steering system.
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