power steering pump noise

[farmhand]

i'll try this again. first post never made it. I have a nice 2000 sierra z71 which i purchased in july of last year. It has 140,000 miles. It is a really nice truck. Clean truck. spotless

Ever since the wining noise which i think is coming from power steering pump. The noise does NOT get any louder with the engine running in park and i turn the wheel. After having the oil changed they said the ps fluid was dark, so I'm thinking it never has been flushed.

Question: if so, could used up ps fluid cause the ps pump to go out? Or does the pump just go out on it's own and then cause the fluid to break down?
I suppose i could try and save some money and get a pump from a wreaking yard but I want to be careful. Can you recommend doing this?

last question: i'm on a fixed montly income so how much am i looking at here, for a new pump and fresh fluid? Thanks

 

[Molson02536]

i'll try this again. first post never made it. I have a nice 2000 sierra z71 which i purchased in july of last year. It has 140,000 miles. It is a really nice truck. Clean truck. spotless

Ever since the wining noise which i think is coming from power steering pump. The noise does NOT get any louder with the engine running in park and i turn the wheel. After having the oil changed they said the ps fluid was dark, so I'm thinking it never has been flushed.

Question: if so, could used up ps fluid cause the ps pump to go out? Or does the pump just go out on it's own and then cause the fluid to break down?
I suppose i could try and save some money and get a pump from a wreaking yard but I want to be careful. Can you recommend doing this?

last question: i'm on a fixed montly income so how much am i looking at here, for a new pump and fresh fluid? Thanks

Start with the simple and go to the dollar store and pick up a Turkey baser and use it to take out the old power steering fluid as much as you can. Once that is done, replace what you took out with new power steering fluid and make sure your check the fluid while the engine is running.

Drive around the block and check it again to make sure there are no air trapped in the system and top off as needed and check again after a long drive at the gas station and top off as needed. Note that if here is lots of foam in your fluid, then there is air in your system and that will take longer to work is way out.

Hope this help you get more life in to your power steering pump.

Keep us posted.

Molson02536

 

[farmhand]

hey thanks, i'll let you know. probably won't be until next week weekend ; )

 

[rdm1465]

or you can just run the engine in your driveway or wherever, Turn your steering wheel full lock to full lock a few times. recheck your p/s fluid and repeat. this also help in taking any air out of the system. If you notice any resistance turning your wheel, there is still air in there. hope that helps.

 

[farmhand]

i don't think i did this right. after draining the fluid with a turkey baster, i then started the engine and the noise was gone : ) I couldn't turn the wheel so like a stupid, i ended up shutting the truck off and I was able to get about 6 more turkey baster tubes of only to be almost an orange with lots of tiny bubbles as if the stuff was just put into a blender. So, i guess there was the foam that Molsen had spoke of. i didn't take any pictures because my cell ph. was disconnected.

I then decided to add with fresh fluid and as i had the truck running and began to turn the wheel and started to head out of the pkg lot and the power steering finally kicked in and all was good but i still hear the noise. and this bugs me : (

Perhaps if I had tried to drive it a little bit before refilling, i could have got more of the junk out? Anyway, i think the last person who owned this truck put tranny fluid in to the ps compartment. The stuff had a lousy odor to it.
ok, what should i do next? Maybe the ps pump noise will begin to decrease or maybe it's just still hanging in there but with the buzzing noise that i don't like? thank you

 

[Molson02536]

i don't think i did this right. after draining the fluid with a turkey baster, i then started the engine and the noise was gone : ) I couldn't turn the wheel so like a stupid, i ended up shutting the truck off and I was able to get about 6 more turkey baster tubes of only to be almost an orange with lots of tiny bubbles as if the stuff was just put into a blender. So, i guess there was the foam that Molsen had spoke of. i didn't take any pictures because my cell ph. was disconnected.

I then decided to add with fresh fluid and as i had the truck running and began to turn the wheel and started to head out of the pkg lot and the power steering finally kicked in and all was good but i still hear the noise. and this bugs me : (

Perhaps if I had tried to drive it a little bit before refilling, i could have got more of the junk out? Anyway, i think the last person who owned this truck put tranny fluid in to the ps compartment. The stuff had a lousy odor to it.
ok, what should i do next? Maybe the ps pump noise will begin to decrease or maybe it's just still hanging in there but with the buzzing noise that i don't like? thank you

Just keep an eye on your power steering fluid, sounds like you still have air in your system or mixed in your fluid and needs to be worked out.

Rev the engine to around 2000 RPM while you check the level and add as needed. Then rev the engine back to 2000 rpm again and turn the wheel right to left trying not to go from full stop to stop.

After a few of these turns check the fluid again to see if there is still foaming in the fluid. If there is then there is still air in the system and just have to work its way out, once its all out the noise should be less if not stopped.

All pumps do make noise since its a pump, the older the pump the noisier it gets. But the most common cause of noise is low on fluid, foamy fluid from being low, and a tired pump.

Keep us posted and keep up the great work.

Molson02536

 

[farmhand]

thanks

will do, thank you