Power Steering Pump???

Just in the past couple weeks, after we had a cold snap and it was in the 20's and 30's for a week, I've noticed my steering has started making noises. Turning the wheel left or right it whines, but it only does this sometimes. I checked and have plenty of steering fluid, and from reading posts it seems like the power steering pump is the only thing that would be making noises like this. My question is this: is this a major problem or can I leave it go until/unless it gets worse? No leaks at all, never so much as a drop in the driveway.

 

Personally I would just leave it. Sounds like the pump from what you're describing. If worse comes to worse, if it officially goes out, you'll basically have old school manual steering. Not the worst thing in the world if you've driven a car / truck with it before.

You may want to try changing out the fluid. It could be that the fluid is just getting so thick in the cold weather that it's not flowing through the pump easily. New fluid may help.

 

One thing I forgot to mention that I noticed is the cap of the power steering fluid res. was pretty dirty, lily. Does that mean anything?

 

I had mine replaced over the summer and now that its cold it whines pretty loud
until the engine gets warm.

 

Mine does this as well. My power steering hates cold weather! It sounds terrible when I start it, but after a few minutes its back to normal.

 

I'd looked at the power steering fluid and level before I posted, and then went and bought new ATF III to add to the pump reservoir. I hadn't realized how dirty the old fluid was, new new stuff was a clear purple and the old stuff looks like hot chocolate, so I'll be flushing it and putting new fluid in it now. To flush it, am I just removing the rubber hose the travels from the res. down to the metal fitting at the bottom?

 

I just flushed my fluids out and I have NO noise at all out of my pump... BUT it steers like there is NO power steering. Is it possible the pump is bad without making any whining noises? Or could it be hard to steer because of 5100's on the highest setting and 31 mud tires???

Just doesn't seem to me that it would be the tires, maybe the 5100's changing the steering geometry.

Any thoughts there?

 

Mine made a lot of whining. But it was worse when I had my 3" spacer lift installed. I recently removed my spacers and the whining has gone down quite a bit.
I did this samething about 3 years ago. Pump made a lot of noise and when I removed the spacer the noise went away for the most part. When it did whine it was very faint.
I guess the Toyota pumps are just as bad as my old Fords I use to own. Nothing is worse than the Ford pumps!

 

when my pump went out it didnt make any noise the motor ran like normal, it was just a b*tch to turn and impossible to parallel park i think i payed $170.00 for a new pump down at o'reilly's

 

Before you flushed your pump did it whine really bad? How did you flush it? What did your old fluid look like?

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to get to the bottom of this! Thanks!


As for your question, mine feels the same way after my 5100 install. I have mine on the middle setting, with 31" All terrains. I think your correct when you say the steering geometry. The angles of the control arms have changed as well, which may be one factor too.

 

Has anyone tried to rebuild their pump?

 

im going to attempt to tear in to my old pump when i get my new one on