I have a 2002 Kia Optima and I took it to have the hoses change because it was leaking. The mechanic change the hoses but whe I started to drive away I notice a whinning that it was not there before. I notice that it got louder as I turn the steering wheel. I mention it to the mechanic and he said that probably the pump was about to fail. I also notice as I drove the car the next day steering fluid was leaking thru the cap of the fluid reservoir. When I took my car to have the hose change there was no noise. It was as quiet as it could be. After I have the hose replaced it was making this loud whinning sound.
My question is, Is what the mechanic said about the pump getting ready to fail true or it could be something else? Could it be air in the lines?
I don’t know what the mechanic could have done that would have damaged the pump, other than perhaps denting it or leaving a foreign object in a hose.
It is common for power steering systems to whine after they are worked on, due to air in the system, It sometimes takes a couple of days and many lock-to-lock turns to get all the air worked out. What worries me is that your mechanic did not know to tell you that rather than suggesting that the pump was failing. Were you talking to the mechanic or to a service writer?
The fluid coming out from under the cap seems very odd. Pull off the cap. Is the rubber gasket in place? Is the reservoir over-filled? (there is probably a dipstick on the cap) He may have over-filled the reservoir assuming that the level would go down when the air worked its way out.