# Steering squeal

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-squeal/1820>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [July 16, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-squeal/1820 "2007-07-16T23:28:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![donk83](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@donk83](https://community.cartalk.com/u/donk83)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-squeal/1820/1 "2007-07-16T23:28:13Z")

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I have a '97 Mercury Tracer, after driving a while the steering starts to get a loud squealing noise whenever I turn. This noise is even more pronounced if I have had the a/c running while driving. What’s causing this?

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-squeal/1820/2 "2007-07-16T23:48:30Z")

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The most common causes are a loose or worn fanbelt (the PS pump puts more load on the belt when you turn), a worn out power steering pump, low power steering fluid (if so you need to fix the leak), or a worn out/weak tensioner.

Start with the belt. That’s the cause 99% of the time.

- mountainbike