I need HELP! I have a horrible rapid knocking and grinding noise when I turn my steering wheel. I had the steering wheel pump replaced and it is still making that noise. The Mechanic said the noise will stop as there is air in the lines. I’m starting to wonder if he REALLY replaced it and charged me. He said there were no leaks in the rack and pinon. Any thoughts?
Knowing the year, make, model, mileage, engine size and even 4WD/AWD or not will help us help you better…
BTW, your mechanic should have bleed the air out of the system before returning the keys to you, I highly recommend finding a shop with great reviews to properly diagnose your issue(s)…
Next time you drive your car, before you turn the engine off, turn the steering wheel all the way to lock either CW or CCW and while holding it there turn the engine off, next drive turn the wheel all the way to lock the other way then last time, do this a few times both ways should bleed the air out of the system, make sure to not let the fluid get low… You can also just start the car and turn the wheel to lock and turn it off, then walk away from the car for 20-30 minutes and then come back and do it again but turn the wheel the other way… do this multiple times, IF it is air in the system then that should bleed the air out…
But you still might have something totally different wrong with your car, like something loose in the steering & suspension… Have it checked out by a shop that is able to do alignments or at least does front end (undercar) work…
Again, we NEED your vehicle information to really help…
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I think that you need a different mechanic. As @davesmopar mentioned, you should not get a vehicle back after a steering pump replacement if it hasn’t already been properly bled. In addition, there are other things than can cause that kind of a noise.
As far as whether or not the pump was really replaced, you can “eyeball” that (but it would be odd if it wasn’t replaced). You need to check the power steering fluid anyway (see your owner’s manual). You will be checking at the reservoir which will be attached to the pump. Without make/model/year I can’t give more detail. But something right around there should look rather shiny and new.
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The foam in the fluid will separate and the air will rise to the top when the engine is off. Leave the engine off for 30 minutes, then refill the reservoir before starting the engine. Repeat if necessary.
Did you take the vehicle to the service department for inspection? The joints in the intermediate shaft could be noisy, a demonstration of the problem would help.
Sounds like the problem is in the rack. But the garage changed the power steering pump?
The pumps usually easier to replace than the rack. So he made a quick buck, but didn’t solve your problem.
Is this part 2 with the same vehicle and problem you had that was being “fixed” on March 14th??
If so, it would have been nice to have kept it all in one thread…
based on the limited information, it sounds like a noise in the steering column somewhere
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