Loud power steering

A suspicious power steering sound doesn't always have to be a sign of an expensive repair.

It is a fact that noisy operation is one of the frequent signs of malfunction of many vehicle components. Too much power steering. Typically, the increased noise that accompanies the operation of the power steering system is caused by excessive wear of the components of the hydraulic pump, driven by a belt drive directly from the crankshaft of the engine or electric motor. Workshop diagnostics also detects cases where suspicious sounds are caused by phenomena not related to mechanical damage.

An example is the audible squeal of power steering when maneuvering with the steering wheels fully turned. A similar phenomenon was previously observed, including in the Rover 600 series, and it turned out that it was enough to replace the fluid in the power steering system with the one recommended by the manufacturer for the power steering to become silent. If after replacing the creaking sound was still heard, the fluid had to be changed again. This was explained by the fact that there was always a certain amount of old liquid in the system, which could still make noise in this way.

Speaking of replacing the fluid in the power steering system, the procedure for bleeding the system must be performed after each such operation. Bleeding is considered complete if air bubbles do not form in the power steering fluid reservoir when the steering wheel is turned from end to end.

An important measure that can affect the quality of the power steering system is the periodic check and, if necessary, adjusting the tension of the power steering pump drive belt.