weird whining sound..power steering pump taking a crap?

[89merk]

Ok, I noticed this noise yesterday when I started the car, a strange high pitched whining, I immediately checked the steering fluid level and noticed it was low like to the point of sucking in air..I refilled it and noise has not left, the pitch of the whining changes when I give the car gas, it gets high pitched..the pitch of the noise however does not change when I turn the wheel nor has the steering become any harder.....the noise goes away after about 15mph+ ...did air get in my steering pump? is that possible? is it about to give out? I made sure it wasnt a belt rubbing anywhere..video will follow later today when I get out of work.

[Lincolnmania]

if it got too low, u got air in the system.....it might go away.....is the fliud all dark and nasty? if it is suck some out with a turkey baster, and fill it up with fresh type f trans fluid....repeat, also find the source of the leak

[gadget73]

the air will work itself out eventually. a few lock to lock cycles on the wheel may help. second the thought of flushing and replacing the fluid. you can drain more out if you disconnect the return line, but be prepared to replace the return line. usually its hard as a rock, and you'll want to slice it off the PS pump rather than trying to save it. more likely you'll snap the nipple off before the hose lets go.

[89merk]

well its been bout 2 days and the noise is still there, I have heard the advice bout changing the fluid, I'll try the turkey baster idea first, start off simple..thanks mengs

[89merk]

so weirdest thing happened, I parked the car backwards on the warehouse ramp at work, in other words car was on a decline, engine lower than rear end, left it there for about an hour and a half, started the car and noise was gone, maybe the air in the pump came out due to the angle in which it was parked? either way no more noise

[mercman1951]

I have the exact same issue you describe. I don't recall it making the noise before I replaced my power steering pump (whish WAS making horrible noise in the cold - and changed when you would turn the wheels.) But it could have been, and I didn't notice.

I think it's the transmission. Some have said on here it's just a normal noise for some of our cars and not to worry about it. It doesn't do it in park, reverse or neutral, and goes away above 15 or so MPH. It does not change sound when you turn the wheels. It definately sounds like a higher-pitched spinning/whining noise. It's annoying if nothing else, but I've checked the trans fluid- it's fine, and the car shifts great otherwise. I've re-checked the power steering pump also, nothing out of the ordinary there either.

Bottom line, something is wearing out, since the car doesn't come from the factory making this noise. It's just not really worth persuing.

[91waggin]

IDK...I was under the impression that all AODs make a whine in first gear. When it shifts out of first, the whine goes away. I know mine does this, and always has, as long as I can remember....so that would be like when my car was three or four years old, since we had it when I was growing up.

[pantera77]

IDK...I was under the impression that all AODs make a whine in first gear. When it shifts out of first, the whine goes away. I know mine does this, and always has, as long as I can remember....so that would be like when my car was three or four years old, since we had it when I was growing up.

My bastard block 92 didn't really whine at all. My box on the other hand whines like a bitch till it shifts out of first.

[johnunit]

yeah mine is the same way. I had a n00b ask if the car was turboed when I floored it in first. Shift into second and it's gone.

[87gtVIC]

mine is silent. *shrugs shoulder*

[91grandmarquis]

Yeah my car doesnt sound like it has a turbo at all, thats lame cause Id tell everyone it did.

[johnunit]

the guy who said it was a tard. It's not nearly that loud, but there's a real turbine sound.

[91grandmarquis]

My moms starter sounds like a turbo, haha, also when you step on it to rev it up its got some weird whistling sound. I just assume its to add more HP. On a side note and sorry if this is off topic, My friend has a Volkswagen golf, he had a NOS switch on the shifter but it didnt work and there were no nos cans, well he decided to follow the wire, wich led to a speaker under the hood that mad NOS sounds, the wire was disconnected so it didnt work. Hooked it up to see what it did, and upon finding out it made NOS sounds promptly ripped it out. I would have kept it to be a jackass.

[mercman1951]

IDK...I was under the impression that all AODs make a whine in first gear. When it shifts out of first, the whine goes away. I know mine does this, and always has, as long as I can remember....so that would be like when my car was three or four years old, since we had it when I was growing up.

The other AOD's I've had never sounded like this one...the AOD by design does whine a bit as you run it thought the gears normally, especially at low speeds...but this whine I think some of us are talking about is in addition to that 'normal' whine you normally hear in the trans. The 'normal' whine you are thinking of for AODs will only begin once the vehicle is moving, increases in pitch until it shifts into the next gear. You don't hear it standing still no matter what gear you are in (P, D, R, N).

This noise, while possibly not harmful, is not normal. If the car was making this noise from the factory, people would have taken it back in for service, it doesn't sound 'right'. It almost makes the car sound like it has a gear drive instead of the timing chain, but not quite THAT loud.

This whine we are talking about is there, while standing still, in D, with your foot on the brake. It is almost more of a buzzing whine. It will increase in pitch as you give it gas, even standing still. It goes away if you shift it into neutral or reverse. If you put the car in D and try to do a brake torque, it is there. If you shift the car into reverse and do a brake torque, it is not there.

[gadget73]

I know what noise you're talking about. I think its a check valve rattling in it's bore or something, but I don't know for sure. Mine does it occasionally. I just ignore it. Its done it since the trans was rebuilt. It works perfectly otherwise.