So I just finished a weekend of modding:
Installed a tunnel heat shield
Installed a KB Boost-a-pump (for the fuel pump)
Installed a Window Valet
Shimmed supercharger mounting bracket for better drive alignment

Started her up and everything worked fine. Took her for a test drive for about 30 minutes and enjoyed the new chassis rigidity offered by the tunnel plate. Shut her down and came back to her 2 hours later to drive her into the garage. Everything was great!

Then I start her up the morning and I can hear (and feel) something from steering at low RPM. I checked all pulleys (including power steering) and everything is OK. I checked for power steering fluid and it's full. It's not the act of steering and moving that makes noise, it's the act of just turning the wheel. If I turn the wheel while the car is idling it makes this low pitched, "gear" like whirring noise. Or almost like the kind of sound you'd expect to hear if your parking brake was on and you drive forward. Like there's something rubbing, although not grinding.

The sound disappears entirely if I turn the wheel with the motor off. Also, I can't hear or feel any sounds once I get the car moving (above 20ish mph).

Steering response seems unaffected so I don't think that my PS pump went out altogether?

Any help isolating or identifying the issue?

 

Also, it's worth noting that if I turn the wheel 15 degrees at a stop, it only makes noise while turning. Once the turning is done, it's quiet again.

 

I'm not sure if you have tried this and ruled it out, but it might just be that a bearing in the steering assembly needs to be greased.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...D=35&TopicID=1

 

Thanks Dickie,
I'll give that a shot.

 

A shot in the dark...may not be related to anything you did over the week-end. Sounds like the power steering pump working hard, which it wouldn't have to do if you were going any faster than 15-20, like you said. What year is your car?

Maybe you just need a new pump.

 

Thanks, this is a good point. The car is an '02, making the pump about 3 years old.

Noise disappeared today while leaving for lunch as mysteriously as it showed up. I will try greasing the assembly tonight and we'll see if the noise comes back.

If it comes back and is just the PS pump, that's an easy and relatively inexpensive fix. I just hope it's not something more serious.

 

I'm no expert, but it sure sounds like p/s pump noise. When you shimmed the s/c for better alignment, perhaps you put a different load on the p/s pump bearings? I'm assuming they use the same belt? Just my proverbial 2 cents worth...

 

Yup, the PS pump and blower both share the same belt. The blower is "after" the PS pump, alternator, and water pump though... and the water pump has that giant "bell" pulley that should account for any load variance. So my assumption would be that by shimming the blower out, the belt should also travel a little bit out on the water pump. It didn't really move.

Thanks for the feedback though. I'll continue to keep an eye on it.

Oddly, the problem disappeared when I jerked the wheel hard today in the parking lot -- which makes me think maybe it was the bearing down below. A hard jerk of the wheel shouldn't affect the PS pump.

 

If you have an A4, it might be belt rumble on you ac belt or you main serpentine belt. It is a common problem.

If it is a manual, then it is not belt rumble.

Good Luck,

AZC5

 

The problem came back again this morning when I went to leave the house (it was gone all throughout the night).

I have ordered a replacement PS pump -- hopefully that fixes it.