Power steering "buzz" - anyone?

[makakio]

Hi guys -

Just noticed that the wife's 2001 has a little bit of a "buzz" coming from underhood when I'm moving slow and turning wheel (I don't turn to lock - this is happening throughout the wheel-turning process). Sounds like if you make this noise: "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..." I notice it most when moving the truck in/out of the driveway or slowly around parkling lots. It's minor at this point and the fluid looks/smells fine, level is fine, no seepage or anything weird going on that I can see.

Thoughts on the pump starting to fail? Other possibles?

 

[broncosi]

i imagine its just your power steering fluid, if your goin slow. is it kinda like the noise it makes when you turn the wheel all the way?

 

[makakio]

Yeah, but when you turn to lock I always thought that was more of a "sssshhhhhhhhh" noise, not the bzzzzzzzzz...

 

[FriscoKid]

My 2000 4Runner also makes a sound like what you describe when I'm making low speed turns. I think it's probably normal. I've only noticed it in my driveway when I have all the windows open.

 

[broncosi]

yea same here

 

[HiLife]

Damn spammers....

 

[PRG3K]

Fairly new here but I'd venture to say its pretty common especially w bigger vehicles like this. I hate that noise and try not to put too much stress on my old truck by forcing the pump to move the wheels at a standstill. Sometimes it can't be helped but I always try to be moving a little bit. Pump could be going or there could be some air in the system.

 

[HiLife]

With the ps cap off, and with the engine running. Turn the wheel while watching the fluid inside the ps reservoir (do this with extreme caution). Is the fluid foaming when you hear it buzzing?

 

[WheelinGypsy]

I have it too.

 

[theesotericone]

I have it too.

Clean the screen at the bottom of the reservoir. There's 3 bolts that hold it to the pump.
Remove them and the low pressure line. Take it out and brake clean that screen. Get a new o-ring for it before you pull it. The old one will break when you go to re-install.

It's a pretty well known issue and cleaning that screen fixes it for most folks.

 

[mtbtim]

Clean the screen at the bottom of the reservoir. There's 3 bolts that hold it to the pump.
Remove them and the low pressure line. Take it out and brake clean that screen. Get a new o-ring for it before you pull it. The old one will break when you go to re-install.

It's a pretty well known issue and cleaning that screen fixes it for most folks.

Yeah, Yeah, I agree. And lookey here, [MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION] and I have a video showing you how to do it. Maybe we got lucky with the o-ring because we didn't replace it. The o-ring was intact and didn't rip as far as I know when we reinstalled the reservoir. Jax, the guy we did the job for, didn't report any leaks so I guess the o-ring held.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5k61KXRK8bM" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[theesotericone]

Maybe we got lucky with the o-ring because we didn't replace it. The o-ring was intact and didn't rip as far as I know when we reinstalled the reservoir. Jax, the guy we did the job for, didn't report any leaks so I guess the o-ring held.

I'm 50/50 with them. On my rig I was able to re-use the o-ring without any issues. I figured it would be the same when I did my Taco. I was wrong. The o-ring failed as soon as I tried to re-seat it. Being the handy guy that I am and not wanting the truck to be down all weekend I used some pipe dope in the o-ring groove. That held fine for a few days.

A ordered one from my local dealer that Monday. I think it was 2 bucks or so. I put it back in the following weekend. So I got to do this three times instead of two. For such an inexpensive part it's a no-brainer to have it handy.

 

[pluton]

Cleaning the screen eliminated the buzzy whine from mine. Changed out the ATF at the same time. The 'trick' of purging the ATF out of the system by turning the steering wheel with the engine off saved time, hassle, and mess. A few turns lock to lock and the entire volume of the system had been disgorged.

 

[mtbtim]

Cleaning the screen eliminated the buzzy whine from mine. Changed out the ATF at the same time. The 'trick' of purging the ATF out of the system by turning the steering wheel with the engine off saved time, hassle, and mess. A few turns lock to lock and the entire volume of the system had been disgorged.

This is not the first time I've heard this but I still have a hard time believing you're effectively moving the fluid through the system with the pump off. I will have to try it out myself on one of my rigs. I wouldn't necessarily say our way was a hassle but we did make a little bit of a mess when the fluid splattered a bit into the catch container we used. I also don't know if it's a time savings either, because with the engine running, we're replacing the fluid at the same time we're flushing. But hey, there's always more than way to get something done.

 

[pluton]

This is not the first time I've heard this but I still have a hard time believing you're effectively moving the fluid through the system with the pump off. I will have to try it out myself on one of my rigs. I wouldn't necessarily say our way was a hassle but we did make a little bit of a mess when the fluid splattered a bit into the catch container we used. I also don't know if it's a time savings either, because with the engine running, we're replacing the fluid at the same time we're flushing. But hey, there's always more than way to get something done.

Yeah...I wrote "the entire volume of the system" instead of 'all the fluid' because I have the same doubt about whether all the fluid, including from deep inside the rack, got exchanged.

Also, I found on previous occasions that it is impossible for me to fill the reservoir as fast as the ATF is disgorged from the return hose. The pump runs dry and air gets foamed into the ATF.
This way the pump never ran dry. I don't mind if there are a few ounces of old fluid left in the system.

 

[mtbtim]

Yeah...I wrote "the entire volume of the system" instead of 'all the fluid' because I have the same doubt about whether all the fluid, including from deep inside the rack, got exchanged.

When you are doing it the engine running way, the system runs dry after only a few seconds of the engine running. Also, I found on previous occasions that it is impossible for me to fill the reservoir as fast as the ATF is disgorged from the return hose. The pump runs dry and air gets foamed into the ATF.
This way the pump never ran dry. I don't mind if there are a few ounces of old fluid left in the system.

You're right that you can't replace it fast enough and the pump will run dry. When we made the video, I started to pour into the funnel at the same time telling Jax to start the motor. I thought I could get an entire quart poured in before the pump ran dry, but I couldn't. So, the next time I do it with the engine running, I'm just going to do shorter cycles. Run it very briefly, maybe get a 1/2 quart poured in, tell my helper to stop the motor, refill the reservoir, and repeat until I run about 2 quarts through the system.

 

[Vansnxtweek]

It was such an endeavor when I flushed mine last week with the motor running. Doesn't help that the biggest catch container I could find way out in the country was an old gear oil bottle hahaha. Yes, I obviously got sprayed with ATF..but my fluid is red and shiny now!

I did have success using my same reservoir o-ring. I have some noise from my new pump still but its definitely better than it was. The screen was unbelievably caked.

 

[4bangr]

I wanted mention a few things I learned doing this.
I used a vacuum oil bottle to evacuate the old oil, works great, no mess.
I soaked my reservoir in parts cleaner all night, but you can't really see down in there, so i'm still not convinced how clean it is.
I was really surprised (it's only 20 year old vehicle) how dirty the oil and crap that came out of the reservoir.
It also has taken longer than i expected to get all the air out and get the level set. Steering feels remarkable though.