jdang0118

So i have an 05 and wanting to replace the power steering pump. The dealership said they have changed it out but with an after market pump. Now the engine whines at startup, when i turn the steering wheel (in park), when the car idle, and at acceleration. Been looking online and was told there is a bolt on pulley, and press on pulley. Does anyone have any idea how to tell which type of pulley without removing everything and just by looking from the engine down at it? Greatly appreciated.

Arsenii

Hello,

Squeaking like that usually indicates that the belt is not tightened properly or is worn out. Since the pump was replaced at the dealership, I think they would point out a worn belt, so you likely just need to take the passenger wheel off and get that belt tightened correctly, below is the video on how to do so. With that, a reputable dealership should provide a warranty for repairs like that, and it shouldn't take all that long to do, so it may be wiser to take advantage of it..


P.S. Didn't know dealerships are allowed to use aftermarket parts.. What brand did they use? Most common issue with those is they start leaking, maybe a little to late, but Toyota sells OEM rebuild kits for about $35, Part Number depends on the pump you have..

Hope this helps and best of luck!

TriniLex

I also have a whine from my pulley. I have removed the belts and the whine is gone. I believe the pulley is bad. Were you ablet o replace just the pulley?

jdang0118

I replaced the whole pump, and the hoses that leads to the reservoir. The pulley came with the pump. Just to make sure, how many pulleys are there for that system?
after changing out the pump, the whine at engine start up is gone, but when turning the steering wheel at stand still, it still makes that whining noise. Do you have any ideas of what it can be? I will try to take off the belt this weekend and see. Let me know what other tips you have down up your sleeves. Thanks

Arsenii

What pump did you use?
What happened to your old pump?
Is it the whine or the squeak that you have issues with?

Squeaking sound is related to the belt, if it is bad or not tightened correctly, as it is described above. Whine, on the other hand, is an issue with the pump itself, if it is starved of fluid, the fluid is incompatible, or the overall quality of the pump you got is bad.

Easiest way around it would be to visit the dealership that replaced your pump and ask for the warranty repair. If they would decline, ask for your old pump, if it was just leaking, Toyota sells repair kits for them for a pretty reasonable price.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

jdang0118

i still have the old pump. I purchase an oem pimp at the junk yard with 60k miles on it. It is the whine im dealing with while turning the steering wheel at a stand still. The whine at start up went away. I am using toyota oem power steering fluid The belt was new and from lexus when i replaced the old cracked one.

the reservoir is full with fluid. Could it be the system has a clog somewhere. I did a flush on it and it still whines like crazy

LeX2K

Toyota doesn't make power steering fluid AFAIK, what did you use exactly? You are supposed to use transmission fluid.

jdang0118

its the red stuff from toyota. And its the right one

LeX2K

Post a pic of the container I've never seen Toyota PS fluid before.

Arsenii

I know some Toyota dealerships sell bottles with Power Steering Fluid, but it appears to be the same situation as with Toyota branded wipers and fuel additives. I will have to call up the dealership I've seen it at, I will edit this post afterwards, since they are currently closed.

All I found so far is something rather exotic, not even sure if it is possible to buy that fluid locally. First is the 4L bottle (P/N: 0886-01005) that appears to be designed for all the Power Steering systems, presumably there is just some mild improvement to the Dexron formula that makes it more compatible with the power steering systems (?)... There is not a whole lot information about it unfortunately..

Other one is designed specifically for Hydro-Electric systems (P/N: 08886-01206), it is not compatible with any other systems.

All Toyota is selling right now is T-IV fluid, at least that is red in color. While I've heard of people using T-IV in the PS pumps, I've never tried it, and I don't think I am going to. While it is similar-ish in structure to the Dexron, Toyota's compatibility charts say they are not compatible, I personally wouldn't risk it, so try it on your own risk.

Toyota does have their own Dexron analog, Part Number is 00718-ATF00, but it is getting increasingly hard to find, so I personally switched to Amsoil OE ATF as per LeX2K recommendation, so far so good, it made my pump a lot happier compared to the old fluid, at least as far as I can tell. Considering that they cost about the same, I think it is definitely worth a consideration.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

jdang0118

amazon.com. Type in power steering fluid for lexus es330

LeX2K

You're not using Toyota OEM PS fluid. Searching what you suggested shows mostly power steering fluid (no good for your car) and a bunch of unrelated items.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Could you upload a video of the noise you're hearing to YouTube and post it here?

TriniLex

I will get a video of my noise this weekend.
My noise starts when I start the car after 2-3 mins. It lasts about 15 mins during driving and then it stops.
I have changed the belts and made sure they were tight. Still the same problem.
Is there any option to lubricate the pulley on the power steering pump?

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

With a serpentine belt you would want everything completely dry and clean. This sounds like a very frustrating issue, I'm sorry to hear it's been so persistent. I would also check to make sure there is no melted rubber or debris on all the pulleys as that could cause noise and slippage.

You wrote that you installed a used 60k mile pump and the previous pump was an aftermarket new unit installed at the dealer, there is a possibility you still have a pump issue.

Also, have you inspected all the pulleys for the other accessory belt? Have you replaced the other accessory belt for the alternator/AC/etc.?

I'm not sure if the 3MZ-FE on the 2005 ES330 uses the same tension mechanism for the power steering as the 1MZ-FE in the ES300, but I had some issues with setting the right tension when I did my timing belt. I wonder if you're properly setting the tension by loosening the pump mounting bolts, pushing the pump down and then locking it in place. Because of that tension issue, my belt was squealing only when turning the wheel.