sixonemale

Our SC makes low hum type of growling noise when turning at very low speeds or a crawl as though something is being strained. Could it be the power steering pump? Any thoughts of what source of this noise could be would be appreciated. TIA

DJWLDW

Control Arms? Does it clunk?

Dennis

GmanSC

I almost certain it’s power steering. Check your fluid level, check for leak.

leexed

Is the noise present while parked or does the car need to be moving? If you have to be moving..possible rough tire or wheel bearing. If noise is present while sitting still..possible power steering or fan belt idler bearing. Just a few of common noise causes.

sixonemale

Very good thought. When my wife backs out of the garage and then turns to drive away I do hear something I've never heard, therefore this may be a possibility.

Another good thought, the fluid was the first thing that I checked and it's full or within the low and high fill lines. I did see some sort of spill of something on the splash guard but cannot tell what it is. I'm not very familiar with power steering pumps, perhaps a leak is not necessary for one to malfunction. Logic tells me that any type of pump can fail on it's own, so this could be the source of the problem even though it's not leaking.

A third good thought. I thought about a wheel bearing also and did a test drive at about 40-50 MPH and turned the front wheels in each direction to try and detect a bad wheel bearing, but did not. I can't count the the idler bearing out.

I think all three of these thoughts are possibilities with one or two them being most probable. I will report back when this issue is resolved. Thanks

Update: I took it out for a drive this morning and right when I put it in reverse there was a low pitched whine and a very pronounced low pitched whine when turning left or right. The whine seemed to subside when the car warmed up, but can't be completely sure of that. It sure does seem like it has something to do with the power steering.

GmanSC

sixonemale

It's an '06 with about 90k miles. Thanks for thought regarding fluid leaking on the alternator. If there is a leak it's a slight one, but it certainly sounds like the pump is failing and about ready to fail completely.

sixonemale

I had said previously in the initial post of this thread that I had checked the power steering fluid and "it's full or within the low and high fill lines", not so. The cylinder the power steering fluid resides in was stained or looked like it was full, it was not, the power steering pump had a leak in it, hence the reason for low pitch hum noise when turning right or left standing still or at a slow crawl. I had also noticed what I thought was a small water puddle on the garage floor and dismissed it as condensate. It was not condensate, it was clear or amber power steering fluid. Long story short, I had the power steering pump changed out and since the alternator was removed, replaced it also along with the idler pulley and serpentine belt. Thanks for all of the helpful thoughts of what the source of the noise in the initial post of this thread could have been.

PS What kind of bothers me is that all of this happened after a power steering flush and fill recommended by the local Toyota service department. Probably a coincidence, but odd timing.

mandyfig

Just a thought, when flushing (hence it is not recommended) something happens and as soon as the "cob webs" are displaced, funny things happen. In your case, it was time for a repair. Great investment though.

sixonemale

You somewhat confirmed my suspicion, it's like an old transmission, if flushed a lot can happen and I've witnessed that way back when. I mentioned it to Toyota and they said the opposite is true, it usually helps a power steering pump that may not be working properly. At that time I had the power steering fluid flushed and filled per their recommendation there was no issue with the pump or fluid, I was having the brake fluid replaced per the maintenance manual. I also question what power steering fluid they used, but I guess Dexron II or III comes in a couple of different colors. Needless to say, I did not have Toyota do the work because I was not completely satisfied with their answers. I had an independent mechanic do the work for about one third of the price they quoted, hence the reason I had quite a few items replaced, plus it's my wife's daily driver that I want running without any glitches.

Bgw70

sixonemale

I think if you are consistent with flushing and filling and begin it at a reasonable mileage interval, it's a good thing to do. I've flushed and filled my transmission a couple of times. I think where there is potential risk is if you wait till a higher mileage interval and do it for a first time.

Yes, the Dexron colors I was referring to were clear/amber and red. If I would have had the red equivalent I would have detected this problem much earlier because I would not have mistaken the light puddle in the garage as condensate.