Power steering whine can be pretty embarrassing

Whining is a very unattractive feature, in people and cars. In cars, it's often heard when turning. In people, it's often heard when they don't get what they want. Honestly though, cars are easier to fix.

For most cars, the source of the sound comes from air in the power steering pump. The air can come from fluid level being too low. This is usually a good indication that there is a leak. The other comes from fluid cavatation around the pump shaft inside the pump. Cavatation just means it makes bubbles. Which it shouldn't. All fluids on an automobile are designed to resist 'shearing'. Shearing is what happens as an object passes through a liquid. In the case of water, think boat propeller. Lots of bubbles and foam come from the prop 'shearing' the water.

In auto applications, this is bad. The air in the bubbles can actually cause heat and friction. It can damage seals and other components. In the case of power steering, the air bubbles are pushed through the lines to the power steering rack or gear box. If this happens, premature seal and internal component failure can lead to expensive repairs. The average cost of a rack replacement is about $1,000.00. The average cost of changing the fluid is about $60.00. If you change the fluid every 3 years, you would have to do 16 services over 50 years to equal the cost of a rack replacement! Wow!

Honestly, doing the service has a lot of benefits, but I would be lying if I said it's a guaranteed fix-all. Nothing is a guaranteed fix-all. However, doing the service reduces the likelyhood of part failure and can often eliminate noise from the pump. Also, Run-Rite offers a 240,000 mile warranty on serviced parts! So if we do the service at regular intervals, you will automatically have coverage IF there is a failure! It's a win-win! You could have up to $2000.00 for repairs! Just click on the Run-Rite link for more information! Then schedule your service with us!