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Hey Eric, I have a 2005 Acura RL and it’s making a high pitch whining noise while I’m driving and gets louder while accelerating. It only makes this noise after it’s warmed up – starts making the noise after about 15 minutes then continues whenever I press the accelerator and a steady whining noise when idling, what do you think it could be? Power steering pump? Drive belt? Transmission?
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It’s coming from that area but I discounted the drive belt because it only happens after driving for at least 15 minutes. It makes the noise while I’m going straight and turning. The ps fluid is up to the high level but is kind of dark, I was thinking of doing a flush.
What im thinking is one of the belt tensioner pulley bearings is bad and when it heats up it starts to squeal.
I did have the alternator burn up on me about a month ago – it just failed out of nowhere. I was driving and the check charging system light came on. I turned the car off, pulled into a parking lot and left the car off for a few minutes. I turned it back on and the light went away and I drove to my destination, parked for a few hours and when I started up again the check charging system light came back on and stayed on and every single light on the dash came up. I lost power steering, power brakes, and the car stalled in the middle of traffic. Luckily there was a Midas about 5 minutes away and I managed to get it there and pull into the lot of the Midas where the car just turned off. The mechanic was watching me drive in and saw the car die right in front of him. They were going to test the battery when the alternator started smoking and they said the alternator burned up. $600 and 3 hours later , I was on my way with a new alternator. I told the mechanic about the noise I was hearing and he said maybe it was the alternator going bad. But the noise is still happening with a brand new alternator. Could a bad tensioner pully have caused the alternator to burn up and if so am I in danger of having this same issue occur again?
I don’t think the belt tensioner had anything to do with the alternator going out i just think the 11 year old alternator died.
That’s good to hear. The noise is not really squealing but more of a whining noise. I found this that sounds like it:
To go along with what you’re saying, what’s the best way to test/diagnose the tensioner pulley?
This is a great example of what I’m hearing:
Some comments do mention the bearings inside the tensioner pulley.
With all the moving parts in that area you are going to have to narrow down the location the sound is coming from.
Using a stethoscope with a long tube attached to it makes it much easier just be very careful not to get it caught in any moving parts the injury could be devastating.
This is a home made one but advance auto parts sells one for $10.00
[URL=http://s349.photobucket.com/user/DisabledAutomotive/media/Ramdom/stethoscope_zpsilzfnhxj.jpg.html][IMG]http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q385/DisabledAutomotive/Ramdom/stethoscope_zpsilzfnhxj.jpg[/IMG][/URL]I believe I’ve narrowed this noise down to the power steering system. I replaced the o-ring in the inlet pipe of the PS pump by removing the inlet hose that goes from the PS reservoir to the PS pump’s inlet pipe. When I removed the inlet pipe, I noticed there was no old O-ring in the inlet pipe or in the PS pump itself where the inlet pipe connects to the pump so I just placed the new o-ring on the pipe and put everything back together. I topped the reservoir off with PS fluid made for Hondas and Acuras (because some fluid leaked out when I took the inlet hose and inlet pipe off) and when I turned the car on to take it for a test drive and check f the noise is gone – I didn’t make it out of the driveway – the reservoir started foaming and bubbling and overflowed with foamy PS fluid and a lot of PS fluid leaked out. It seems the return hose is filling the reservoir faster than the inlet hose is taking the fluid to the PS pump .
What would cause the fluid to not be pulled into the PS pump?
How do I get the air out which would (I’m guessing) stop the foaming / bubbling /overflowing?I lost quit a bit of fluid and the pump was making a lot of noise – most likely because is very low on fluid since it all overflowed from the reservoir.
I then let it sit after cleaning all the fluid under the reservoir and filled the reservoir back to the fill line. The next day I tried to bleed the system and the first time I turned the steering wheel from lock to lock (engine was on) – the fluid did get pulled into the pump. I turned the car off and added more fluid to the reservoir (it was empty after turning the wheel) and the second time I turned the car on and turned the steering wheel from lock to lock, the fluid started bubbling and foamed up and overflowed from the reservoir again.Any thoughts on what could have transpired? Why would it pull the fluid the first time and overflow the second time? Any advice is greatly appreciated. I have not driven this car in about 5 days now because of this issue.
Problem got worse after O ring install correct?
Have you tried to reinstall O ring( lubricate before install/ not rolled/pinched).
O ring not present on inlet wonder if it deteriorated and got sucked into pump at some point.
Complete system flush is in order.“How do I get the air out which would (I’m guessing) stop the foaming / bubbling /overflowing?”
Realize if any air entering, then system won’t bled and can cause fluid aeration.
Incorrect amount of fluid can also cause foaming/bubbling.Have you had to add fluid in past? Reservoir level ever low?
If so then leak somewhere in system.If not then pump itself or steering rack may be failing.
Is that a 2005 Acura TL? Sounds like the power steering pump is whining due to air. My 2007 Odyssey did the same. They had a recall on the o-ring gaskets that connect the hose to the power steering pump. You can tell if they’ve been changed because the new gasket on the bottom is orange. If the power steering pump is leaking, you might as well get a new one with the new line gaskets.
I’m not even sure if the problem still exists – this created a new problem – perhaps when I disconnected the hose – it was open into the pump via the inlet pipe and the entire time I was trying to get the pipe off to access the old o-ring and put on the new one, air could have gotten into the pump – Is that a possibility?
I’ve never had a leak as the fluid was at the correct level on the reservoir.
It’s a 2005 RL – I did place the new orange O-ring on the pipe and topped off the fluid – maybe I did put too much fluid in and now’s it’s causing it to overflow. Should I take some of the fluid out even after it overflowed and leaked out of the reservoir? I was thinking at this point to pay for a flush and see if that will take the air out. Other than that – a new pump?
Here’s EXACTLY what’s happening – seems I need to learn how to properly bleed air out of the PS system.
Looks like it’s normal that the fluid is spewing out if there’s air in the system.
How many times should I have to turn the wheel – as many as it takes to get all the air out?
When you open it, air will get into the system. If you have verified all of your connections, then you can bleed the air out by turn the wheel lock to lock until the air is gone. Now, you may see a little bubbling, you shouldn’t see anything foaming for sure. If you do, you will have to re-evaluate your work. Hopefully you coated the new o-rings with power steering fluid. Hopefully you don’t need a new pump. Check for leaks around the pump housing. If you find leaks you will need a new pump.
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