Whenever I turn the steering wheel at all there is a loud whining noise. It also happens when the brake pedal is depressed, the harder I press the brake pedal, the louder the whine. They are both the same noise. Also just discovered yesterday that it is extremely hard to turn to the right at lower speeds. Would that be the power steering pump going out? I dont see why the brake pedal would produce the same noise as well though... help me out!

 

pump could be on its way out. when you depress the break pedal the booster pulls some vacuum and your power steering pump also pulls vacuum when turning at low speeds. when its really cold does your pump make any noise?

 

Have you checked the brake pads?

 

not sure if the 3.slow has the same as the 22re but i would imagine it does. check if you have any vac lines running anywhere to you power steering pump. its an idle up valve for turning at low speeds and dead stops. if that is screwy it could be pulling vacuum all the time. I know on the 22re a lot of people remove those lines when doing the egr/vac line removal.

 

I don't think so. The idle-up valve is just an air-switch; that opens with high pressure in the pump, allowing extra air into the plenum to lift the idle. (it will, for instance, keep you from killing the engine when parallel parking). It has nothing to do with road speed, except that sharp turns while moving slowly can require more effort.

That might be true (people do a lot of crazy things with their trucks) but its a mistake. To avoid killing the engine while turning hard, you have to set the idle up much higher than it should be. Wastes gas, etc.

b-rippel should check the level of fluid in the power steering pump, and check all the belts for glazing (which could indicate slipping). Use a "stethoscope" (I recommend the paper tube from a roll of paper towels) to locate where the sound is coming from.

 

low speed = low rpm. when i said low speed i meant pretty much your barely moving or your at a stop haha. but yes i totally agree a lot of people do stupid things to their trucks. friend has an 86 runner 22re and he had to remove those lines from the pump or it would kill his engine when he turned at a stop. once those lines came off he never had a problem with it after. Could have been coincidence maybe but its a 2 minute test if nothing changes then its not the issue and it can be put back the way it was.

 

The noise used to be worse when the engine was cold and then would get a little quieter as it warmed up, but now its just really bad all the time.
brake pads are fine, i know thats not the cause.
Ill check the fluid levels and check for any damaged vacuum lines connected to the pump, and I will try to locate the exact spot for the whine is coming from and will get back to you guys. much appreciated

 

it definitely sounds like the whining is coming from the power steering pump.
i checked the fluid levels and it looks like it could be topped off but doesnt looked super low.
I also noticed a small leak under the steering gear. just one drop that I noticed. but idk if thats any reason for such a loud whine.

 

When you say "whining" you don't mean "belt squeel" right?

If you get any pump noises while turning the wheel it indicates, low fluid, pump failure imminent, or your at maxium turn. Pump noises are pretty distinct..

Just FYI the PS idle up is only supposed to happen at or near full turn, eg high pressure. If it happens before that it's a bad pump, bad steering box or kinked line.

There is of course the obvious, change the belts and check the bearings on the idler. Improper belt tension will damage the pump or idler, eg don't just keep tightening it.

 

I'd bet it's the fluid level. Mine does this too and I overfill it, start the engine, turn the wheel lock to lock a couple times and check the level. Siphon off or add as needed and I'm good to go. I do this about once a month. ATF (not power steering fluid!) is cheaper than a new power steering pump and I don't fancy fixing leaks on my back in the snow.

 

the whine is not just when it is at its maximum turn. it is when i turn the wheel at all. honestly to me it does not sound like a belt squeal.
Is there anyway to pinpoint the source of the problem besides just replacing expensive parts?
I will top off the fluid level first and see how that does.

Im glad you mentioned a kinked line because this problem did not arise until after I installed some shock hoops. and during installation, we had to put the hoop behind what i believe is one of the power steering hoses. however it did not seem kinked to me or under too much stress.

here it is...

 

I have the same whine sometimes. It's ALWAYS when my ATF (Power Steering fluid) is low. My steering gear box has a tiny leak in it and I just know to top it off as soon as I hear the noise. Sometimes like less than a fluid ounce is all it needs to stop whining.

 

thanks yotasavg!
thats exactly what it was. it actually took quite a bit of ATF but after a few times of topping it off and cycling it through it finally stopped whining!
Im so glad it wasnt anything expensive

 

Glad that solved it, just remember that something is probably causing this, and you should identify the real issue at hand. For me, it's that tiny leak, so I'm not super concerned.