Dear Car Talk:
I’m hearing a whining noise from my car. It’s a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. I hear the noise all the time when the car is running. But if I turn the steering wheel — even while I’m parked — the whining gets louder.
I opened up the hood to check my power steering fluid, but it was full. Is there something I’m missing? — Jazzy
Yes, you’re missing a new power steering pump, Jazzy.
There’s some chance it’s the belt, but belts tend to make more of a screeching “eee-eee-eee” noise when they go bad. The pump will make a “nnnnnyyyiiinng nnnnnnyyyiinnng,” which I’d describe as a whine, and it would get louder when you turn the wheel.
But what you should really do is take it to your mechanic. Your mechanic listens to noises like this all day long. By the time you pull into his shop and shut off the ignition, he may already know what it is just based on the sound. Then he can open the hood and either confirm his suspicion or work through a process of elimination to pin it down.
If the belt is old and cracked, it could be that the belt itself is slipping. It could also be the belt tensioner. Or the belt’s idler pulley. Those will all make noise when they fail.
If your mechanic suspects it’s the belt, there’s a quick, easy way for him to test that. He can spray a quick burst of belt dressing on it. That temporarily stops worn-out belts from screeching — until the customer gets about a block from the garage. If the belt dressing makes the noise go away, even briefly, then it’s more likely to be the belt.
But it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if you need a power steering pump on a 2008 car. That’d be my first guess. But have a mechanic confirm it. Then the next whine your mechanic will hear is “$500 for a power steering pump?”
Got a question about cars? Write to Car Talk write to Ray in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com.
