i pulled my truck out of the driveway today and when turning the wheel, it made a loud whining sound. i dont recall it doing this in the past day or so.....it has been raining like a beyotch the last 15+ hours, could this be the cause?

 

id check your powersteering fluid first

 

correct... with that many miles your pump is prob leaking... that is one of the weak points on older rangers

 

you also have to remember that the Ford power steering box is really bad about winning like that......

 

Mine whines pretty bad, but everything is perfect. My moms expo, my dads f150, they all do it. Mine is the worst, but the 33's probably don't help either!

 

what if there is too much fluid?

i will check it out this weekend, suppose to rain all weekend.

again, could this much rain cause this problem?

if the fluid is at the correct level? should i not worry about this? it may have been doing this since i bought the truck over the summer, maybe i never noticed.

 

i was about to say.. mine kinda does that too... but so did my other ranger... but its not really loud.. i think its pretty normal, but definitely check the fluid

 

like i said before, if you fluid level is good, then dont worry about it.....Ford is known for having a loud power steering box.....

 

My dads stock f-150 does that too. His is noticeable though. It's just how Fords are. My Ranger wines too. It's barely noticeable though.

 

when was the last time you checked/changed your belt?

 

belt has nothing to do with a whine......a belt noise would be squeeking....

 

ya, ur fluid should look like a cherry red color. if its really dark, then i'd get the fluid flushed, but that may not stop the whining.

 

Mine does it and everyone with ford trucks that I know do it

 

well i let it sit overnight and when i checked it in the morning cold, it looks like it had too much fluid in it so i removed some.

i havent added any since i got the truck over the summer so maybe the original owner overfilled it and started to kill the pump.

what are signs of a bad pump?

thanks.

jr

 

overfilling wouldn't hurt it.....a power steering pump usually dont show signs of going out....it will just stop working

 

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and how will i know when it stops working?

will i not be able to steer?

 

you will be able to turn, but it will be tough....have you ever drove a vehicle without power steering? that is what it is like.....

 

Well is def. is not hard to turn and since my fluid is at the correct level, i may as well not worry about it until it goes.

as for the guy who asked about last time i changed the belt, i havent but in wet conditions, it does squeek.

 

if you fluid level is fine, then you will not be able to tell when the pump is going....

as for your belt, if it squeeks in wet conditions, then it is time for a new one......that means it is slipping when it is wet.........if you dont change it one day you will be driving in rain and it will come off leaving you on the side of the road...

 

anyone know what model number belt i would need?

and is it hard to change?

 

belt is super easy to change.........just go to any auto parts store and tell them your info and they can get you the correct belt....while you are there pick up either a Haynes or Chilton Manual.........they both will have step by step instructions inside that are easy to follow......besides a repair manual is something good to have incase you need to do other work to it....

 

how come when i check my p.s. cold and after warming up truck, i check it again and the dipstick both read at about the same level?

 

it should read slightly higher once it comes upto operating temp. and the fluid expands. My powersteering squeels like crazy for the first minute or so when it's below 40 degrees or so. After the first minute or so, the squeel goes away. I've tried the lucas power steering fluid, but that only made it harder to steer for the first few minutes until it warmed up a bit. Like the others have said, I think the squeel is just a thing ranger do.