So tonight when I went home from work, the EJ8 started making this low pitch, almost humming noise from the front end when I went to turn out of my parking spot. It wasn't a mechanical noise that only occurred when the car was moving/steering was being turned, it kind of lasted for a few seconds after I turned the steering wheel, even when sitting still. It sounded almost like a whoopie cusion noise lol. The steering felt fine, and isn't terribly loose or anything; the PS never cut out or anything like that. Is my pump going bad? I'm going to have to take a look tomorrow morning to see if it is something obvious.

Yes I searched every single thread that contains "steering" and found nothing.

 

Did it just make the noise one time? Or is it doing it continually? Could have just been a rock in your tire or something dumb.

 

No, it continually made the noise when I turned it back and forth a few times, drove around and then tried it again when at stop lights. It's not loud enough to hear when I'm moving and turning, so I don't know if it does it only when the car is sitting or what. It makes absolutely no noise when the engine is not running and I move the wheel back and forth, however. This leads me to believe the pump is acting up, but I've had 99 car problems and steering has never been one.

 

Try undoing the belt for the PS pump and repeating the experiment. Could very well be a bad pump or low fluid, though.

 

I'll check the fluid and try without the belt tomorrow.

 

You probably ran over a whoopie cushion.

 

One of my friend said that this is because you need to fix some thing on the motor because that happens to my ej6 as well when i turn the wheel ill let u know tomorow if it helps...

 

LOL---->Whoopie Cusion

Axle Maybe?

 

Sounds like a bad power steering pump to me. It takes more effort on the car's part to turn the wheels if you're stopped or going really slow. This strain will cause noise like that before it's bad enough to make noise at higher speeds. Turning the wheels while the car is completely stopped probably isn't ever good for your PS system, even when it's in perfect condition. I've heard noises like you describe on several of my parent's older domestics and that was the reason why. Pulling off the belt and checking would definitely be a good way to diagnose this, like someone said earlier.