Power Steering Pump or something else?

[Rambam]

Greetings!

Before I take the plunge and replace it myself I wanted to hear from the forum if I might be mis-diagnosing the issue. Lately (over the past 2 months) I have noticed a slight whining sound emminating from my engine bay when my car idles. it's not loud, but any enthusiast would pick it up as a concern. when I turn the steering wheel in any direction it pretty much goes away completely and then returns when I release the wheel. I cant really hear it when I am driving, but it doesnt go away when the car is hot.

Is there anything else I can check before replacing the pump? The car is a 2001 E46 320i, I think it has the LF 30 pump in it, but I am not sure how to confirm. I dont really want to drive it until it breaks either cause that couldsurely cause more damage?

Any advice/experience appreciated!
Thanks.

 

[Sankekur]

Might want to start by replacing a couple of the cheaper things first, things like belts, belt tensioners and guide pulley. The with the belts off check whether the waterpump shaft has play in it, if it has, replace it. If after this the whine is still there then you might have to look at the power steering pump.

 

[Philip Foglar]

+1

Process of elimination - as said above, start by replacing the belt tensioners. Ultimately these power steering pumps are known to be weak (so I've heard), so may well be in need of replacement. The belt tensioners are also known to only have a certain lifespan, so better to simply replace and prevent ending up with a shredded belt and more costly damage.

 

[Bayn46]

Yea, serpentine belt, pulleys and belt tensioners are good and much cheaper place to start. Replacing them won't hurt you either as they do wear out over time.

 

[Iceman007]

I have the same whine when its cold, but when its driven about 50km its gone. Its defanately my powersteering pump for I have changed the Belt all 3 tensioners and fluid. Mines been like that for 1 year nown but I notice its getting a bit louder so ill drive it till it packs up completely

 

[Rambam]

Thanks! It's not all that costly for a DIY job, obviously buying an OEM part is going to damage my wallet, but I can get a LUK pump from Masterparts for R1000 which is way better than the R9000 BMW want for the pump! Sure BMW justify their price by saying its original and they will come tow you in if the part fails, but I can replace it with the non OEM pump 9 times for the same price. Ill take a look at the belts and tensioners on Saturday. For those of you interested in doing this job yourself, I found an awesome DIY guide on Bimmerforums.co.uk -> http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum...ering-pump-replacement-automatics-and-t50201/

Happy cruising!

 

[Sankekur]

Thanks! It's not all that costly for a DIY job, obviously buying an OEM part is going to damage my wallet, but I can get a LUK pump from Masterparts for R1000 which is way better than the R9000 BMW want for the pump! Sure BMW justify their price by saying its original and they will come tow you in if the part fails, but I can replace it with the non OEM pump 9 times for the same price. Ill take a look at the belts and tensioners on Saturday. For those of you interested in doing this job yourself, I found an awesome DIY guide on Bimmerforums.co.uk -> http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum...ering-pump-replacement-automatics-and-t50201/

Happy cruising!

Just to add, be careful of this, you only get the warranty on the BMW parts if it is fitted by a BMW dealership, found this out the hard way unfortunately so it is better to go for a aftermarket part as at least you will be getting a proper warranty.

 

[Pr0PheT]

Check if there is a difference if the car is warm or cold, also check ATF level.

-If no whine when cold then its likely the pump because the ATF fluid is more viscous and the pressure is higher in the system
-If the fluid level is low this might cause a whine and may not be the pump

Another way to tell if it is the pump is if you turn into a street (90 degrees) and then accelerate a bit while turning, if you suddenly hear a supercharger like whine its most likeley the pump.

At around 160k km you can expect to change the pump, some last much longer.

Check belts and tensioners but those usually squeak, a failing pump is what whines ..

 

[lucian]

Noises, noises when cold, gets better when warm, also had a leak of ATF still leaking but much less. At one point there was almost no fluid in.

Will pump last and where and how much for tensioners?

Last belt I bought at Masterparts not too expensive, but cannot remember how much.

 

[Rambam]

Thanks, busy checking now. How full should the powersteering fluid reservoir be? I see two knotches on the dipstick coming out of the lid, so I assume it needs to be to the second knotch?

 

[Philip Foglar]

Thanks, busy checking now. How full should the powersteering fluid reservoir be? I see two knotches on the dipstick coming out of the lid, so I assume it needs to be to the second knotch?

Correct!

 

[Iceman007]

Noises, noises when cold, gets better when warm, also had a leak of ATF still leaking but much less. At one point there was almost no fluid in.

Will pump last and where and how much for tensioners?

Last belt I bought at Masterparts not too expensive, but cannot remember how much.

Mine exactly. Its the pump. and when you turn the steering it gets quieter

 

[Rambam]

Sweet! Serpentine belt, water pump belt and both tensioners changed, threw in a K&N filter while I was at it :rollsmile:

Noise pretty much gone now, thanks for all the advice!

 

[lucian]

Sweet! Serpentine belt, water pump belt and both tensioners changed, threw in a K&N filter while I was at it :rollsmile:

Noise pretty much gone now, thanks for all the advice!

What is the cost for the tensioners? and where can it be bought (not stealers)

 

[Iceman007]

Sweet! Serpentine belt, water pump belt and both tensioners changed, threw in a K&N filter while I was at it :rollsmile:

Noise pretty much gone now, thanks for all the advice!

What is the cost for the tensioners? and where can it be bought (not stealers)

Master Parts

 

[Philip Foglar]

Sweet! Serpentine belt, water pump belt and both tensioners changed, threw in a K&N filter while I was at it :rollsmile:

Noise pretty much gone now, thanks for all the advice!

What is the cost for the tensioners? and where can it be bought (not stealers)

Master Parts

+1

 

[L~C~G]

Anyone know if master parts has a branch in JHB?

I bought a used steering pump about 2 years back for R3.5k + R1.5k to fit. It was all I could find and still far cheaper than the steelers but it leakes and squeaks more than the one that came out.

If i could find a steering pump for the E35 328i for R1k I would be smiling for days!

 

[Iceman007]

Today I replaced my powersteering pump with the cheapie from master parts. Lets see how long it lasts and yes the noise is gone. will test it further:thumbs:

 

[Philip Foglar]

Keep us posted!! :thumbs:

 

[navybluered]

Today I replaced my powersteering pump with the cheapie from master parts. Lets see how long it lasts and yes the noise is gone. will test it further:thumbs:

how is the pump bro, is it still holding if so where did you buy it..