thought i would run this buy everyone here to get some opinions.

i keep hearing a whine ( like when your power steering fluid is low ) when i am driving down the road. it does get alittle loader when i go around a turn. which is what leads me to the steering. i've check the fluid atleast every couple days and it always reads full. (right on the line) I have checked when the truck is cold and after the the truck has run for awhile.

does this mean the pump may be going out or just getting weak? it steers just fine, with no hard spots.

i have an 05 Dakota slt w/ 4.7, 6 spd manual trans

 

I've had that happen before, they whine when they are worn. New pump solved it for me.

 

i was afraid of that. thanks jaded

 

The Wife's 2000 ES developed a whine back about 08-09 time frame. It still had the OEM factory fluid/60K miles on it then. I flushed the system with 3qts of licensed Chevron ATF+4 & its been quiet since.
It's now time for another tranny fluid & power steering system pump out. They'll get the on sale Advance Auto/$5qt Castrol ATF+4 this time.

Try raising the vehicle so the tires are free to turn, pull the fuel pump power relay so the engine won't start. Disconnect the power steering return line at the pump & attach a length of hose into a catch container with qt marks. Have your helper crank the engine & turn the steering wheel lock to lock, while you keep the pump reservoir topped up with new fluid. I pumped out 2 qts/two cycles of the steering wheel full left/right, then used the third qt to top up.

Have your containers open & ready to pour, as it's going to pump fluid out fast & you don't want it to get low & aerate the fluid, as it takes time to get the tiny bubbles out & it'll make the pump noisy if you don't.

After topping up, replace the pump reservoir cap & fuel pump relay, start & idle the engine while slowly turning the steering wheel fully left & right 30-40 times to make sure you've removed All the entrapped air. Bump the left & right stops, but not for longer than 3 seconds, so as not to damage the pump.

If you've let the fluid get low & the fluid is aeriated/foamy/pink milkshake in the reservoir, take the time to get All of the air out of the fluid Before driving it, as the system could go into strong parasitic oscillation & jerk the steering wheel out of your hand.

Taking the time to do a really good flush on the Neon, has cured it's power steering pump whine.
The same procedure with the specified Mercon fluids also fixed my Taurus & Ranger power steering pump whine & they too remain quiet.
So they also get pumped out at every 30K mile scheduled tranny flush, in which I use the same pump out procedure to get all of the old tranny fluid out. The tranny & power steering systems reward me with improved performance that's noticeable on the first after service test drive.
More thoughts for consideration, let us know how it goes.

 

BUMP:
Well Vladek, how is the power steering pump whine trouble shoot going, curious minds would like to know???

 

it turned out that the power steering pump was on it's way out. whine went away after changing the pump.

 

Ok, that's good feedback, too bad it wasn't as simple as a fluid flush, like has cleared my pump noise, but good to hear with the replacement your noise woes were put right.