A few months ago I started having some issues with jerky steering while the car was cold. It seemed like the PS would assist, then stop, assist, then stop. I assumed the pump was on its way out, but since this only happened when the car was cold, I figured I could avoid the problem by just letting it warm up, and this has pretty much been the case so far.

Fast forward to this week. I started getting a kind of grinding rattle coming from what I'm trying to narrow down as the PS pump. I don't exactly know what kind of sound the PS pump makes when it's on its way out, so any advice is appreciated. I'm trying to narrow down if the sound is coming from the PS pump or the water pump, but I'm leaning toward the PS pump simply because of past issues. In addition, neither pump is not leaking at this time.

Second, I changed the driver's side strut a while back to try and solve a rattle when going over sharp, quick bumps. The rattle is mostly gone (which is leading me to think it was sway bar bushings all along), and a new issue developed a week or so afterward. If I turn the steering wheel more than 3/4 turn left or right and start to move in reverse, I get a strange, sharp clunk coming from somewhere in the suspension, and can not narrow it down. I sounds/feels like it is coming from somewhere under center and as if the suspension is binding up somehow and then letting loose. I believe I have the coil spring clocked correctly, at least it is on the bottom perch. Does the top of the strut assembly have a specific clocking position as well- ie must I turn the strut itself to seat the top of the spring into some kind of nook?

If I have the strut installed correctly, where else can I look for this clunk- the rack and pinion? It is very, very hard to try and diagnose this without a helper.

Thanks

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erZK2...eature=related

Nvm, this is the exact noise I'm hearing. One problem solved. Now about the clunk....


Also, I should mention that the clunk is NOT happening while turning in circles - ie NOT the CV joint. It is also NOT a typical transmission clunk either. Those are two noises I am very familiar with.

 

It is usually not good practice to replace only one strut. The top strut mounts should also be replaced. You steering noise sounds like a cavatating power steering pump. Make sure the fluid is not contaminated.