I have a 96 Dodge Caravan. I had a new Power Steering hose installed about a year ago after the old one broke and I was unable to turn the car in the middle of the road (scary). The power steering makes the infamous muffled whining sound when the wheels are turned to their extremes (such as when maneuvering out of a parking spot. This noise has been there the whole year and doesnt seem to affect the car otherwise.

1. What causes this noise?
2. Is this normal? I have a 96 Stratus and it has the same noise. Is this common on dodges?
3. (unrelated) What is the difference between a "Service" manual and a "Repair" Manual?

 

Whinning sound alot of times are caused by work seals or bearings in a power steering pump. The factory service manual tend to be a bit more in depth then a repair manual. The fsm goes more in depth into diagnosis and repair such as running jumper wires to test certian components.