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New PS pump groaning

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Old Aug 4, 2010 | 10:11 AM
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Default New PS pump groaning

I recently had to replace my Alternator and Power Steering pump in my 98 Trans Am. The old PS pump was leaking from the front seal and was dripping on the Alternator.
The new pump was put in a few days ago and since then , when i first start the car in the morning I can hear it whining loud like there is no PS fluid though the reservoir is full.
After it warms up it does not whine as bad, but I can still hear it when I make turns and it gets louder with more RPM's. Is this pump bad or do I could there be some other issue like air in the PS lines? It was a reman pump from O'reillys, My old Pump leaked, but didn't make any noise unless the reservoir was empty.
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Old Aug 4, 2010 | 11:14 AM
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Originally Posted by mike171562
It was a reman pump from O'reillys, My old Pump leaked, but didn't make any noise unless the reservoir was empty.
Turn the steering wheel lock to lock several times (engine running), this will move any air through the system and vent it back out the pump. If the noise doesn't go away, take the pump back. Remans are a real crap shoot.
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Old Aug 4, 2010 | 11:44 AM
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Thanks for the info, I'm going to try and bleed out any air and if that doesn't fix it, I'm taking it back to the shop since I paid a mechanic to do it.
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Old Aug 5, 2010 | 02:20 PM
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I bled the air out as best I could by turning the wheel back and forth to stop 10 times each way, I noticed the PS fluid in the reservoir was frothy like it was purging air. After it sits for a few hours and I start it back up and I can hear it whining loudly and grinding again until the engine runs for a few minutes then the whining gets fainter.

I took it back to the shop that installed the pump and the by then the pump had been running so the whining was more faint, they told me it was normal. My old pump had a leak, but It never whined liked that. The noise is worst in the morning after the car has been sitting all night, but once it runs for a few minutes it quiets down. does this sound like the pump is bad or something else like dirty fluid or air in the lines?
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Old Aug 5, 2010 | 05:03 PM
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The shop is BSing you, not normal at all. Did your old pump make any noise? Do new cars make PS pump noises...neither should yours. Take it back to the shop, and ask them to listen to it when it's cold so they can hear what you do. If the shop gives you any more runaround, take them to your state equivalent of the auto repair bureau...the guys that go after bad shops.
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Old Aug 6, 2010 | 06:49 PM
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I figured out the noise when i start up. There is air getting in somwhere and it is getting pumped through the high pressure line. It stops after about 10 minutes of driving after the air is purged. So I took a video. I took it back to the shop to show them this, but they acted like they couldnt care less, I'm supposed to take it back in tomorrow morning and let them look at it again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kewHb3ilb2U
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Old Aug 6, 2010 | 09:23 PM
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Jeezus, that thing sounds horrible! That's a bad pump, right out of the box.
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Old Aug 7, 2010 | 06:48 PM
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Took it back to the shop today and they seemed to have fixed it, they said it was the seal where the reservoir meets the pump, it was leaking. Thanks for the info fleetmgr
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