[supremeBaleno]

There's this issue with my 2005 Baleno 1.6 that sprang up few months ago. As soon as the car is started, there is this irritating whining noise (attached voice clip), which as per my mechanic is due to the Power Steering pump being in it's last stages. I also double-checked with a PowerSteering specialist (Kokkattu Swan, Kochi) and they also confirmed it is the PS pump.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Part Number: 49110-64G11
Name: PUMP ASSY POWER STEERING
MRP: ₹32,615

Thattarambalam Mannar Road.rar

Inspite of being exhorbitantly priced (SGP), I would normally just go ahead & replace it so that the car is in top shape and also because I hate noise (in a car which doesn't have even 1 rattle in 17 years, this surely is a pain to bear). But there's recently been some plans of selling the Baleno as wife/kids want a new car - and I don't have the need or time for 2 cars. So didn't want to spend 35K on a car that I might be selling.

My questions for the experts :
1) What's the effect due to driving around with this whine ? Other than the sound?

2) What happens if the pump goes kaput while driving ? Guess I will only loose power-assist, right ? Or any serious loss of control, damage etc ?

Any other comments/inputs are welcome.

[skb1811]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

My questions for the experts :
1) What's the effect due to driving around with this whine ? Other than the sound?

2) What happens if the pump goes kaput while driving ? Guess I will only loose power-assist, right ? Or any serious loss of control, damage etc ?

Any other comments/inputs are welcome.

1. Old pump, itll just wear faster, and go kaput quicker.. since the pump mechanism is worn already..

2. Uh, if the pump goes out while driving, yes, you will lose power assist, but, since the pump pushes hydraulic fluid, there is a high chance (probably will) that the fluid will leak/gush out of the power steering hose, and, well, we all know what happens when gears don't get their oil. (For those who don't, you're gears grind due to friction, and that's gonna be a new power steering rack.)

So, if it's rebuildable/refurbishable, it would work, but, getting a new pump will probably be more reliable.

[vishy76]

Firstly, have you tried changing the PS fluid? If you haven't done it in a while, changing the fluid might help in reducing the noise to a good extent. Use good quality PS fluid and see if it helps.

Coming to the repercussions, I don't think the pump is going to fail anytime soon. I have seen this whine in a few cars and it happens many a times and oft that the pump just whines but works perfectly fine for 2-3 years or even more.

If it does decide to give up though, you will lose power steering. It's something which is quite dangerous if you consider this could happen while you are on the move. You have a perfectly weighted steering that you have been used to for years, that suddenly gains a lot more weight.

Since it's only now that you have started experiencing the issue, I would suggest change the PS fluid and keep driving. If the noise increases to unacceptable levels or you notice the steering acting funny, you might need to pay attention to it.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by skb1811

So, if it's rebuildable/refurbishable, it would work, but, getting a new pump will probably be more reliable.

This reminds me of another query which I meant to ask, but missed in the original post.
While the new pump costs 32K, a transplant (from a scrapped Baleno) is being quoted at 8K. I am OK paying 8K, but since the donor car is the same vintage as mine, I wonder if it will last or have the same problem after few months.

Originally Posted by vishy76

Firstly, have you tried changing the PS fluid? If you haven't done it in a while, changing the fluid might help in reducing the noise to a good extent. Use good quality PS fluid and see if it helps.

I don't think PS fluid was ever changed in the last 17 years I had the car (I have the full detailed service history, so can double confirm).
Actually IIRC the only time PS fluid was even topped up, was a month ago when I took the car to my FNG for this whine issue.
So your suggestion of a full change of PS fluid does sound good.

[balenoed_]

Last month I have got steering pump work done on my Baleno when it started to give a similar whining noise and steering was very hard, like when the vehicle is turned off. The noise used to come while turning the steering wheel. The mechanic repaired it and the sound issue was resolved. Charges - Rs.9000/-



The whining noise went away, but the steering hardness still persisted. Then we suspected the steering rack. So that was opened and overhauled. The fluid circulation was not there and hence steering was hard. That too was fixed after this steering rack repair.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Last month I have got steering pump work done on my Baleno when it started to give a similar whining noise and steering was very hard, like when the vehicle is turned off. The mechanic repaired it and the sound issue was resolved. Charges - Rs.9000/-

What exact repair was done to the steering wheel pump ? Overhaul ? Change of parts ? And this 9K is for pump repair alone or including overhaul of steering rack also ?

Originally Posted by balenoed_

The noise used to come while turning the steering wheel.

Is the sound only when steering wheel is turned ? In my case, the whine starts the moment the car is started & even without touching the steering.

Originally Posted by balenoed_

The whining noise went away, but the steering hardness still persisted. Then we suspected the steering rack. So that was opened and overhauled. The fluid circulation was not there and hence steering was hard. That too was fixed after this steering rack repair.

I only have the whining noise. No hard steering issue. The guy at Kokkattu Swan did an inspection of the steering system and said that currently fluid circulation is happening. Once the pump fails, circulation won't happen and power assist will not be available.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

What exact repair was done to the steering wheel pump ? Overhaul ? Change of parts ? And this 9K is for pump repair alone or including overhaul of steering rack also ?

Is the sound only when steering wheel is turned ? In my case, the whine starts the moment the car is started & even without touching the steering.

Even for mine, there was a very light noise when in idle condition also and gets worse and louder when you turn the steering in either direction. Also the steering was hard like no power steering assist. So it was two problems and two reasons. The noise was due to pump and hardness was due to steering rack.

Steering Pump repair: The noise was due to bearing gone bad and they replaced the bearing and also I was told a plate within was replaced. I am not sure what exaclty that plate is. And probably some cleaning.

My guess is yours also could be due to pump bearing and repairing/replacing that might solve.

Steering Rack repair: There was no circulation of fluid happening due to some block as mentioned by the mechanic. They cleaned it up and possibly some components inside replaced. Now with that the steering became normal. I even feel an easiness with steering (may be that is just an illusion after spending so much. )

We suspect the pump probably got damaged because of the circulation not happening in the rack.

Cost:

Pump repair - 8200+
Rack repair - 9200+

Bill:

(link rod/bushes replaced as that was end of its life)



For your reference, the baleno is 18 years old and 1.7L kms on ODO.

[supremeBaleno]

So, I remained indecisive last few weeks alternating between ordering the 32K SGP or scouring scrap yards (did check one at Alappuzha without any success).

As mentioned in the OP, I had taken the car to Kokkattu Swan Hydraulics Kochi few weeks ago and their technician had said the issue is with the pump, which needs to be replaced. But we didn't discuss repair then.

But after reading balenoed_'s post on how he repaired the PS pump, I called up Kokkattu Swan Hydraulics Kochi yesterday to ask if they repair PS systems. And they said yes.

Dropped off the car today morning and around 5PM they asked me to tell that the issue is fixed and I can collect the car. The irritating whine is totally gone and it's so much fun to be driving a silent car.

PS Pump Pulley replaced : 850
PS Pump service : 900
PS Fluid 1 litre : 350
Service charge (remove & refix charges) : 750
----------------------------------------------------
Total cost : 2850/-

That's not even 1/10th of the cost (35000) I would have incurred to replace the PS Pump.

I would totally recommend these guys.
https://www.facebook.com/Kokkattu-Sw...8909436705342/