groaning in the PS when idle and starting the car

[BigKriss]

for some reason I hear a groan when starting the car and turning the steering wheel before I start driving off. this is a differnet PS unit that I installed with a second hand engine a hew months ago?

anyone else hand similar problems like this?

!

[632 Regal]

make sure the reservoir is full, mine when just 2 cm low will groan and stuff even though it isnt low enough to suck air. No clue why it does this but adding a bit stops the noise.

[dermot]

Essentially you are getting air into the PS system from somewhere. Normally this comes from the high pressure side of the system, so the two main things to look for are the high pressure hose and the pump.

I've had this problem for some time (on a 1989 530) - it got really bad last year with the steering groaning all the time. So I replaced the high pressure hose (the expensive one) and that fixed the problem of groaning in the summer. I still have groaning on cold (freezing) mornings so the next job is to replace the seals in the PS pump. These are pretty cheap about 25 USD from pskits.com (shipped them to me in the UK with no problem) and there's a nice video somewhere on the internet showing you how to do it.

I'm now waiting for some warm weather to do the seals ...

Dermot

[BigKriss]

okay thanks for that guys. I dont think its the hoses becasue I had another pump on there and it never had the problem. the car sat for 8 weeks and when I came back and startign driving again, the problem arrived.

when the p/s pump is working, the fluid looking like its not going anywhere in the resourvair the fluid looks bubbly with small bubbles. I've looked at p/s kits also. thanks the for the link.

[632 Regal]

okay thanks for that guys. I dont think its the hoses becasue I had another pump on there and it never had the problem. the car sat for 8 weeks and when I came back and startign driving again, the problem arrived.

when the p/s pump is working, the fluid looking like its not going anywhere in the resourvair the fluid looks bubbly with small bubbles. I've looked at p/s kits also. thanks the for the link.

ahhh while at an idle turn the wheel slowly side to side fully, it should bleed the air out of the crevices for you and be good. just check the level again and you should be good to go.

[bimmerred535i]

also make sure that your belt is adjusted to the right tension or you will also get a groan

[Bill R.]

Kris, try using a turkey baster to suck all the fluid out of the reservoir and then fill with castrol import atf or penzoil multivehicle atf. That usually quiets down noisy ones that i work on. Another possibility is your screen inside the reservoir is partially plugged up causing a restriction which makes it sound like its low on fluid.

[BigKriss]

thanks for the tips everyone. I will work on it tomorrow. Its weird becasue I went away for 2 months and when I came back the problem occured without me touching anything???

The tension of the belt seems okay, I think I can get about 1/2 inch of play on it.

Bill R - Thanks for your comments. I will remove the fluid tomorrow like you say and inspect the reservoir. I'm thinking about getting 2 P/s kits just for the sake of it in the future. there is enought fluid in there. its weird. there are no normal leaks, just the original hose (that goes to the hardline) that gets wet. being RHD there is a hardline to the right hand side of the car.

thanks for your help guys

[genphreak]

thanks for the tips everyone. I will work on it tomorrow. Its weird becasue I went away for 2 months and when I came back the problem occured without me touching anything???

Kris I have a kit here... LOL

BTW; I reckon your problem, since it happened after the motor swap, is the connection to the pump from the LP reservoir side. I bet the banjo bolt they use is not in properly- if it is positioned such that flow is restricted, it will groan. One has to crush the aluminium washeres a little, but not too much. Shogun did a post somewhere on what happens then the bnanjo bolt is over torqued (it deforms inside the pump) and also restricts flow. Make sure that is not the case by removing it (your reservoir will drain in the process) and then reinstall carefully. There must be a knack, see if yo can find it. Same problem on my nieghbours e30 after he replaced the LP hose... research the installation/test procedure perhaps in the TIS? BTW; Like Bill, I've used Castrol Transmax Z in ATF and CHF 7.1 systems with fine results. Come by on the weekend maybe and colect your bits? I'll find one of those ps kits somewhere... a mate of mine wil be coming by from Melbourne- he's a serious (e28/m30) Bimmernut so u should meet him... Good luck in the meanwhile! Nick

[BigKriss]

Hi Nick, I'm busy this weekend, but next weekend is good for me. I will ring you soon. I will check the banjo bolt, but with the new engine, for 2 weeks that I used it (before i went away), I dont think I had the problem with the groaning, but its been a few months now, and I can't remember noticing it before i went overseas.

I dont want to use the transmax z fluid because I have normal dexron 3 fluid here that I've used before with no problems.

Kris I have a kit here... LOL

BTW; I reckon your problem, since it happened after the motor swap, is the connection to the pump from the LP reservoir side. I bet the banjo bolt they use is not in properly- if it is positioned such that flow is restricted, it will groan. One has to crush the aluminium washeres a little, but not too much. Shogun did a post somewhere on what happens then the bnanjo bolt is over torqued (it deforms inside the pump) and also restricts flow. Make sure that is not the case by removing it (your reservoir will drain in the process) and then reinstall carefully. There must be a knack, see if yo can find it. Same problem on my nieghbours e30 after he replaced the LP hose... research the installation/test procedure perhaps in the TIS? BTW; Like Bill, I've used Castrol Transmax Z in ATF and CHF 7.1 systems with fine results. Come by on the weekend maybe and colect your bits? I'll find one of those ps kits somewhere... a mate of mine wil be coming by from Melbourne- he's a serious (e28/m30) Bimmernut so u should meet him... Good luck in the meanwhile! Nick