Power steering whirl

[fourtenposi]

I have a 2005 GMC 2500HD duramax. It has a whine some of the time. It most noticeable when I am pulling and I am coming to a stop and turning at the same time. I flushed the fluid and it seemed to get better for a little while but it comes back. I can hear a low whine and I can seem to feel it in the steering wheel.

What typical goes wrong on these? I was thinking of putting a new power steering pump on there. I am getting ready to leave for a while and I want to make sure that this doesn't come back to haunt my wife.

Any ideas/suggestions?

[More Power]

That's a tough one... These trucks can make a variety of noises that can be a concern to the drivers, but are sometimes quite normal. I haven't heard about a PS whine being a problem, and it appears not many others have either.

I have a hard time suggesting replacing parts that can be pricey in hopes it'll fix a problem, but you may not have a choice if you're certain the whine is abnormal. Other possible causes could include the hydraulic brake booster and steering box.... Keep us posted.

Jim

[CoyleJR]

My 2006 Duramax PS pump made noise for about 50k miles. I thought for sure the pump was going bad and would need to be replaced. I took a chance and flushed the pump according to the Diesel Page PS discussion thread. I refilled the system with Dexron VI full synthetic and the PS has been quiet for 15k miles. When I was flushing the system with GM approved PS fluid the pump was still noisy. The noise went away when I refilled with Dexron VI synthetic. What did you refill the PS system with?

John

[fourtenposi]

I didn't use any special fluid, I will give the dextron VI a try.

It didn't always do this, so something is different. We shall see what happens. Thanks

[DmaxMaverick]

Dexron VI isn't required, necessarily. If you have some on hand, it's fine (just more costly). Any quality full synthetic Dexron III or VI compatible is all that's needed. I've used many brands, and currently use Amsoil, Universal or TorqueDrive, as I usually have one or both on hand. Mobil 1, Redline, Royal Purple, and a few others are also good. Penzoil, shell and Castrol "synthetic" oils aren't full synthetic oils.