Noise when turning steering wheel to its limit

bertiewhite

My knackered old Fiesta does it....and has done for as long as I can remember!!

EdGasketTheSecond

Some cars seem to make that noise but if you have a choice, buy one that doesn't.

ozaz

Tarambor wrote: »

Whining or screeching, which was it? If its whining then that is normal at full lock when you're still applying pressure to the steering wheel.

I guess I must have felt it was something in between when I wrote it.
In any case it was a high pitched noise very obviously audible above the engine noise. So obvious the dealer mentioned it before I did.

After returning home I tried momentarily holding the steering wheel to its extreme position on another car and I could barely hear any noise from the steering, certainly nothing I would have noticed if I wasn’t trying to listen for a non-engine sound.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

If you are turning in tight spaces it is perfectly reasonable to turn steering to its extreme and hold it for the duration of the turn.

A bit of grumbling is normal, but screeches and nasty loud noises are not.

Dealer is gilding the lily - he's right you shouldn't sit there holding it against the stops for extended periods of time, but he's making it up suggesting it is wrong to use the steering to its full extent.

markudman

How old is the car you are looking at?
what is the make, model?
Get the dealer to check / put a new belt on and check the steering pump,
if he is unwilling to do this, he will be a problem if you have problems later.
if its a newer car it may have electric steering and if it has walk away.

AdrianC

There's no reason not to turn the steering to full lock. There are lock stops to prevent any travel outside of the normal range, and the assistance isn't "trying" to do anything - it's simply reducing the effort required for you to do it.


Healthy hydraulic power steering will make a little more noise on lock - but very little, a bit of a hissy-whine. Nothing will break, no matter how long you hold it on full lock, as you would do in many perfectly normal driving manouvres.



If it's making a squealing, then it's probably the belt. It may simply be a little loose or it may need replacing (both are a routine service job - if that's been neglected, what else has?). If it's been slipping for a while, the pulleys may be glazed, causing a new correctly tensioned belt to slip - a quick sanding of the pulleys will help. Modern multi-v belts are massively less likely to be slipping.

Head_The_Ball

Surely all power steering systems are designed to allow the driver to apply full lock without stressing the system?

I regularly apply full lock during three point turns, reversing and parking manoeuvres etc.

I've never heard an unusual noise or had a problem in many different cars over many decades.

Be very cautious with this car and be prepared to walk away.

Jackmydad

"They all do that sir" is the standard secondhand car dealers answer to problems.
Personally, if I'm not happy with anything on a car I'm looking at I walk away.