Hello!
I have a question about some noise I'm hoping someone can help pinpoint the cause of before taking it in to the mechanic tomorrow.
I have this odd humming noise that sounds like it is coming from or near the power steering pump. I checked the fluid level and it appears to be OK.
The noise only seems to be present when the engine is still cold. If I warm the car for 10 or 15 minutes, the noise goes away.
I noticed this last week one day when the temp was around -15. I was in a hurry that morning, so I didn't let the car warm up like I normally do each morning. At first, I didn't notice anything, but when I cranked the wheel to the left (hard) I noticed a low humming + a rubbing "sound". Upon accelerating, I heard a higher pitched hum coming from near the center of the dash. When I got to the stop sign and turned a right, I heard another low humming + rubbing sound coming from that side.
After driving for roughly 10 minutes and getting the car warmed up, the humming during acceleration went away and once I made it the area around my work I wasn't getting the low hum + rub during any turns.
Today, I left work without really letting the car warm, and got the same sounds described above (temp: 34), but once the car was warmed up, it went away. I had an appointment to go to, so afterward, I popped the hood in the parking lot and after a couple of minutes, noticed the buzz/hum coming from the power steering pump area. I checked the fluid and it appeared to be alright (the lighting was very low and no flashlight, so can't be 100%). I allowed the car to idle for about 5 minutes and noise started to weaken until it became inaudible. I left and did not have any of the other noises during acceleration/turning.
Is it possible that the cold temperatures are causing this to happen? I normally let the car warm up for at least 10 to 15 minutes and haven't heard these noises in between when I heard it the really cold day last week and today.
Any insight would be appreciated.
