Hi, my AP1 has been making a noise kinda like a electric motor whine, it happens when i've had the air con on for a while, i've tracked it down to the power steering unit, if i turn the AC off, it'll go away, but as soon as i come to a stop or try to park the car at really slow speeds, whenever the steering wheel is turned, the noise comes back. Any one had this? A search didn't bring up anything. Thanks.

 

The first thing I would check when you hear the noise is spray the belt with wd40 or a sylicon spray and see if the noise goes away (becareful not to make it messy) some noises can occur from a worn serpentine belt. If not then you may either have a leaking inlet pump o-ring, a restriction in the resevoir or will need a new steering pump.

 

Uhh we don't have a steering pump, nor power steering fluid.

Its an electronically assisted steering system.

 

Yup. My bad. Posted half asleep. Points are true if someone had hydro power steering Thanks WIsdom

Interesting how it goes away with the a/c being turned off. Are you sure you tracked it to the steering rack? Do you loose any assist when the noise happens and does the eps light come on the gauge cluster at any time?

 

I can drive all day without it happening if i didn't use A/C, turning on A/C seem to trigger this, once it starts to happen, any use of electric equipment would make it happen, example, keep pressing the window switch when the window is already down, gauge cluster flickers, noise comes on. Eps light has never been on.

 

Kinda sounds like a possible alternator issue, like a noisy diode or bearing causing a voltage irregulation or voltage spike from a faulty voltage regulator but if you are certain it is from the gearbox motor I am at a lost. I would say you could try to get it to make the noise and unplug the gearbox motor (the larger wire and 2 pin connector)but I am not sure if that will require you to rememorize the torque sensor neutral position. However that would determine if that is your fault.