I replaced mine about a week ago b/c it had been leaking for a while (no noises though) and I was sick of it. When i first crank the engine its quiet and sounds fine but after a few minutes the fluid gets all foamed up and overflows (assuming i had it at the correct level) and then proceeds to sound a little like an ice-cream churn. I talked to a mechanic and he told me there was air in the system and it would work its way out in a week or so, but its still here and still annoying.
This is on a 2.7L toyota engine btw.
Any suggestions?

9/14/2005 4:25:35 PM

maybe bleed the system? i know you can do this with brakes, no clue about power steering.

9/14/2005 4:47:35 PM

i always heard get the front wheels off the ground and go back and forth all the way a few times and it'd get the air out...dunno how well it works tho

9/14/2005 5:02:51 PM

it gettting airlocked, you have air in the lines that gets compressed when you turn, and when you let off, it blows the fluid back out. it can be a bitch sometimes, try taking the return line loose, and filling it with fluid while turning the wheel back and forth with the engine off a few times, then top off the resevoir till it runs out and hook the line back up quickly, then cycle it with the engine on

9/14/2005 5:04:43 PM

And make sure you turn lock-to-lock (but don't hold it at lock).

9/14/2005 5:47:14 PM

thanks for the suggestions. I'll go give it a try and see what happens.
I tried bleeding it goin back and forth but no luck.
I'll let you know what happens

9/15/2005 12:57:16 PM

just like everyone else said. air in the system. zxappel hit it on the head. i held mine at lock, but not w/ the car running. how would that mess anything up?

9/29/2005 11:04:41 PM

At full lock with the engine running is when the system "stalls"...develops the highest static pressure, upwards of 1200 psi in some cases. This is when the weakest link might fail...maybe a hose will blow if you just sit there and hold it, though there is a relief valve built into the pump.

So turn it lock to lock, but don't fall asleep while holding it at full lock.

9/30/2005 12:11:31 AM

i gotcha i guess that's why i was always told to bleed it with the engine off.

9/30/2005 9:32:59 AM

yeah it obviously didn't do a damn thing with the engine running other than make the problem worse

10/1/2005 1:45:41 PM