Steering your way to safety

Dear Car Guy:
When I turn my steering wheel all the way to the right or left when the car is standing still – like when parking – I hear a loud, whiny noise. Is this something to worry about, and what is that noise?
Alfred Dente

Dear Al:

Assuming the whining is not coming from your wife because of the way you drive, my guess is your power steering fluid is running low! When you turn your steering wheel, a pump is activated and fluid hydraulically forced through the system pushes the rack and pinion system to turn your wheels. If the fluid is too low, the pump has nothing to push and begins to complain by whining.
Technically, it’s not dangerous to operate your vehicle with insufficient power steering fluid, but the whining will continue and you might end up with forearms like Popeye. Power steering is what makes your wheels turn easily just using your pinky finger – which I am not suggesting by the way. My advice, Al, is to check the fluid reservoir under the hood and keep it filled. If you find it too low repeatedly, then you most likely have a leak in the lines. If you look under the car, you might find a small puddle or stain from the leaking fluid, so check for that too.
Keep in mind, each car manufacturer today recommends a specific type of power steering fluid; it’s important to look at your owner’s manual (Have you ever checked your owner’s manual?) and determine what power steering fluid is recommended. One customer of mine told me he’d heard using peanut oil works fine. Hey, peanut oil may be good for stir-fry but I think it’s a lousy idea for under your hood! Stick with the manufacturer’s recommendation. By the way, there is a chance the whining you hear is coming from a belt, not the power steering pump. Check the fluid level and if it’s fine, then get the belts checked. If they are fine, maybe it is your wife!
While we are on the subject of the steering wheel, it’s worth mentioning some other oddities you might notice. For example, if your car tends to swerve to the right or left when you press the brakes, you should have them checked; the calipers might be sticking unevenly and causing one side to brake harder than the other. Or a tie-rod could be worn out. So pay attention to how your car handles, and not just how it sounds. The sensations you feel from your steering wheel are a good indicator of all sorts of problems.
Today’s cars have more and more functionality associated with the steering wheel. Time was a steering wheel was just for steering; how crazy was that? Now the radio, cruise control, gear shifting, hands-free phone and air bag are all part of the steering wheel assembly. Before long, the steering wheel will be a thing of the past! Some manufacturers are actually looking at making joy-sticks an option, which for all the young video-gamers would feel perfectly normal. Automatic crash detection software is already being deployed which automatically applies the brakes in the event of an imminent collision. Tail-gating may become only a dim memory for us geezers old enough to remember it. Years from now, Al, people will be shocked to imagine we actually steered cars all by ourselves.