But I don't have a power steering pump up front!!!

Recently, after sitting most of the winter, my car has been exhibiting a noise that I can best describe as the sound of a power steering pump going out in a front engine car. Yes the sound is coming from up front but sounds like a power steering pump struggling and is associated with the steering of the car as I turn the wheels, particularly at slower speeds the noise is louder. Any idea what this might be??

The steering rack?

I'm hoping it isn't the rack, but the weird thing is the noise sounds like a pump struggling, it doesn't sound like a mechanical banging or rack noise so I'm obviously going to have to have a look around when I get some time and see exactly what up front could be making that noise or of course I could just wait for the part to break completely then I'll know what it is right?

Power steering fluid up to proper fill ? Something similar happened to me , I was trusting the dealer to check it during regular service and found the reservoir to be literally dry. No leaks. Cheers

Well I did check the power steering fluid and it was low so I put some more in (That stuff is expensive, like $20/liter!) but it didn't seem to make any difference. Weird, sounds either like a fan belt going bad, or a power steering pump on an older american car going bad and from the front of the car unless the sound is somehow magically echoing around but I stuck my head out the window and it still sounds like it is up front... My other thought was maybe an innner fender well plastic piece had come loose and a tire was rubbing it, but a visual inspection turned up nothing. I might just go ahead and pull the front wheels off to have a look around anyway...

The rack and steering gear is a complete unit and either of those could cause a noise similar to what you describe. Either from the fluid flowing through either of them or on the rack a cylinder issue. Any water in the fluid can cause noises in any hydraulic system and if the car has been sat for a long period then this could be a possibility. I'd give it some good driving with plenty of steering and see if it just vanishes.

One of the rad fans partially seized and graunching as it attempts to revolve at appropriate speed either in the 'wind' or under power...........

I had a very similar issue and after several months of trying to figure it out on my own and reading all relevant articles on Planet 9 I broke down and took the car to the dealer for their opinion. I left the car over night so the Technician could drive it cold and replicate the sound. The dreaded phone call came within hours the next morning as they informed me the Steering Rack needed replaced with an estimated cost of $2500.00. Fortunately Porsche covered all but $300 under warranty and the cars runs as good as new. According to those I spoke with replacing this is rare although interesting how they had all the necessary parts on hand to repair it the same day.

I don't understand 2 parts of your post. If your car was under warranty, why spend several months trying to figure it out before breaking down and taking it to a dealer? And since it was covered by the warranty, why are they charging you $300?

Sometimes air in the lines passing through the valves and check valves will give you a vibration and noise. Glad to hear it appears fixed.

I forgot about this topic but yeah I topped off the fluid and after some driving it has gone away... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

... Ken, do you still have your CS?

Of course, what kind of silly question is that???? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Oh, OK. Was wondering because I don't see it as your vehicle near the # of posts (upper right) and it's not in your "garage".

Yeah I need to talk to my host about that, evidently it got accidentally deleted from the database when fixing something else in the database... oops! :hilarious:

I have the same whining noise problem at the front of the car on steering. I thought it was from the new KW coilovers so I drove with the whining noise for 3yrs (10K miles). I finally decided to check and found that the powering fluid level was bone dry. The problem is that it became bone dry again only a week after I topped off the fluid (I actually overfilled). The whining noise did go away after the top off. I suspect the whining noise will come back soon. So, it looks like I have a leak. Hopefully the low fluid didn't burn out the pump or damage the steering rack.

A couple months ago I had a slow leak in the PS system on my 2010. After inspection of the engine area and seeing no sign of fluid, I pulled the front left wheel and saw oily fluids in various places. It was near the steering gear where the pressure and return lines connect. I had an indie look at it and he said it was from one or both lines, so I had him replace both. BTW, he had to order a special tool to R&R the connections to the PS gear.

I hope someone can offer some ideas on what is wrong w/ mine. '06 CS w/ 3.8L engine and LN in-line PSF cooler driven hard on R-comps for 4 years. At the last D.E. I ran 1 session OK but a lap or so into the 2nd session the power assist went away. I came in and checked the fluid and it was at the COLD mark so I topped it off. It then felt fine in the paddock. Went back out and halfway into the first lap it went out again. I did NOT hear characteristic whine. The odd thing is that I drovei t home from Birmingham to Memphis and have driven a few hundred miles since then w/ perfectly good power assist. It is my understanding that the pump either works or it doesn't - it doesn't work some time and sometime not. Can the fluid get hot and not work? Could there be some debris in the lines like a blood clot? I'm afraid to take it to a shop that will just replace the pump for good measure.

Most people don't realize that power steering fluid needs to be changed every 2 years under normal use. You obviously track the car a lot, you should flush your power steering system once a year. No oil is designed to last indefinitely.

I really doubt old fluid is causing this problem. Also, Porsche does not set a replacement interval for PS fluid; it's lifetime.

I had this problem a few months ago. My power steering lines were leaking. The lines were a little over $400 at cost plus 15% and 4 hours labor at my local indy to repair.

I do suffer Cayman leakage so my PSF is essentially in a constant state of replacement. At St. Louis in 10/15 a pinhole leak developed in the return line and it was replaced at the local dealer. Because of the 3.8 swap, the Cayman line no longer fit so they had to do it trial and error until they got it in. 3 days and over $2200. :-/