With the weather cooling down, I've noticed that my 2012
987.2 Cayman
will make a terrible groaning sound when I cold start it in colder (sub 45 F) temperatures. After a few minutes, it partially goes away and only groans when I turn the steering wheel; after another 5-10 minutes, it goes away completely. The noise seems to come from behind me (engine compartment) but sometimes seems like it's coming from somewhere near the driver footwell.
I'm thinking it's the power steering pump or low fluid. Maybe in the cooler temperatures, the fluid has contracted enough to not properly fill pump and then expands enough once the engine is warmed up that it's not an audible issue. I'm a little worried that there may be a leak since the fluid seems to have been topped in at the beginning of the year during some other service under the previous owner.
I haven't had a chance to check the fluid but will try to check and get some (Pentosin CHF 11?) after work today.
Does anyone have any insight into what this issue could be? Can you confirm if Pentosin CHF 11 is the fluid I should get to refill? Any insight/advice is much appreciated.
Here's a video
of the issue
Note: the Red Exclamation Point on my dash is for the right turn signal bulb being out. Have 2 new ones in the mail already.
Video link didn't work. Hopefully
this one
does.
hi there three... "I am number four..."
haha.. sorry couldn't resist...
on a more serious note - in addition to checking the fluid, you may want to check your tyre pressures (to reduce the load), the belt for the steering pump and see if there are any leaks in the PS system. The 987 are at the age where some can experience PS hose/line issues. I had leaks in 2 areas (at 2 different times) that had groaning sounds but the leaks weren't apparent early on - only when they were more visible. if there's nothing wrong, then continue to monitor for a while.
That is quite a bit of groaning.. sort of how I feel being asked to do something right after waking up.. low fluid maybe. Plugged filter - maybe. Pump - maybe but more $$ and more PITA to check.
CHF11 is fine.
Oh, the filter. If the reservoir is like other power steering reservoirs I've seen, there is a filter built into the bottom of it, filtering the fluid going to the pump. If it gets plugged, the pump has to work harder and complains like yours does. To change the fluid, you change the reservoir. I don't know if the 987 reservoir is of that type, but it wouldn't surprise me if it is.
That's the reservoir - and no clue if there is a filter in it. If you drain it of fluid you might see it -it would look like a round cylinder sticking up from the bottom where it attaches to the mount.
late reply - life got busy for a bit...
I checked the fluid and saw that it was very low so I refilled the PS fluid reservoir. After that the groaning went away, but on a rainy day, I noticed some type of oil that came from the driver's front wheel. This is the second time I've notice oil near there.
Because of the location, I doubt it's an engine oil leak (plus I check the oil level every time I drive as a way to see if the engine is warmed up) and it doesn't fluctuate much- nearly always at the middle line, but sometime at the max line on the digital display.
I suspect I have a bad PS hose/connector near the driver's wheel.
I will continue to monitor and try to identify exactly what needs to be replaced.
Yeah, either a bad hose, bad connection, or a leaking shaft seal. Check the left boot out of the rack, if that's dripping or full of fluid it's the shaft seal.
