05 focus possible power steering problems

djdunny

hey guys, 2 days ago on my way home from work i noticed a high pitched noise coming from the engine (05 ford focus, 1.6 zetec). the pitch of the noise varied depending on my speed. the higher the speed the higher the pitch.

Now it doesnt sound like that sound when people turn on their engines and it sounds like a flock of canaries under the hood.

I opened the bonnet to investigate but im totally clueless but the sound looked like it was coming from the timing belt and also i noticed that there was some kind of liquid all over the engine bay.

so this morning when i started the car the noise got worse as i turned the wheel and now feels like Ive lost power steering.

Luckily the car is stil under warranty from the garage I got it from so they are picking it up today.

anyone know how big a job it is to fix this or has anyone else experienced this.

cheers

swe_fi

djdunny wrote: »

hey guys, 2 days ago on my way home from work i noticed a high pitched noise coming from the engine (05 ford focus, 1.6 zetec). the pitch of the noise varied depending on my speed. the higher the speed the higher the pitch.

Now it doesnt sound like that sound when people turn on their engines and it sounds like a flock of canaries under the hood.

I opened the bonnet to investigate but im totally clueless but the sound looked like it was coming from the timing belt and also i noticed that there was some kind of liquid all over the engine bay.

so this morning when i started the car the noise got worse as i turned the wheel and now feels like Ive lost power steering.

Luckily the car is stil under warranty from the garage I got it from so they are picking it up today.

anyone know how big a job it is to fix this or has anyone else experienced this.

cheers

Exact same thing (canaries!) happened to my GFs car. I thought it was the fan belt, I was wrong, it was just a cracked hose for the hydraulics so no big job that time at least. The car had hydraulics fluid all over the driver door after driving it to the garage.

Benbolo

Our car had this problem last year. If it sounds like a bunch of wailing cats then its the power steering. Check the fluid in the power steering, if its all gone, then the noise is the pump suckin in air instead of fluid. You'll have to get it replace, and I wouldn't advise you to drive it much!

Hal1

The hose from the power steering will have come loose and contents are dripping onto timming belt. It's a design flaw that ford know about. The P/S pump could be knackered from lack of fluid (the noise you hear could be this or other aux belts slipping etc), worse case the timming belt will need changing as the P/S fluid eats the rubber.

EPM

My fathers old 06 Focus had this. First off the altenator was knackered. Then a hose on the PS pump was lose. Noise went after these were done.

dekbhoy

This could be that the power steering fluid has run low , under bonnet you will some reservoirs one for brake fluid one for coolant one for window washer and one for powers steering or automatic transmission fluid . open the black coloured one , it probably says Power Steering FLUID ON IT , IT HAS ITS OWN dip stick made onto cap , remove it and the fluid should be visible on the dip stick , if not you canbuy some in any motor factors and top it up yourself

djdunny

cheers for all the replies. just went down to motor factors there and put in some stop leak stuff and toped it up with some fluid aswell. it def helped the situation and will keep me goin til tomorrow.

thanks again

Dunny