Hey kids,
I live in Denver and it was 15 degrees this morning. When I started the unit this morning (2002 2500 Cummins 4x4) the power steering unit made lots of nose and vibrated through to the steering wheel. It stopped after I had driven a couple of miles but MAN I sure didn't care for that. I suspect the cold weather (obviously) but I'd like to know if this is a standard item or if I can get a multi viscosity fluid or ??? Could it be a bad pump?
Thanks in advance folks, you all rock with this stuff !!!

 

Mine does the same thing. Using a good synthetic will take care of your problem. I just gotta get some time to do mine :

 

Hiya Woody,<br><br>I live 20 miles west of you and at this higher altitude it gets a bit colder than in Denver. I've been living in various locales in the mountains for 25 years at temps down to -53f and have never had cold related power steering pump noise. Frozen battery or two yes. ;D I would take your truck back to the dealer for a new pump. Could be a problem that synthetic fluid would just mask for a time.

 

Say Woody I have the same trouble with mine on cold mornings the other week it was down to 5 degrees at the hunting camp an boy did it howl so the next night i pluged it in an in the morning NO noise an worked fine seems to me that my fluid might be contaminated. I'm going to try synthetic as soon as I have time to flush this one.<br> try pluging it in one night.<br> Bob

 

I notice mine gets tight, is that a precurser to the shimmy?

 

I only have 5600 miles on mine and it does it too when its cold out and before it warms up. It does not make a lot of noise, but when I turn the wheel its like I don’t have power steering. Urg!!

 

Spark Chaser is correct, you need synthetic fluid in there. I put Valvoline Synpower in mine. Just a mix of it, used a turkey baster to siphon old fluid out of the resivoir, poured new stuff in, ran it for awhile, then siphoned some more out until I had a quart in. It doesn't make the noise and shudder anymore when cold.