Idler pulley & power steering fluid

[LagunaH1]

Hi everyone,

Recently, I was on a roadtrip / overlanding trip through Utah. Awesome time! About half way through the trip, the truck developed a "whine" from the front of the engine. I stuck my head in there and listened with my ears and it seemed to me, that the noise was coming from the power steering pump. So, I looked at the fluid, and I thought it smelled a bit burnt and had a bit of black gunk in the fluid. I also noticed that the steering seemed a tad heavier that usual, but I wasn't sure what the cause was, since I had loaded the truck with gear for my trip.

So, I was pretty much convinced that it was the PS pump going out. When I got home, truck goes in the shop. They diagnose it, and tell me that the noise comes form the idler pulley bearing. they replace it, noise is gone. I had the shop also flush the PS fluid since the truck by now has almost 40k miles on it, and the fluid hasn't been changed ever.

Warranty is expired and powertrain warranty didn't cover apparently. I had the shop double check, and they told me that the powertrain warranty covers the tensioner, but not the pulley.

They also told me that the PS fluid smells burnt from the factory, and that the pump is fine.

So: Is this a common failure, or did I just happen to experience a random issue? -Either way: The noise is gone and truck runs great, I'm just curious if this common....

[SeppW]

I would be surprised if the assembly line is using waste/burnt fluid. Since it's flushed, I'd watch PS pump and see what happens. The pump fails if the fluid leaks out, pump or bearings fail, or wrong type of fluid.

[RustyPW]

The idlers on a 3G is common. I've replaced mine 3 times in 93,000 miles. They don't like to go swimming off road. I've replaced my tensioner once, at 80,000 miles.

[pdavey]

Even the new ones have the issue. I tell you one trip to the beach riding on the sand and I am going to have to replace my idler pulley.

On my 2005 I replaced them about 4 or so times from off-roading.


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[FirerescuePW]

I replace mine every 2-3 years, and keep a spare set in the toolbox (good used), along with a belt (same). Too easy to change in the field to be stuck if one lets go, and the failure is too common.

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[Mule007]

FirerescuePW X2

[FirerescuePW]

Tell the truth- on the sand, or in the ocean?

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[JRHPWRWAGON06]

87k miles and never touched my PS fluid. Only check the level.