# 98 maxima 3 Power steering pumps



## brimoj (Aug 22, 2010)

Sitting at a stop light suddenly power steering started screeching. Fluid at low mark, topped off, noise still continued.
Auto-stethoscope used to pinpoint noise around pump body/pulley.
For testing pulled alternator belt.
Replaced power steering pump and serpentine belts. 
Exact same noise continues......
Replaced Autozone pump with a pump purchased from salvage yard.
Exact same noise continues......
Tried 2 separate pulleys; ran salvage pump with no lines attached.
Exact same noise continues......
Put Autozone pump back on, took to Nissan dealership for diagnosis.
Service dept. pulled harmonic balancer and determined no problem
Service dept. concluded it was the power steering pump
Replaced with another new pump from Autozone
Quick test, no belts no noise...
Replaced high pressure valve.
Exact same noise continues.....


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## brimoj (Aug 22, 2010)

Video here




Not sure where even to go next? What else could it be?
Stumped


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Assuming all of the air is bled out of the system, perhaps the P/S rack is bad?


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## brimoj (Aug 22, 2010)

smj999smj said:


> Assuming all of the air is bled out of the system, perhaps the P/S rack is bad?


Thanks a great deal for responding, as you are the first in several forums after several weeks to do so. I did start to go down that possibility, but the noise originated at the pump. Apparently bearing stress.

This was an alignment issue. Evidently exacerbated by Grubbs nissan, perhaps intentionally, pressing the crankshaft pulley on a little further than specs, if my assessment is correct. What caused this is perplexing and my best guess is a shifting (fatiguing) of the adjusting bracket; or wearing at the pivot mount. Shimming, quite a bit since the pulley is farther in, has solved the problem.
Nissan diagnosis was not correct, it was not the pump(s)
I hope this helps save someone from installing pumps needlessly; as I have done.
and paying about $55 for whatever expertiese I purchased and character I encountered ; we even asked them to focus on the main pulley, balancer, and alignment being good. Our reliance on their "expertise" cost me a great deal of money, time, and effort. Why did they insist the alignment was fine and offer to replace the pump at $700 or so when it clearly is not fine? 
This family purchased the first maxima from grubbs in 1985 then again in 89'. Several, all maximas, followed over the years. The latest a 2008 model. All from grabbs
I assure you the $55 gained at my expense will buy them guaranty that not another car will ever be purchased from them by any of our 3 generations of working folk. Ever
And all will know of our experience with them -


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## brimoj (Aug 22, 2010)

Oh,
I also have had two discs removed from my back after surgery a while ago. It still hurts.
Crawling in and out from under is not pleasant. Especially needlessly
Thanks nissan


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## 4thGenTinkerer (Nov 1, 2009)

The main crank pully's tend to wear out causing the belts to run slightly out of alighnment. They are a two piece design. The outer part is pressed onto the inner pully and seperated by a rubber bushing. Mine would screech when I first started it in the mornings. I thought my belts were too loose or too tight, after removing and reinstalling them for the third time I noticed that the crank pully was wobbling a little bit. I finally found another post on a different forum in which another guy had the same problem. 
I just decided to live with it untill I swapped for a JY engine. I removed mine while the engine was out of the car, so it was pretty painless.
I think it's possable that you may have the same problem, just more severe. You mentioned having to shim the PSP untill it quit screeching. Maybe its the crank pully rather than the PSP's. Did the dealer put a new harmonic balancer on? Start the car and shine a flashlight down on it or, back permitting, look up at it from under the car. Look for wobbling. 

Hope your back recovers. Sucks working on somthing when you're in pain. Tends to make things in general more frustrating.
I dont think the stealership would intentionally screw somthing up, they are usually just following the FSM procedures. If it were me working on your car I would have suggested a new OEM harmonic balancer to eliminate it from the possable causes.They already pulled the old one right? Just put a new one on there. From the info in your first post I can say that it didnt make the screeching with no belts on it right? Well, than it would have to be a belt/pully/harmonic balancer related issue.
Usually mounts on engine blocks dont wear, they have no moving parts, and therefore dont wear like that. I have seen loose PS pumps make a thumping and tapping sound, but that doesn't seen to be your problem....Unless it was loose when it came from the factory, I still don't see the mount wearing like that.
Hope the shims work for you, I hate hearing a max make that terrible screeching. 
Just out of curiousity, what did you use for shims? Like washers or pieces of metal with a hole to accomadate the bolt? 
Good Luck, and welcome to NF.com.


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