Ford Ka High Pitched Whine

[mrploppy]

My 2015 Ka has developed a high pitched whine. Only happens after the engine has warmed up - maybe 5 or 10 mins after starting - and doesn't happen when standing still. When it first started about a year ago, it only happened when there was slight force on the steering wheel to the right - not turning a right corner, just when it was slightly off-centre. As soon as I took the force off the steering wheel it would stop. It's got much worse recently, to the point where it does it going straight sometimes (but not all the time). It's very high pitched - not a squeal, just very high pitched whine.

Any ideas? Thanks.

[sherman]

Hydraulic steering pump?
Only makes the noise once the oil/whats left of the oil is up to temp and can squeeze by the seals.

[mrploppy]

Thanks. If that's the case, would there be evidence of leaking power steering fluid? And presumably the reservoir would be low?

Edited by mrploppy on Saturday 3rd July 19:10

[sherman]

Yes to both.

[deltaS4]

The KA from 2009 onwards is based on the Fiat Panda and has electric power steering, so no pump or fluid. Could still be a steering fault though as they are a weak point.

[LuS1fer]

Have you checked the wheel bearings?
A common cause of high pitched whines.

[mrploppy]

sherman said:

Yes to both.

OK, I guess I need to go back to first principles here. I've read that the mk2 ka has a electrically assisted steering. Does that mean it doesn't use power steering fluid?

I ask this because I can't see a power steering fluid reservoir. I see a reservoir on the right side that has a filler cap with a symbol, a circle and two arcs - like drum brakes - which I assume is brake fluid. And it's full. And another smaller one which has the words "fill with brake fluid" - so I don't know what that's all about. That's full also.

Can you advise where the power steering fluid reservoir would be, if indeed it has one?

Thanks.

Edit: I've just seen the other responses and hadn't checked before posting this. So I was right - no fluid!

Edited by mrploppy on Sunday 4th July 13:07

[sherman]

As others have said its an electric power steering system. No fluid. Got my dates mixed up.
Also as they say get the wheel hubs/bearings checked before your wheels fall off .

[mrploppy]

sherman said:

As others have said its an electric power steering system. No fluid. Got my dates mixed up.
Also as they say get the wheel hubs/bearings checked before your wheels fall off .

No problem.

I will have them checked. Is it really serious though? It's been doing it for a while. I have an hour's motorway drive coming up - should I not make this journey until I've had it checked?

[LuS1fer]

mrploppy said:

No problem.

I will have them checked. Is it really serious though? It's been doing it for a while. I have an hour's motorway drive coming up - should I not make this journey until I've had it checked?

Depends how bad it is. Wheel bearings can dry out so if the heat builds up, the bearings can collapse or they "weld" themselves to the spindle.

On my cars, the whine sounded like an electric subway train.

[Thebaggers]

Does it only happen when your other half is in the car?

[mrploppy]

Thebaggers said:

Does it only happen when your other half is in the car?

I'm not touching that one!

[mrploppy]

LuS1fer said:

Depends how bad it is. Wheel bearings can dry out so if the heat builds up, the bearings can collapse or they "weld" themselves to the spindle.

On my cars, the whine sounded like an electric subway train.

I had a wheel bearing go on a car many moons ago and it sounded like a rumble. This is different - it's high pitched. And it doesn't change pitch with road speed.

Edited by mrploppy on Sunday 4th July 14:41

[mrploppy]

Here's an update. I've just been for a quick drive and I had a passenger in the back. He said that sometimes the sound comes from the back and sometimes from the front. So, I had a good listen on the way home. I definitely have an intermittent high pitched noise - and that may be coming from the back, although it's really hard to tell. The there's another noise, which I can only describe as a referee's whistle in the distance, which is only present when there's force on the steering wheel - either to the left or the right - and that, I'm pretty sure, is coming from the front.

Even more confused now.

[LuS1fer]

mrploppy said:

Here's an update. I've just been for a quick drive and I had a passenger in the back. He said that sometimes the sound comes from the back and sometimes from the front. So, I had a good listen on the way home. I definitely have an intermittent high pitched noise - and that may be coming from the back, although it's really hard to tell. The there's another noise, which I can only describe as a referee's whistle in the distance, which is only present when there's force on the steering wheel - either to the left or the right - and that, I'm pretty sure, is coming from the front.

Even more confused now.

Wheel bearings