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Name that sound
I don’t recall when it started, but now I have a sound like belts sliding when I am steering at the end of the rotation of the wheel. It comes from up front. What is it, and what if anything do I have to do about it?
BTW, today we drive to Charlotte, NC.
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5 Replies
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It might be the sound of hydraulic fluid flowing at your steering sector. Have someone hold the wheel full left or right while you poke your head into the area under the floor beneath the driver’s seat. Until you posted it I never thought anything about the sound which I think they all make at the end of steering wheel travel.
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I believe all is normal.
When the hydraulic steering reaches the end travel , it senses to resist further travel.
There are valves that by-pass the pressure side to the return side. With out this feature the lines would rupture along with bent steering linkage.
Check the fluid level at the reserve tank in the engine bay. If fliud level is within specs, all is good.
Some units make more noise then others
AL.
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What Al and Jon said. Mine does the same. I wouldn’t worry about it.
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There are two tanks in the engine bay. One is opaque, but clearly marked antifreeze. The other is more clear, but has no markings. Located in the top right of the bay, it is the one I assume is referred to herein. It says full.
I shall not worry about it.
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Karl,
There are numerous fluids that need checking in the engine area. Obviously coolant is one of them and it is the gray tank, top left and should have a sight glass. On the opposite side at the top is a plastic (on your coach, steel on earlier models) tank that is an oil reservoir. It has a valve near the bottom that you can open if your coach needs oil between changes. To check oil you have the dipstick.
To the left of the engine is a second dipstick. That is for the transmission and it is where you add transmission fluid if needed. The best way to verify your transmission fluid level is to use the keypad you use for putting the coach in gear. With the coach at operating temperature press the two arrow keys simultaneously and the display will start a countdown. When it has counted down it will indicate if the transmission fluid level is OK or if it is high or low, and by how many quarts. The dipstick is difficult to read to get an accurate reading.
Also somewhere in the engine area, likely to the right of the engine, accessible from the rear doors or the RH side door will be the power steering fluid reservoir. It is a black cylindrical device with a low cone shaped top. It will have a dipstick you access by unthreading the cap.
From your aviation days your pre-trip inspection should likely include a check of coolant level, oil level and belts and tire pressures. Oil level at the dipstick, not the reservoir. Periodic checks of the transmission fluid and power steering fluid should also be made. Since transmission fluid is checked when hot I usually do a check when sitting in a level spot in a rest area or at the end of a day’s driving. If it is too hot to do a check it will flash a code (79 I think) so just wait a while and do the check.
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