Fellow wrenchers, I am pasting the content of my friend's post on the Subaru WRX forums. His 06 WRX (68k miles) PS pump initially had some pulsing and pump noise. So he serviced the fluid (using the correct factory spec'd fluid) and in the course of doing this, and attempting the 'purge' procedure, has the following ocurring:
"I hope someone can provide some further advice here, because my PS system is really freaking out and starting to scare me.
I only bought this car about 1.5 weeks ago, and symptoms started days after I drove it home. Initially I was only experiencing some moderate pulsing when turning the wheel of the car, and the obnoxious PS pump whine for the first 10 minutes after starting the car.
I came across a different thread that explained a somewhat more complicated process of doing the same troubleshooting described here. I tried replacing the o-ring (the size described in this thread appears to be right, 11x14 the other thread mentioned 1 size larger which didn't work for me) and the clamp to the pump, trying to change as little as possible at once. While turning the wheels back and forth, I heard a lot of sloshing, squishing, and whenever I hit either lock, I would hear a sucking/slurping sound. 30 turns of the wheels by hand, 30 turns of the steering wheel, then I start it and turn the wheel back and forth. The pulsing is still there, and it after a few cycles of left to right it works its way worse into a violent shaking that scares me enough to shut off the car.
Thinking it was the engine shaking due to a belt slipping I tightened the accessory belt a bit, which was on the loose side, but not too loose, and tried again. Same result. This time I had someone watching for bubbles. NONE came out during the wheel turning with the engine off, but there was a uniform distribution of small bubbles when I did the same with the engine on.
Then I got back and read PAST the first page of results on this thread and discover how many people had success with changing the other three clamps. Do so, and repeat, and the sloshing sounds do get quieter, and the shaking is initially less bad, but quickly turns into violent shaking again.
Shut off, tighten clamps more. Repeat bleeding process, and the sloshing sound completely goes away while turning the wheels by hand to the right, but is still present when turning to the left. Get in the car and turn the steering wheel and the sound comes back in both directions. Start the car and make 4 revolutions left and right, and the system works perfectly, not a single vibration. Deciding I'm going to lower the car and go for a test drive, I get out, but notice the wheel isn't straight, so I go to straighten it, and the whole steering system has a friggin seizure again. Just as bad as ever. We're talking both wheels displacing by about 1". Shut it off and hope everything settles. Come back here to beg for help/mercy/godzilla.
I want to point out the significant differences I've experienced from what seems to be the more typical experience: 1) Sloshing/Sucking sound that seems to be indicative of how much air is left in the system. 2) No bubbles unless the engine is running, and even then very small ones. 3) Violent shaking of everything that occurs when I'm almost done bleeding the system and requires me to shut the car off to stop it.
My principle question is this: are there other clamps in this system that need to be replaced? Has anyone tried skipping the part where you turn the steering wheel by hand? It only seems to make it worse to me."
