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2004 Kia Sorento Rough Humming Noise From Engine
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kpowell
New User
Oct 19, 2019, 12:23 PM
Post #1 of 6
(1894 views)
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2004 Kia Sorento Rough Humming Noise From Engine
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2004
Kia
Sorento (4WD)
V6, 3.5 L
Mileage: 128,000
Hi, all,
Not much of a mechanic (just easy stuff as needed for my own car, oil change, brakes, once replaced radiator), but hoping that someone can give me some insight.
Maybe 8 months ago, I noticed that my car was running a lot louder than usual. Specifically, I would describe it as a growly humming, with maybe a softer rumble under it (which might just be a normal engine sound). It definitely originates from the engine, not the wheels or anything, and increases both in volume and pitch with RPM increasing (revving the engine while stationary gives the same results as while actually driving).
My brother and dad (also not mechanics, but with more experience) thought it might be a bad bearing on one of the engine pulleys. I listened to all of the pulley's that I could reach, and none of them sounded incredibly quiet, but none sounded worse than the others.
I took it into a local mechanic about 4 months ago and he listened to it and thought it might be a problem with the power steering system. He said that it could get air in the system which would make similar noises and that bringing the power steering fluid up from its low value to full might help, because it wouldn't suck so much on the cap. Otherwise, he said that some cars have a small gasket on one of the hoses that can sometimes let air in too. He topped the power steering fluid reservoir off for me, and it seemed like it helped slightly right when he was pouring it in. He said it might take a few days for the bubbles to work out, but the car didn't get any better and seemed back to at least as bad of humming pretty quickly.
Some posts that I read said that if you rev the engine with the power steering fluid cap off, then if there's air inside it will make the fluid bubble and foam, but this doesn't happen at all.
I just checked the fluid again today, and it seems just on the edge of low again, although it doesn't feel like I have driven it far enough that the fluid should be down much (I only drive it ~150 miles/week and that doesn't need replacing much from my understanding), but again, it has been a few months. I considered flushing it a few months ago, but looking at the fluid, it didn't seem discolored at all (kind of a pale red), so I wasn't sure that that would make much sense.
So, does this seem like a problem with the power steering system in the way the mechanic here described, and what would that be?
If so, does air in the power steering system reduce the life of the pump or damage it significantly? Or is it just annoying that your engine sounds so rough?
Or should I maybe be looking elsewhere?
Some other information about the car's state-of-repair (or lack of repair) that might be relevant (but maybe not):
-A/C doesn't work, but the compressor seems fine last we checked. Seems to just be a pretty large leak, that we weren't able to find after trying a bunch of stuff, but I don't think the belt is binding on it or anything
-At low speeds, especially from Park, the car sometimes makes a rubbing sound when turning or coming out of a turn (seems more like a wheel problem to me, but maybe related to steering).
-Medium oil leak, requires ~quart of oil every month or two
-Sometimes heater smells like burnt rubber or toasted sesame oil; might be due to the oil leak or leaves in air in-take from parking under a tree everyday a few years ago, or some other problem I can't diagnose either
-Replaced the radiator 2 years ago; no problems with that, except once that it ran a little low on coolant
Any ideas would be much appreciated; hopefully the explanation of everything is clear enough, despite not knowing much about mechanics.
Thanks!
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 19, 2019, 12:42 PM
Post #2 of 6
(1890 views)
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Re: 2004 Kia Sorento Rough Humming Noise From Engine
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First thing is take the belt off and spin what pulley do and coast. No play and silent is what they should be. PS wont spin free nor any water pump. A/C clutch should freewheel like idler puller as it is if not engaged.
PS using fluid would or could cause this running low. IDK, I think I'd change it out for high rated exact proper fluid for the car can do a way I like is take a cheapo turkey baster (mark it to throw out or not for food ever again) and get a whole quart. Suck out as much as you can, run it a day and do it again and again. Just me sometimes not a big fan of flushing it.
That just might do it if PS is the problem? Can't hurt but check it a lot anyway same with engine oil if using some also check for a leak.
Try that stuff if not helpful to find anything clearer noises are hard over the web see if another tech can peg it this time decide if you want to do the fix or not,
T
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 19, 2019, 1:20 PM
Post #3 of 6
(1885 views)
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Re: 2004 Kia Sorento Rough Humming Noise From Engine
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You need to look down inside the power steering reservoir when this noise is happening and see if the fluid is clear with no foam or bubbles or if you see and small bubbles.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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kpowell
New User
Oct 22, 2019, 10:15 AM
Post #4 of 6
(1822 views)
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Re: 2004 Kia Sorento Rough Humming Noise From Engine
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Thank you for the suggestions and help; much appreciated! I'll see if I can figure anything out from that, and if not, probably take it into another mechanic to see if he has any other ideas.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 22, 2019, 11:21 AM
Post #5 of 6
(1813 views)
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Re: 2004 Kia Sorento Rough Humming Noise From Engine
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Get back to us about the bubbles in the reservoir.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 22, 2019, 10:40 PM
Post #6 of 6
(1806 views)
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Re: 2004 Kia Sorento Rough Humming Noise From Engine
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THE property of hydraulic fluids is NOT to make bubbles. If it does question WHY,
T
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