Under the Hood: Steering wheel noises

By Doug McAllister

Q. When I turn my steering wheel right or left it makes noises. What could that problem be? I had it worked on last summer and a steering arm was replaced, but the noise is back again and very irritating. This happens intermittently, but more often than not. The temperature can be hot or cold; it does not seem to matter.

When I drive down the road I hear this noise around the wheel area. It is very noticeable. Last summer I had the bushings replaced and the noise is back again and very irritating. I feel I am taken to the cleaners by mechanics and would appreciate your help. Suggestions?

A. I am not sure if you are talking about two different noises or the same noise, but it sounds like you have a dried-out ball joint or tie rod end. These are steering and suspension components that used to be greaseable but in most cases today they do not have fittings that can be greased. You will have to have someone isolate which one it is and most likely it will have to be replaced.

Occasionally a steering column will make noise and the sound is actually on the inside of the car, but if it’s coming from the outside, I would focus on a seized steering or suspension component.

I would also encourage you to get some recommendations from a co-worker or friend for a good shop where you can start building a relationship. Believe it or not, there are some good shops in our area that are committed to doing a really good job for their customers at a fair price. Once you have that trust relationship, you won’t have to live with the feeling of “being taken to the cleaners.”

If you can’t find a shop that way, check with your chamber of commerce or the Better Business Bureau. They can help you locate a company that has a good reputation.

Q. I noticed that my Chevrolet Caprice has recently started getting phenomenal gas mileage — at highway speeds where it used to get 20 to 22 miles per gallon, it got approximately 33 mpg at my last fill up. Can I attribute this to the different gas blends now that we are coming out of winter and into the summer season.

A. While summer blend fuel does tend to give us better gas mileage than winter fuel blends, the jump you are experiencing is not normal. I would expect a couple mile per gallon increase tops, depending on your car and your driving.

The increase you are experiencing is not good. In fact, your engine could be running so lean that it may be damaged if you drive it like that long term. An engine that is running that lean is creating a lot of extra heat in the combustion chamber — heat that the valves, pistons and spark plugs were not designed to take.

I would recommend getting it checked to see what is causing it to run so lean. Perhaps a bad oxygen sensor or computer glitch could be the culprit. A good diagnostic technician should be able to track down the source of the problem fairly quickly.

I wish I could tell you that 33 mpg on a car that should get 22 was good news, but it’s not.

Ÿ Douglas Automotive is at 312 S. Hager Ave., Barrington, (847) 381-0454, and 7218B Virginia Road, Crystal Lake, (815) 356-0440. For information, visit douglasautomotive.com. Send questions to underthehood@dailyherald.com.