01 T&C Power steering trouble

[bjbosche]

My 2001 T&C has an odd PS problem. In the morning only it will frequently be VERY difficult to turn right....
This only happens in the morning
This can be corrected by turning the wheel left THEN right
If it happens....
It mostly happens only once
Sometimes it takes two tries to correct it
Rarely it takes three times to correct
Once it is corrected it will not re-occur

The PS pump also makes a whirring sound that goes away after about 10 seconds if the temp is below 45F.... the colder the temp, the longer the noise lasts. The noise ALWAYS happens if the overnight temp has been low.

Any ideas?

[RIP]

Sure sounds like the steering gear assembly is the culprit. Before you spend several hundred bucks I would grab a turkey baster, suck the fluid out of the reservoir and refill. Drive it a bit and repeat a couple more times. If you're so inclined, to speed up the process you could disconnect the pump hoses and drain the fluid that way. Get air out of the system by slowly turning the steering full left to full right 8-10 times.

Gotta ask. Is the fluid level in the reservoir where it should be? If you hear a squeal it may be a loose drive belt. Check the belt tensioner.