Power Steering issue?

[Blitzburrgh]

2005 Trailblazer LT, 28K miles.

I can feel something was wrong with the steering from the feedback in the steering wheel. I assumed the fluid was low.

So I checked and the fluid was low, so I figured that was the problem and the next day I was getting it serviced for its scheduled oil change and they'd top it off (which they did).

It felt fine until the next day and I'd feel/hear the same thing. Checked the fluid (hot) and it was at the cold mark on the stick. I filled it up to the hot mark and still no change in the steering.

It doesn't leak (that I know of), so is it possible there is air in the line? The noise isn't super loud, but enough to annoy me, as well as the feeling in the wheel.

I would think the pump is fine since the vehicle has 28k miles on it. So if the pump is fine and air in the line cannot be possible, can it be..

Belt? Tensioner?

The belt looks fine, no cracks. However, I can grab the belt and pull upwards and the tensioner moves. If I gave it enough muscle, I think I can take the belt off with my hands and no tools. So either the belt is stretched out or the tensioner is bad? Can that be possible?

Every experience I've had with serpentine belts is you need some sort of pry bar to get some leverage and move the tensioner to slide the belt off. I've never been able to move it without some sort of tools. Obviously I can do the process of elimination and buy a belt to see if that fixes things. Lastly, I think this is related.. when it rains, the belt squeals for a while, longer than normal.

I don't want to pay GM $99 to look at my vehicle then charge me another $928603749283 for the pump/belt/tensioner/labor.

Any thoughts on the tensioner as being the culprit?

[maxwedge]

If the belt slips when it rains something is wrong, sounds like a weak tensioner, but unless the belt is slipping around the p/s pump it should have no effect on what you describe in the steering, the pump may be a seperate issue.

[Blitzburrgh]

Wouldn't a weak tensioner make everything slip? Including the PS?

If it rains while driving, I hear no squealing. However, if it rains overnight while the car sits, it will squeal for a while when it's first driven.

If I can pull the belt upwards and move the tensioner, does that mean the tensioner is weak?

[maxwedge]

You can always move the tensioner that is it's function, the degree of force necessary to do this determines whether the tensioner is bad, no way without prior experience good to bad to compare what is required, at that mileage a failed tensioner would be rare. Different accessories load the belt in different degrees so the highest load accessory would be the one to squeal if the belt or tensioner is bad.