I love starting a new thread. I recently was having starter issues, and yada yada yada its fixed for now. However, now there are more issues. When driving slowly up hills, there is a whining/rumbling noise in the engine (passenger side). This noise I and my wife have heard. She thinks it's coming from the passenger side air vent, and I think it's around the passenger side engine. And there seems to be noises when turning the wheel left and right, but mainly when getting close to turning it all the way to the left or all the way to the right. I did some research on here, and I'm thinking either some cv or ball joints (are cv and ball the same thing?) or power steering o-ring is bad.

More important info: when changing out the starter, I also changed my oil. But I did no ordinary oil change. I let it drain for 2-3 days before I put the new filter on/plugged it and filled it with oil. When I went to drain it, I noticed fluid on the oil pan, practically a light coating covering about half of the oil pan. I thought it was just oil that leaked out slowly since my last oil change. But I now think it could have been the power steering fluid (it was below the low level) or cv/ball joint fluid.

Also, since I'm still a noob but enjoy taking apart the car, I am thinking about buying a repair book for the car. I really need one that has a LOT of pictures and a LOT of details on how to do things. Before coming to this site, I only knew how to change my oil and air filter (and I still don't know what a lot of things are named when looking at the engine). Any recommendations/prices?

 

You can start by downloading the service manual here:

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tl-problems-fixes-117/2g-factory-tl-shop-repair-manual-852101/

 

our DIY section has nearly everything you would want to diy on the car

if a cv boot tore (common) thats grease from its bearing you found
when boot breaks, grease out and grit in = failure
You can buy brand new--not rebuilt- axle assemblies with new shaft, 2 new bearings, and new boots, for about 100 bucks from NAPA auto parts,,well liked by ziners
an alignment shop can do the work for you.. if needed
they are good at noise finding too..could be hub bearing for example

if ps fluid low you need to find its leak,,loose hose clamp, pinhole in line, o-ring bad at pump connection to lines etc
Good way to destroy the pump is run low on fluid!

 

note for next oil change:
add 1/2 can seafoam to oil and drive 30 minutes,,up to 200 miles/1 week then change oil and filter
for best results: oil must be warm from 15 minute freeway cruise before draining

that will do far more good for the engine than the few extra drops you got by leaving it open for days

 

note2: oil from filter change gets spilled on arm there,
wipe top surface to prevent blowback of oil onto pan and beyond

 

Thank you victus1. I will download it when I'm on my home computer. 01tl4tl, I trust what you are saying, but I don't know what a cv boot even is. I will look though at the ps lines, and you are probably right about the oil being blown onto the oil pan. I don't always wipe up the spilled oil when taking off the old oil filter. But could power steering fluid evaporate/get used up over time (years) without a leak actually existing?