1999 Nissan Altima Steering Pump Questions

My 1999 Nissan Altima power steering pump is whining and it smells like something is burning. I have a new pump on order and it will arrive in about 5 days. The idler bearing also went out last week and I had a mechanic replace the idler bearing, but not the power steering pump. I can change the pump myself so I didn't have him do it, but he said that it would be okay to drive it like this (whining and smelling) for at least another month. My questions to anyone with experience here: Is it okay to drive it like this for the next week? Will it damage anything other than the pump that I'm going to replace? I looked in the Haynes manual to see how to replace it, and it looks easy enough. Are there any tricks to replacing it? Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

The first thing to do when your pump is making that type of noise is to inspect the fluid level. I would suspect the level is low due to a leak either in the pump or high pressure line/hose assembly. The leak up high in the engine compartment is probably dripping onto the exaust headpipe, causing the smell you describe. Fill the resevoir with power steering fluid to the 'max' line and drive it until you can get the correct repair.

Another cause could be a loose, squealing belt. This could explain the smell (burned rubber) and a loss of power steering. I'm not quite sure from your post if you are certain the P/S pump is bad or are just guessing.

Chances are - if the pump is just leaking - you could reseal it successfully. If it gets quiet after you add P/S fluid and work the steering wheel back and forth a dozen times, the internal pump components should be OK.

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