My H3 3,7 had a loud whine from the power steering pump, seemingly with the onset of winter. I went through a few Youtube videos and one suggested adding a Power Steering Oil Conditioner. I did this and the noise went from only when cold to being continuous. I thought it was a fault on the pump and replaced the pump. The noise got worse with the new pump. I was then advised that maybe the new pump was faulty so I changed the pump for the second time. The noise was still there and the only common denominator was the reservoir. I then recalled a post I saw that mentioned there was a filter within the reservoir, so the next step was to replace the reservoir (which was almost impossible to source) and the problem was solved. I then had to confirm that there indeed was a filter in the reservoir and embarked on some destructive testing. See pics of the old reservoir with the blocked filter on the left compared to the filter of a new reservoir on the right. This was an experience that I had to share.

 

Flush works and cheaper. Hire a professional with a flush machine or you can DIY:

 

Thanks! I've been having this issue for years but every time I go to start changing it out I tell myself, "it's not that bad, it can wait"

 

Nice writeup and pics man, I know this was my problem also but the job always seemed too tedious, or maybe I'm just too lazy

 

Thank you. Appreciated.

 

So, GM puts a filter inside the reservoir that can't be changed, AND, they discontinue the reservoir so you can't fix it when it goes bad either. Sounds about right. Automobile companies have some strange people running them. They really have no interest in supporting their older products.
Which tells me that they really don't care about an owner that wants to keep their vehicle long after the warranty runs out. Either buy a new vehicle from us or suck eggs.
It just makes me sad.

 

Drama Queen, The filter is in place to prevent damage to steering components seals. CLEAN OUT THE FILTER TO AVOID BLOCKAGE-FLUID FLOW!

 

Wow, if he had not cut his reservoir in half, we would not even had seen it had a filter like that in it. Now we can attempt to cure a blockage problem if we have that issue. But why discontinue a part that is probably going to need to be replaced at some point? That was my point. Which seems to be lost on you.
It's not cool to name call on a help forum. There always seems to be a couple smart *** moderators on these forums. Some very helpful, but for some reason they have to be insulting too. You think I don't know what a filter is for? Being nice seems to be a lost on people today.
By the way, I don't think it's to prevent damage to seals, it's to prevent debris from ruining the pump or scratching the rack housing or clogging up the stg gear spool valve.

 

"There's no crying in baseball" & NEVER WHEN YOU OWN A HUMMER, LIKE NOTHING ELSE!
Filters are to catch any debris from re-entry into the system to prevent damage to components and seals causing leaks. Same concept with an engine & transmission filter.
You could install an inline power steering filter, good luck finding a place for that?
Why discontinue a vehicle specific part? There were only a couple hundred thousand H3's manufactured from late 2005 to early 2010, how many remain today on 9-13-2024? Discontinued do to a low number vehicle fitment!
Btw, the reservoir doesn't need to be replaced, just cleaned.

 

Can we let this Three Year Old Dog of a thread die now???? READ: Old Threads/'Necro-Bumping'