[jamie5455]

I purchased a 2005 kia amanti last year. When test driving it I told the dealership that there were a few things that needed to be fixed before I would buy it. One of the things was a single clunk noise that seemed to be felt in the steering column. I could have it in park and turn the wheel from left to right and it would make the noise. They said it was something simple and it would be fixed. It has just started doing the same thing again -also now when turning the steering wheel while in the park position it makes a clicking noise, and when I turn in my driveway, usually slowly I hear the original clunk that it had when I test drove it.. I cannot get it to clunk every time however - which when I take it to the dealer I'm sure they will tell me the problem can't be duplicated. I want to go in to the dealership looking like I have a clue as to the problem, because I'm female and you know what that means ha ha ha Any ideas??

[TxGreaseMonkey]

I would have the dealer flush the power steering system and refill with the proper fluid. This is an overlooked procedure which can save a bundle of money ($1,500) by preventing the pump, rack and gear assembly from having to be replaced. A lot of heat builds up in these systems. If KIAs use automatic transmission fluid in the power steering unit, I would use Mobil 1 Multi-Vehicle Synthetic ATF. This is what I use in the power steering unit of my 2000 Ford Taurus. You will be able to tell the difference in how it steers, particularly in cold weather. Air sometimes builds up in these units and it needs to be purged or vented. Some units have a cap that can be removed to vent air and others require the car to be jacked up and slowing rotate the steering wheel "lock to lock" several times to purge all air from the system. Air in the power steering system can create an annoying whine under the hood that is difficult to isolate.

You also want to make sure the clicking noise is not coming from bad Constant Velocity (CV) Joints.