Hi all. I have a 1998 Monte Carlo z34. Ever since I've had the car I have not been a fan of how it drives. First let me start off by saying whenever the car is on it has a weird buzzing. You can only hear it in the car and when it's at idle it sounds sorta like a bee buzzing. Anyhow speaking about the handling it terrible. If I turn the wheel too much I will feel a slight vibration but mainly a will hear a loud buzzing and what I would assume to be the power steering pump groaning shortly after I do this it will whine when I accelerate. Today it did this and it took me forever to park it cause it felt like the steering wheel got really loose and my steering input felt like it was cut in half. What I mean by that is if you think it would take you twenty feet to turn the car for me it now feel like fourty. Now it only does these two things when I have to use a little wheel to turn or park. This thing pushes like a dump truck through even the easiest turns. No matter how slow I take a turn it feels like it just won't turn. I'm not sure what all is wrong. Is it just a power steering pump? Or is it the rack and pinion? Any insight would be great. It's frustrating cause I have always driven this car so gently.

 

Sound like more than just power steering. You might want to check the front end over really good. I had I guy come in to the shop with a similar complaint. Had a control arm bushing completely separate so every time he turned the right wheel wouldn't turn the same as the left. I even see a car were the rack gears were striped act kinda like that.
I'd be able to tell you a lot more if I drove it myself. I've never been very good at diagnosing over the Internet. I would def get under it an look it over really good

 

I personally have never had a steering issue with mine... Its always had a firm tight sorta feel to it. Since day 1 that I bought it from the dealer...

It definitely sounds like a steering pump issue... Have you ever changed the fluid in the power steering pump? But I would also guess that theres other issues going on as well, Maybee/faulty/broken steering knuckle at the Rack? stripped gearing in the rack.... I think the buzzing sound your referring to would be more like a growling sound...Does it vary in sound when you turn the wheel? Maybe.... The power steering pump is low on fluid? You could possibly have a leak! Like Zen Mentioned, Its hard to do a diagnosis with out
a test drive or possibly a video of the sound its making... Something to give us something else to go on...
How many miles are on it etc...

 

Stumpmi I will try and take a vid and post it here soon. When its not having the issues then its always a stiff tight feel in the wheel like you mentioned.

 

Off the top of my head i'm guessing it's going to be rack or pump if it's not a constant issue but thats just a guess