[DeTomaso] steering noise question

[Mike & Elizabeth]

Are you saying that when you hit the window switch, you can hear the motor trying to move the window down but nothing happens when you hit the switch to put it up?  Or, is it down and doesn't want to come up?  Besides the switch, it could be that the original plastic gear in your window motor has failed, as in crumbled into little bits, and needs to be replaced.

When I looked under the front of Chris' car, my thought was some kind of binding in the rack and pinion gears or the turning of the steering shaft.  As Chris mentioned, it was quite pronounced when he pulled into the garage, but completely gone after we'd swapped out the ZF fluid.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: DeTomaso <detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com> On Behalf Of Christopher Kimball
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2022 10:09 AM
To: Pantera Owners Club of America <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
Subject: [DeTomaso] steering noise question

I warned you that once I got my car back I'd again be inundating you with questions!

Here are the latest two:

  1.   My passenger window decided it no longer wants to go up.  The down position still seems to work.  I'm assuming the switch has gone bad, so I'll order a new pair tomorrow.  In the meantime, is there anything special I need to be aware of when removing the current switches?

  1.   After driving about 45 minutes to Mike Thomas' house in warm weather the other day for the gear-oil change , as I pulled into Mikes' garage the front of the car seemed to be groaning when going over bumps, and especially when turning right or left.  Once in the garage and stationery, the sound was quite pronounced when I turned the wheels left or right.  After the oil was changed, probably an hour or so, we jacked up the front of the car and Mike took a look at the front wheels for loose bearings, and we again turned the wheels lock-to-lock.  Nothing seemed wrong, and the noise was gone.  Even after the car was back on the ground the noise was no longer there.

           Yesterday, in 99-degree heat, I drove about an hour, and the sound returned.  After letting the car sit for a couple of hours, again, no sound.  After driving home again, however, the sound            returned--I became aware of it after I turned off the freeway and began turning left and right on the side streets.  It almost sounds as if something is binding, or something under there            needs lubrication.  Are there places to lube things under the front of the car?  If so, I'm ready with my new, handy-dandy grease gun!  Otherwise, what could be the problem?

I appreciate your help and advice.

Sincerely,

Chris