Hi

When I am steering the car left it makes the occasional grinding sound, so guessing it could be the steering rods or the fluid is low due to a leak.

What fluid does my Ford use it is a 2010 mk2 focus? Could I just buy the Prestone steering fluid and top up the current fluid to check if that is the problem?

 

thanks for looking 

OEM should have been green fluid but Ford accidentally put red in quite a few Mk2s at the factory.

Though if it's only grinding on the left turn, I don't think a fluid top up will help.  Sounds more like the top suspension mount getting rough.

Is it full hydraulic or electric-hydraulic?  Can you pinpoint the area that the noise comes from?

 

Regarding Prestone - they do suggest that it's compatible with all other fluid types - but I'm not sure I'd trust that myself.

Not sure if it’s full hydraulic or not and the sound seems like it’s coming from wheel area, but it’s more intermittent and not everytime I turn left.

It sounds like when the brake pads have worn but it can’t be them as they have been recently changed.

Which engine is fitted?

1.6 tdci engine is fitted

9 minutes ago, Dansmudge said:

1.6 tdci engine is fitted

Ok, that's an electric-hydraulic PAS system then.  The electric motor and fluid reservoir are under the right hand side headlight. 

If the noise was coming from that side, the electric motor could be suspect, but it seems very unlikely with the noise on the left.

It may well be the brake pads, if one of them is loose in the carrier it could be touching the disc when you steer.  Could also be the wheel bearing starting to get rough.  Or even a tyre wearing unevenly.  Best thing to do would be to jack up that corner and see if you can spot anything visually.