My Ryobi pressure washer is making a grinding noise and losing pressure - is it toast?

Hey guys, my Ryobi 2300 PSI pressure washer is acting up. It's making this awful grinding noise when I start it up, and after a few minutes the pressure just drops to nothing. It's only about 2 years old. I've checked the hose and nozzle - they seem fine. Is this something I can fix or is it time to take it out back and put it down? Really don't want to drop $300 on a new one if I can avoid it.

Sounds like your pump is going. Grinding noise + pressure loss = bad news. Ryobi pumps aren't known for longevity. Check if there's water in the oil - if so, pump seal failed. Replacement pump will run you $150-200. At that point, might as well buy new. Pro tip: Next time, winterize it properly. Seen too many guys kill washers by leaving water in them over winter.

Tim's probably right about the pump, but before you give up - have you checked the unloader valve? Sometimes they get stuck and cause pressure issues. There's a decent YouTube tutorial by 'PressureWasherPro' that shows how to clean it. Also, is it electric or gas? My electric one made weird noises when the GFCI outlet was acting up. Just a thought!

Thanks both. It's gas powered. I'll check the unloader valve this weekend - watched that video and it looks doable. If that doesn't work... well, maybe I can justify an upgrade to the wife as a 'safety issue' lol. Tim - you're right about winterizing. I definitely didn't do that last year. Live and learn.