Power Steering Leak (?) - 2015 LX570, 98,000 miles

[Frosties]

I was changing my air filter when I noticed my power steering reservoir looks like this. I haven't seen it like this before. Is it a leak? I don't notice any drips below. The reservoir level seems to be correct. I don't think the fluid has ever been changed. I was planning on doing it on the 100k (160,000km) service.

Any thoughts?

 

[CharlieS]

Sure looks like a leak. Maybe clean it off well and see if you can identify the source of the leak. It could be as simple as replacing that spring clamp?

Or maybe it just identifies as a Land Rover.

 

[Frosties]

Or maybe it just identifies as a Land Rover.

With the amount of money I've spent on repairs and premature wear in just 100,000 miles, I wouldn't rule that out as a possibility.

I'm not mechanically inclined, so mechanics love me. I'll try cleaning it off now.

 

[Frosties]

Went to a garage. First, a service advisor looked at it and said it's a leak. Then another technician came and said it's not a leak. When I asked how then the fluid came out, he couldn't give me an answer. They lifted the car to check underneath for leaks and didn't seem to find any. They said to just leave it alone. When I asked them to change the fluid anyway, they said I should never change the power steering fluid because it could ruin the pump.

When I insisted, he said he will siphon out the fluid from the reservoir and fill it with Toyota WS. I told him I wanted Dexron III type fluid because that's what the manual says, but he insisted that WS is the same as Dexron III and told me not to worry. They siphoned out the fluid and poured in the WS and sent me off. They didn't turn the wheels and redo it a few times. On the drive home, I noticed the steering was tighter than before. When I got home, I realized the fluid was also overfilled by a lot.

Not sure what to think at the moment. Do I have a leak or not? Was WS the right type of fluid for my power steering? Should I be worried about the overfilled reservoir?

 

[bloc]

Went to a garage. First, a service advisor looked at it and said it's a leak. Then another technician came and said it's not a leak. When I asked how then the fluid came out, he couldn't give me an answer. They lifted the car to check underneath for leaks and didn't seem to find any. They said to just leave it alone. When I asked them to change the fluid anyway, they said I should never change the power steering fluid because it could ruin the pump.

When I insisted, he said he will siphon out the fluid from the reservoir and fill it with Toyota WS. I told him I wanted Dexron III type fluid because that's what the manual says, but he insisted that WS is the same as Dexron III and told me not to worry. They siphoned out the fluid and poured in the WS and sent me off. They didn't turn the wheels and redo it a few times. On the drive home, I noticed the steering was tighter than before. When I got home, I realized the fluid was also overfilled by a lot.

Not sure what to think at the moment. Do I have a leak or not? Was WS the right type of fluid for my power steering? Should I be worried about the overfilled reservoir?

View attachment 2952057

There is a lot to unpack here.

You must clean the grime off to confirm if it is a leak. I’d get some brake parts cleanser and an old t-shirt, spraying it on the shirt and using that to remove as much of the buildup as possible.

Based on the color of your reservoir it is degraded and may need to be replaced. I’d wait to narrow down if there is a leak and where first.

WS is probably fine, I don’t believe our systems are very picky. As it is the factory fill is a gold colored fluid, but yes the cap and manual say to use dexron 3 which will always be red. I’ve been using dexron 6 which is lower viscosity and synthetic for years without issue. Their advice that you should never change fluid is bull****. The fluid does break down and can lose the ability to protect pump internals. And, unlike an auto transmission where some people say not to change super old fluid because the clutches can start slipping… no clutches in the steering system.

Yes it needs to be flushed.. drain and fill, cycle steering (even with engine off, it’ll work), repeat.

But first clean off the grime.

 

[Frosties]

There is a lot to unpack here.

You must clean the grime off to confirm if it is a leak. I’d get some brake parts cleanser and an old t-shirt, spraying it on the shirt and using that to remove as much of the buildup as possible.

Based on the color of your reservoir it is degraded and may need to be replaced. I’d wait to narrow down if there is a leak and where first.

WS is probably fine, I don’t believe our systems are very picky. As it is the factory fill is a gold colored fluid, but yes the cap and manual say to use dexron 3 which will always be red. I’ve been using dexron 6 which is lower viscosity and synthetic for years without issue. Their advice that you should never change fluid is bulls***. The fluid does break down and can lose the ability to protect pump internals. And, unlike an auto transmission where some people say not to change super old fluid because the clutches can start slipping… no clutches in the steering system.

Yes it needs to be flushed.. drain and fill, cycle steering (even with engine off, it’ll work), repeat.

But first clean off the grime.

Thanks for the detailed response.

I’ll be heading back to the garage in a few days as they said it’s better to replace the hoses anyway. I’ll ask them to redo the same procedure (siphon the liquid from the reservoir and refill) while I’m there. I may pick up my own Dexron III fluid and take it there. And then I’ll ask them to clean off the grime (which they really should’ve done this time).

Do you reckon it’s fine to mix Dexron III with WS? And what are your thoughts about replacing the hoses without diagnosing that it’s the hoses that are leaking?

One thing I forgot to mention was that I noticed the yellow part of the inside of the cap was not screwed in tightly. I just tightened it by turning it clockwise and didn’t notice any new leaks after that. But hard to tell with all that gunk on it.

 

[TLC2013]

When I did the PS fluid change I did a handful of siphons and fills of the reservoir while turning the steering wheel lock to lock. This did the trick to remove probably 90%+ of the old fluid and resulted in the fluid looking brand new. The power steering doesn’t call for WS ATF fluid, I have no idea if using it could cause any problems but I went with fluid that is rated for the power steering system. I used Redline D4 ATF. Their WS compatible fluid is D6 and is used in the transmission while they claim D4 is for power steering.

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