Steering Leak, big loss of fluid. Can I still drive it to a shop for repair?

[cwmoser]

Came home after a drive noting steering a little noisy and taking a little more effort to turn Steering Wheel.
I noted the Reservoir was low so I poured in more fluid but it all just leaked out.
Is this likely to be a burst hose or is my Steering Rack gone bad?
Odd that i also have a much smaller PS leak on my 2000 Isuzu Trooper.
If its in need of a Steering Rack, that is beyond my skill level, so is it safe to drive to a shop???

 

[awesomeissquid]

When you filled the reservoir was the truck on or off? If it was off it is likely you had a hose leak. Best advise would be to follow the fluid as much as possible to pinpoint where it is leaking exactly.

 

[cruiserpilot]

The fluid is as much for cooling as lubrication. But a deck truck to tow it over is cheaper than a new PS pump.
Also, how long have you been driving with the leak unknown to you? I've got a 2010 Tundra too now, trying
to figure out the limitations of maintenance things.

 

[cwmoser]

Engine was off.

Hard to tell for sure but it appears that I have some fluid in reservoir and the leak may have been thru the upper hose.

 

[Malleus]

@cwmoser
That hose connection is a typical leak point. Mine leaked there until I removed the hose and cleaned both the reservoir nipple and the hose. I replaced both because I didn't trust them. No more leaks. BTW, that hose is a PITA to remove and the reservoir is old and brittle; be very careful removing it. Grab it beyond the nipple with a pair of pliers and twist it until it starts turning, while you pull on it. You need to remove the lower end first, but be careful there's a vacuum valve assembly down there.

If you break the reservoir, I have a spare; LMK.

That leak looks more like a hose leak than a rack leak, but I can't see under the truck. Whatever you do, don't go to an auto parts store and get an SAE hose. It won't fit, it'll leak, and you'll just have to go to Toyota and get another hose later.

Whether you can drive it or not depends on how much it's leaking and how fast it's leaking. You can check this in the driveway.

Fill the reservoir, start the engine, and have someone turn the wheel, lock to lock while you watch for leaks. If you don't lose more fluid than the MIN amount in the reservoir after several minutes of back and forth with the wheel, it's probably OK to drive.

If it's pouring out somewhere, you could still drive it, but you won't have any power steering, and it'll be a mess when you get where you're going.

 

[Malleus]

FWIW, this is a good reason to get one of these:

KTC hose clamp removal tool (made specifically for the hose clamps Toyota uses), part number AE921 and the optional finger spinner, part number BE3-Q.

Pro all the way.

KTC also makes these

but they're pliers and you have to keep pressure on them to keep the clamp open. Same price as the vise clamp AE921, which doesn't slip and is hands free once installed on the clamp.

Very pro.

 

[2001LC]

That reservoir is stained. Which makes seeing level difficult. But upper half appears empty. Placing a flashlight behind reservoir, is illuminating.

Make sure both suction and return hoses, are attached & clamped at both ends. Aslo check HP & low pressure lines.

Running engine without ATF fluid (PS reservoir empty) moving through vane pump, will damage it. A leak that bad, should be very easy to spot from where.

If the rack inner TRE, boot fills. R&P will need replacing.

 

[cwmoser]

Followup ... I couldn't figure out for sure where the leak was coming from.
No lift, lack of experience, and being 76 was a hindrance.
I hoped for something simple like a hose clamp, but feared it was the Steering Rack.
So I drove it to Lexus service center.

I did fill the Reservoir with ATF fluid and had power assisted steering all the way.
Service Tech was not entirely sure but suggested replacing the PS Pump first.
That was scary as I knew the cost was going to be high.
The leak was the PS Pump. Said the leak was about as bad as they've seen.
Steering Wheel turns a little tighter than before but I much prefer the new feel.
Not cheap, labor and OEM parts, but they got it fixed by next day.
Part of the price is their diagnostic expertise as I feared it was the Steering Rack.
In any case, I lacked the diagnostic expertise, If I knew it was the PS Pump I think
I would have tackled the repair especially after watching a YouTube video showing
how it is done. If it was definitely the Rack, I don't think I would have attempted the repair myself.

 

[delz05]

Hopefully they replaced the lins and reservoir as well....

 

[cwmoser]

Hopefully they replaced the lins and reservoir as well....

No, just the PS Pump and the accessories on the pump.

I note that the OEM PS Pump is way more expensive than the aftermarket ones on Amazon.
Anyone familiar as to reliability of the aftermarket part?

 

[2001LC]

FWIW:

Number one reason a vane pump fails and leaks. Improper PS fluid servicing!

PS Fluid (ATF), not regularly flush out with fresh. Results in fluid breaking down and matter building up in the fluid. This damages seal, bearing and clogs the reservoir. If reservoir becomes to clogged, it may starve vane of fluid. Which will burn up the vane damages seals & bearing. The Rack & Pinion (R&P) seals are also damaged, from nasty old fluid. R&P seals, often fail before the Vane.

I always clean or replace reservoir and hoses, if they're in need. I also flush fresh fluid through the system. I do this on a regular basis every 10K to 20K, depending on fluid condition. Aslo with all R&P and or Vane pump R&R.

Steering Flush & Cleaning

Cleaning power steering reservoir and flushing it's fluid. Keeps Vane pump and rack & pinion in top condition. These step will help you get, a better idea on how to. Power wash reservoir & hoses using a degreaser, before starting service. Makes for cleaner job. Repeat, once all done with...

forum.ih8mud.com

The 3 most overlooked fluids:

• PS
• Brake
• AT

 

[cwmoser]

It had been 50K miles since PS fluid was flushed with Synthetic. Now it has Toyota AT fluid in the system.
I had put in some AT-205 when it had a minor leak.

I need to get to the Automatic Transmission - bee 50K miles since flushed with Synthetic.