Power steering fluid leak....

Suspension, brake, and hydraulic/electric steering discussion.
dorqus
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu May 06, 2021 11:33 pm

Power steering fluid leak....

Post by dorqus »

So I picked up a 2011 9C1 in May, noticed after a while that there was a puddle under the car. Took off the under-fascia tray and it had on the drivers side some fluid, was hard to tell if it was oil, power steering, or transmission fluid. It was not coming from the block, but someone in the front of the car. I replaced the power steering fluid (it was brown and looked like motor oil) with Dexron VI as recommended in the owners manual, and was red. Then I noticed that it was in fact power steering fluid that was leaking but couldn't figure out from where exactly. I thought it was leaking where the return line meets the condenser, so I added a second hose clamp, hoping it would help (which it didn't) Fast forward to last week - the car had been sitting for a while and I jacked it up and looked up and saw this:
PXL_20210812_233705176.NIGHT.jpg
PXL_20210812_233705176.NIGHT.jpg (3.03 MiB) Viewed 4972 times
This is looking up from underneath on the drivers side, where the power steering return line goes into the condenser. So I figured "OK, return line is bad or stretched out or torn by the connector" so I ordered a genuine GM one, waited for it to come. This afternoon I put the car back together (also replaced the cabin air filter - wow it was so nasty) and the engine air filter, took the car for a drive, and noticed it's still leaking.

I replaced item #9 in this diagram, and also the hose clamp at item #8
101221HE06A471.png
101221HE06A471.png (210.21 KiB) Viewed 4972 times
Other than replacing the AC Condenser (Item #18 in the above diagram), which is a lot of work, and needs to be done by a garage as the AC system needs to be discharged and then re-filled, do I have any other options? I wish that that the PS fluid cooler was not integrated into the AC condenser and was a separate component which could be replaced without having to touch anything else... And the AC works fine, so the it's not leaking freon/refrigerant, maybe the connector for the PS return line is bent/broken? (I still suspect that this car had front end damage, but can't prove it, Carfax is clean, but that's not the only gauge)

Thanks!!
BluesBro
Posts: 134
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2021 1:26 am

Re: Power steering fluid leak....

Post by BluesBro »

You could always abandon the integrated cooler and switch to a separate unit mounted in front of the condenser.
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dorqus
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu May 06, 2021 11:33 pm

Re: Power steering fluid leak....

Post by dorqus »

Yeah I was just thinking about that actually after I submitted this post. Going to look on jegs.com or summitracing.com for universal power steering coolers that will fit that space, need to see how I could mount one.
CrashTestDummy
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Location: Pearland, Texas

Re: Power steering fluid leak....

Post by CrashTestDummy »

Wow, that's nuts! So is the cooler integral with the condenser? Just wow. If it's part of the condenser, is it a plastic add-on, or are the ends metal? I ask, because if plastic, those worm-style clamps may have ended up cracking the nipple.

But yeah, if it's integral, I'd opt for a separate cooler. Unless your car is still in service, and spends a LOT of time idling in park, you might be able to forego the cooler altogether. Not wanting to do that, you could probably get away with a tubing loop like GM used to do in their F- and B-body cars. Our ~1985 C Prepared autocross Firebird has just the simple loop. It's had that for the 20+ years we've been autocrossing it, turning 12" wide slicks in anger, in Houston, with zero issues.
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dorqus
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu May 06, 2021 11:33 pm

Re: Power steering fluid leak....

Post by dorqus »

It's hard to tell if the ends are metal or plastic, but you're right, could definitely be cracked due to over tightening by previous owner(s).

I was thinking about something like this:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rnb-918-305
but there's very little room to mount anything in that space, and no where to mount it to.
The car is not in service, nor do I spend hours on end idling in it :)

So I'll just going to get tubing to go between the two hosts on either end of the condenser.
Trying to get a straight piece of metal tubing with the flares on either end (or whatever you call it, the little bumbs/barbs) but not having a lot of luck, so might just have to do two back to back connectors, and a long piece of rubber tubing, I'll just have to be sure to zip tie it to something so it doesn't flop around or anything.
Something like this to extend the hose:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001P ... 0DER&psc=1

Sadly I need to cover a roughly 30" space between them, else I could just do a loop.
So basically I'll connect hose #9 directly to hose #17 in the diagram, bypassing the condenser, #18.
Sanford
Posts: 356
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2016 9:38 pm
Location: Texas Gulf Coast

Re: Power steering fluid leak....

Post by Sanford »

They went to a separate cooler on the 12’s and up. I don’t know if there is room to add it in front of the existing cooler. The 11 is the odd ball when it comes to the radiator, condenser, cooling fans, cooling motors, AC compressor and AC hoses.
dorqus
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu May 06, 2021 11:33 pm

Re: Power steering fluid leak....

Post by dorqus »

Sanford wrote: Sun Aug 15, 2021 8:12 pm They went to a separate cooler on the 12’s and up. I don’t know if there is room to add it in front of the existing cooler. The 11 is the odd ball when it comes to the radiator, condenser, cooling fans, cooling motors, AC compressor and AC hoses.
Yeah so I'm finding out :(
I see the part number for it, 92251657, it is available from some sites for about $100 shipped. It's probably easier to just connect up a piece of hose and be done with it :)
Not sure where it would mount to, even if I did get it, but it would be perfect otherwise.
Sanford
Posts: 356
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2016 9:38 pm
Location: Texas Gulf Coast

Re: Power steering fluid leak....

Post by Sanford »

There are probably other GM cars or maybe other brands that may use a cooler that you could adapt to. Would be worth a trip to salvage yard to look around. My 36 year old F250 just has a piece of tubing that is looped around and bolted to the front crossmember. The truck PS probably takes more of a beating when I am backing a trailer into tight spots.
dorqus
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu May 06, 2021 11:33 pm

Re: Power steering fluid leak....

Post by dorqus »

Sanford wrote: Mon Aug 16, 2021 4:01 pm There are probably other GM cars or maybe other brands that may use a cooler that you could adapt to. Would be worth a trip to salvage yard to look around. My 36 year old F250 just has a piece of tubing that is looped around and bolted to the front crossmember. The truck PS probably takes more of a beating when I am backing a trailer into tight spots.
So I've found one that's 20" but end to end, rather than both tubes on the same side, could make it work, but not sure about how to mount it - I don't want to have it just flopping around, it's originally for Dodge cars, so I'd still need about 5" or so on eaither side of tubing. (or just have it connect directly on one side, then 10" free, I guess it doesn't have to centered, but again, where or how to mount it...

https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-50902-918-305.aspx

There's not a ton of room in the front of the car between the condenser and the bumper, and I'd rather not have to take the whole bumper off if I don't have to for this.

Also found this:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.p ... 0&jsn=1931 it's 16" so I'd get two of them and attach them together in the middle...looks to be basically just straight tubing. Also going to try the local Advance Auto/etc. see if they can make (or just sell) a piece of 30-32" piping that's 3/8" OD that has those little bumps on them (not sure what it's called) to slip the hose over to keep it in place.

I also thought about getting JB Weld and putting a nice bead around where the "nipple" that the PS line connects to meets the condenser, if there's a small crack there, it should seal it up (Years ago I had cracked the transmission case on a different vehicle and sealed it up w/JB Weld and never had any issues).
dorqus
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu May 06, 2021 11:33 pm

Re: Power steering fluid leak....

Post by dorqus »

So I went to my local Napa and picked up a piece of 30" long 3/8" brake hose. I left the nuts on, just used zip ties to hold them in place more or less in the center of the brake line, didn't want to cut the ends and risk having a sharp surface that would end up ripping the power steering lines.

Used it to bypass the AC Condenser. Looks a little sketchy, but I think it will hold up, took it for a drive and no leaks. Will keep my eyes on it for the next few days and just take it for short rides until I put the under-front fascia tray back in place (once that's back on I won't be able to see if it's leaking unless it gets really bad and starts dripping down, which is what was happening before). I used vacuum/water line caps to block off the connections to the condenser, to keep anything from leaking out or dirt from getting in. It's not ideal, but if it works, so be it. I'll investigate alternate solutions at a later point, for now I just want to be able to drive the car!

Looking up from the drivers side:
PXL_20210817_024553949.jpg
PXL_20210817_024553949.jpg (3.56 MiB) Viewed 4879 times
Looking up from the passenger side:
PXL_20210817_024540306.jpg
PXL_20210817_024540306.jpg (3.04 MiB) Viewed 4879 times
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