I woke up this morning to head to work and noticed a big puddle of fluid where I had parked. Check the fluids to see what was low, and it turns out the Power steering fluid was the problem. It looks like the reservoir was sealed properly but for some reason it decided to overflow.

Is this a power steering pump failure? Or a power steering fan failure that cause the fluid to overheat and overflow? Or perhaps a blockage in the system somewhere?

I picked up more fluid to top it off but I'm sure the problem will not fix itself.

Any advice on the best way to trouble shoot?

Thanks in advance!

 

I accidentally put a little too much in my reservoir and it came out of the top even sealed up tightly while running the dragon this past week. If there are no signs of leakage from the pump or the lines, it could be you had too much fluid in the reservoir. When you work the steering real good, that fluid can get real hot. That's why it is important not to overfill it. Check the fluid level and make sure it's not overfilled, then run the car and check for any erratic steering issues. The steering should be smooth and the pump should make a low whining sound. If it sounds really odd, it could be the pump. How was the steering when you drove it last and parked it?

 

I am making a jump here off FD's post. If heat can make it overflow, you should check the PS fan and make sure it is working.

Just a thought.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. There was no unusual steering problems when i came home last night and I did hear the normal whine when turning (been there since I bought it) so I think the pump is operating however..

Just drove home on the 405 and I just checked under the car and I think the problem may be bigger than just an overflow.

I drove home normal, nothing extreme and the reservoir did not re-overflow but I saw steady drip, drip for about 2 mins after the car was off, coming from near the pump under the car. I will have to get it up on stands to have a closer inspection. I hope it's just a bad line....

 

If it's operating normally, it might just be a line. The pumps usually give you a warning with weird noises when they are about to go out. Sometimes they do just go out with no warning, but this doesn't seem like your case. Let us know what you find after you get a good inspection on it.

 

Well it turns out that the fluid was coming from the front of the PS unit itself. Took it to my mechanic and the pump is shot along with the fan. It may have been the fan failure that caused the pump failure.

Parts are on the way...gonna cost a pretty penny.

 

Sorry to hear this. How mechanically inclined are you? It's not a hard job to accomplish. Could save yourself some money.

 

Sorry to hear that... Sucks that the little fan can cause such a problem