How to Fix a Leaking Power Steering Pump？
Your car runs the best when all its components work in their perfect design and ability and perform their proper functions. At the same time, your vehicle can still serve its purpose without the appropriate functioning of a few components. There are others without whom driving a car might be a scary experience. Some of these components are powered by fluids. That is why it becomes incumbent upon the car owners to take off the car’s fluid levels and see for the leakages to ensure all the lubricated parts are delivering their best performances.
Similarly, regular maintenance is as crucial as replacing a passed-on automobile component. One of the most common malfunctioning car drivers cross their paths with is power steering fluid leakage. It sounds simple; this malfunction has an exceptionally substantial negative impact on the driver’s ability to keep the vehicle under control. This is because your power steering pump fluids ensure you can turn your steering seamlessly without wobbling or lousy steering. Once your car is out of steering fluid’s perfect proportions, you would hear knocking sounds from your engine, your vehicle might heat up more than usual, the steering might feel heavier, and most importantly, the car might also sway more on one side of the road without going straight. None of those mentioned above things are good for you and your car’s health.
To avoid all of this mess and to be on the better side when your car’s power steering begins to leak fluids, you will have to take out some time to read this blog article complete to find out what steps you could follow to fix your leaking power steering pump yourself without spending hefty amounts of dollars in the repairing services. Keep reading to find out the causes of power steering leakages and how you can fix them.
Why Is My Power Steering Pump’s Fluid Leaking?
No vehicle component is designed to perform its function perfectly for a lifetime. Subject to the losses these components face and the wear and tear they face, some parts of your vehicle are worn out before their workable life ends. And thus, they ask for repair or replacement.
Your power steering pump is no different. Its leakages are most likely caused by its seals' natural wear and tear due to long-term usage. Another significant cause of leakages could be using impure, unfiltered, and sub-standard power steering fluid. However, it is straightforward to identify whether the steering fluid used in your car’s steering system is of good quality and standard. The good-quality steering fluid comes in light red, pink, light brown, and transparent colors. However, when this steering fluid gets contaminated, its colors become darker, and its turns either black or dark brown.
So just by looking at the present color of your power steering pump’s fluid, you can determine how far your automobile can go before requiring its regular fluid replacement. Nonetheless, you should be able to keep your car’s fluid levels under check and should never compromise on using contaminated fluids in your vehicle.
For detailed info, please refer to Bad power steering pump symptoms, How much does it cost to replace a power steering pump, and Signs of power steering pump failure
Is It Safe to Drive with A Leaking Power Steering Fluid?
Safety comes first. No matter how minor or unnoticed a malfunction is, it always has the potential to end in a disaster. That is why you cannot compromise on even the slightest malfunctioning of your car to be on the safer side in the longer run, let alone power steering fluid leakages.
Otherwise, if left ignored, the fluid leaking power steering pump will impact your vehicle negatively, eventually drying up your steering pup. This will halt your steering from turning left or right and produce extra engine heat. Also, if not taken into serious consideration in the longer run, a faulty power steering pump can ultimately lead to a severe car accident. Therefore, keeping a check on maintaining safe fluid levels in your steering system is recommended.
How Do You Know if Your Power Steering Fluid is Leaking?
Identifying when your power steering pump is in problem is the first step in fixing your steering fluid leakages. Following are the most common symptoms of your power steering fluid leakage that are easily noticeable and do not require professional knowledge to discover:
• Fluid On the Garage Floor
When there is a fault in your car’s power steering pump, the first thing you would notice is fluid on the garage floor. When you drive your vehicle out of the porch or the garage in the morning tomorrow, do look for the liquid leakage stains on the floor. If you can find some, it will mean that your automobile’s power steering system has been leaking fluid and is asking for some repair.
• Ignition Noise
Another thing you would notice firsthand when your steering system is leaking fluid is noise in your car’s ignition. When there are noticeable leakages in your power steering system, your vehicle will produce a squealing sound when your turn the ignition on. This might also be accompanied by triggering the dashboard’s warning light. This should be enough to consider giving your car a quick repair job.
• Grinding Or Whining Noise
Your vehicle’s steering system is designed to work perfectly noiselessly when steering your car left and right to provide you’re a flawless driving experience. However, a slight malfunction in the system will disrupt this quietness, and your vehicle will announce the arrival of the problem by producing grinding and whining noises. This is because the lack of fluid in the system will cause your steering to use extra force to turn your wheels in the desired direction.
• Delayed Steering Wheel Response
Only drivers will know how frustrating it is to take a U-turn on a busy roadside only to end on the side of that road. At the same time, your stiff steering wheel doesn’t allow you anything except move back and forth in the same place. This is usually caused by the slower steering wheel response, which can also be traced back to steering pump fluid leakages. Once you feel your steering wheel is producing a delayed reaction, connect with a mechanic to avoid driving dangers and difficulties.
How To Fix Leaking Power Steering Fluid?
Now that you know exactly how and why your power steering pump is leaking. You have two options: to go to a professional mechanic and fix your car’s steering system. Secondly, take things into your hands and set the leakages yourself, avoiding severe damage. While this operation might sound very complex, fixing a steering fluid leak sometimes might require a slight adjustment of the steering system to normalize the working. Some things are straightforward to be corrected if not neglected to make the wait for a massive escalation.
If you are still reading this, you have likely decided to take on your leaking power steering fluid yourself. So, here is the procedure to fix the steering system in three simple steps:
• Flush/Clean the Power Steering
The first step in fixing your power steering pump leakages is cleaning out the power steering to free it from any dirt/debris in the system. Flushing your power steering will also ensure there is nothing unnecessarily stuck there. This will only take a few steps but will be the best prerequisite to solving your steering fluid leakage problems.
• Replace the Worn-Out Parts
The next step is to look for loose and worn-out parts like hoses and nuts and replace them. Make sure you try to tighten the loose nuts and hoses before looking for a replacement. Replacing the old and out-of-shape hoses will improve your steering system's functionality and make it look in good shape. Another thing to look for while fixing your power steering pump leakages is checking for defective caps that prevent the fluid from spilling. Lastly, see if your power steering fluid circuit needs to be replaced.
• Apply Power Steering Stop Leak
Finally, get yourself a power steering stop leak apparatus, look for any holes around your automobile’s power steering system, and fix them. If you are new to setting car solutions, you might as well first need to find out how to use power steering to stop leakages. This should be for your power steering pump fluid leakage problems. If this sounds too difficult, the best practice is to take your car to your company’s maintenance center and seek professional repair services.
Conclusion
Though repairing or fixing a power steering fluid leakage is not rocket science, some people neglect the problem until the water gets over their heads. The purpose of writing is to discuss the symptoms of fluid leakage in your steering system and the steps to fix it to help you avoid disastrous outcomes. So, why not rectify the root of the problem at the earliest stages with minimal effort and tools rather than procrastinating to wait till it escalates and spending high prices on replacing the system?
