A note on the power steering fluid suckage...
11-16-2005, 07:27 AM
#1
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A note on the power steering fluid suckage...
My power steering noise went away when I added some fluid a couple weeks back. It was a little low, I didn't bother taking it in to the dealer once I saw this in the daylight.
I can find no cause for a leak, though it's nothing new that Audi PS hoses swell/expand with age and somehow mysteriously drink PS fluid in the process. I did look at where the hoses connect to the pump. It's on the drivers side rear of the engine.
Don't worry about a pump failure on our cars, if it does fail you will know. It's guts get trapped in the reservoir return screen, causing huge cavitation and aeration of the PS fluid. It'll puke PS fluid everywhere out of the breather hole in the green PS reservoir cap when you get high in the revs *every time*.
Sadly, it'll do this again after the tech replaces the pump and after he spends 2 hours cleaning your engine bay off to look brand spanking new again. Thus he learns that the reservoir must be replaced with the pump. How do I know? I was that tech. :P
In that case, the pump worked just fine. It was just eating itself for some reason.
I can find no cause for a leak, though it's nothing new that Audi PS hoses swell/expand with age and somehow mysteriously drink PS fluid in the process. I did look at where the hoses connect to the pump. It's on the drivers side rear of the engine.
Don't worry about a pump failure on our cars, if it does fail you will know. It's guts get trapped in the reservoir return screen, causing huge cavitation and aeration of the PS fluid. It'll puke PS fluid everywhere out of the breather hole in the green PS reservoir cap when you get high in the revs *every time*.
Sadly, it'll do this again after the tech replaces the pump and after he spends 2 hours cleaning your engine bay off to look brand spanking new again. Thus he learns that the reservoir must be replaced with the pump. How do I know? I was that tech. :P
In that case, the pump worked just fine. It was just eating itself for some reason.
11-16-2005, 09:02 AM
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I went by the dealer on Monday to "get topped off" asked why...
the fluid was low since I also have seen no leaks. The SA said it's because its a "mineral oil" and it just dissapates. Does this sound right or did he pull that answer from his a$$?
11-16-2005, 10:54 AM
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" I did look at where the hoses connect to the pump. It's on the drivers side rear of the engine"
Thats exactly where they found a defective hose on my car (the J looking one).
11-16-2005, 11:19 AM
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No but it postpones actually repairing it until the car is out of warranty.
Then it would be on your dime. From Audi's perspective, it is more cost effective to just give away the fluid.
11-16-2005, 12:16 PM
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I was told the same thing by a service advisor who seems to be highly regarded.
Even a complete mechanical incompetent like me suspected that was BS, but since I do know so little about it, I really couldn't say much in opposition.
Maybe that story is just a very big oversimplification about the issue, and there really isn't a problem. Just a thought.
Maybe that story is just a very big oversimplification about the issue, and there really isn't a problem. Just a thought.
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11-16-2005, 10:08 PM
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No, there's a problem. My car only has 2k miles on it, and it's below 'min'...
...it leaves drops on the garage floor. These things have some hose issues, that's all there is to it. Either Audi doesn't have a fix, or they have one and don't want to bother with it.
My [crappy] dealer talked about replacing a hose (it's on order), but I fully expect leaking to continue, hopefully at a lower rate.
My [crappy] dealer talked about replacing a hose (it's on order), but I fully expect leaking to continue, hopefully at a lower rate.