It can be frustrating losing something. You know at one point you had it in your possession, but now you have no idea where it is, and no matter where you look for it you just can’t figure out where it went. Maybe it was the television remote, or your car keys. Maybe for you it was your power steering fluid. Whether it was the telltale whining noise in your car that gave it away, a sudden loss of power steering in while you were driving, or you simply noticed your power steering fluid level was low during a regular check, it can be frustrating finding a low fluid level without having any prior indications of a leak. Regular maintenance checks can help keep low fluid levels from sneaking up on you. For more things you should be regularly checking on your vehicle, checkout out our series on routine maintenance that starts with an article about what you should check every week.
If you find yourself wondering where you power steering fluid has gone, there is only one possibility. You’ve got a leak somewhere in your power steering system. It is not unusual to have a leak in your power steering system to go unnoticed. Your power steering system operates at high pressures so a leak in your system will likely only leak while your vehicle is running and the system is pressurized. Since power steering fluid usually only leaks while your engine is running, the drips can often land on the road or be blown back under the engine of your car not leaving any puddles or spots on your driveway or in your parking spots. Also, the components where a leak is possible are all located very low on your vehicle and can often be over looked when you are checking under your hood. Lastly, dirty power steering fluid can look very similar to dirty engine oil and a power steering fluid leak can easily be mistaken for an engine oil leak.
It is not unusual to develop a power steering fluid leak at the seals in your steering rack or steering gear. The motion of shafts through the seals can cause them to wear out over time. Also, since the seals are located low in the front of your vehicle they are regular exposed to road dirt, sand and salt in the winter making them prone to leaks. Also, the high pressure fluid in you power steering system is carried through a combination of hard metal lines and rubber hoses. The rubber hoses allow the power steering pump to move and flex with your engine as it shifts during acceleration and deceleration and the metal lines allow for cooling of the power steering fluid. Leaks can also form at the union of the soft rubber hose and the hard metal line due to vibrations and flexing of the rubber hose.
Replacing power steering lines and seals can be a very complicated job. Often they are routed in very difficult to reach areas of your engine bay and can be covered by other components or even the sub frame of the vehicle. Replacing the leaking component can be either a very time consuming project, or a very expensive maintenance item.
The best course of action for disappearing power steering fluid is to add BlueDevil Power Steering Stop Leak to your power steering reservoir next time you top it off. BlueDevil Power Steering Stop Leak is a specially formulated stop leak additive that will revitalize the seals and hoses in your power steering system to seal your leak and restore your power steering system to normal operation. BlueDevil Power Steering Stop Leak does not have any particulates that can clog your system and is safe to stay in your power steering system for the life of your vehicle.
You can purchase BlueDevil Power Steering Stop Leak directly from BlueDevil Here: Power Steering Stop Leak
You can also purchase BlueDevil Power Steering Stop Leak from any of our partnering local auto parts stores like:
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Power Steering Fluid – by Brian Snelson Licensed by Creative Commons Share Alike 3.0 Via Flikr – Original Link
