How's this for interesting!

VR-04-TT

1 AYC Bar
Location
NSW
First Name
Paul
Drive
2005 Liberty 3.0R Spec B
I started my car this afternoon after work only to hear that dreaded awful sound that happens when you have no power steering fluid.

Having no choice, I had to limp it home (luckily only an 8 minute drive). I got home, put a little bit of fluid in it and inspected the lines to see where it was leaking. It ended up pissing out of the p/s cooler line in front of the intercooler where the bracket is that holds them together vertically.

I removed the bumper etc. and got the pipe off. There were two parallel cuts in the line that looked like they had been sawed. One of them had made it deep enough to cut a hole where the leak occurred.

Upon checking the bumper to see what might have either hit it or cut it, I noticed the small metal clip that retains the bottom grille had been bent, I took it off and placed it against the cuts in the pipe...perfect match.

This clip looks like it had been bent for YEARS. This rubbing had been happening for quite some time and it all decided to let go today.

Luckily my dad can make a new line, but I'm lucky it happened so close to home, there's no way I could've limped it any further than what I did. I just hope there's no damage to the pump.

I just find it real interesting/strange/weird etc. how this could've been happening for so long and noone had any idea.

On a side note I discovered I have aftermarket horns :D Or I think I do anyway!

I'll take pics of the pipe and the clip later.
 

SiliconAngel

1 AYC Bar
Location
Perth, WA
First Name
SA, Trevor
Drive
'99 Legnum VR4 Black MT
And horns - show us yer HORNS LUV!!

...

Sorry, couldn't help myself :p ;)

Good to hear it was such an easy fix, mate!
 

jungle

3 AYC Bars
Lifetime Member
Location
QLD
First Name
Simon
Drive
1 PFL & 1 FL Legnum
You'll be surpised to know that the pump can run for sometime without fluid and still be ok. I drove from just outside Brisbane airport to my house 1 hour and 15 minutes away with no fluid. Pump is fine and giving no trouble. Admittedly i put in a special oil additive when i returned home but whether or not that helped, who knows.
 

VR-04-TT

1 AYC Bar
Location
NSW
First Name
Paul
Drive
2005 Liberty 3.0R Spec B
I just got the line fixed as a temporary measure (my old man fixed it, by cutting out the bad section and making a new section and attaching it with good hose clamps), refitted it...filled the p/s and bled it. And then smoke started coming out from the pump :(

The grinding noise had stopped pretty much all throughout the degrees of turning barre near full lock (didn't hit full lock). So I kept bleeding it and bleeding it. The cooler line was REALLY hot but I'm not sure if this is normal? This is the first time I've had access to that line.

The fluid felt pretty damn hot too, again not sure if this is normal? I've only ever just topped it up, never felt it before.

Jungle, I hope the pump is ok as you say, the smoke was worrying, but could've been spilt fluid burning off. I'll let it cool down for a few hours then I'll fire it up again.
 

jungle

3 AYC Bars
Lifetime Member
Location
QLD
First Name
Simon
Drive
1 PFL & 1 FL Legnum
Yes, its fine, happened around 2 months ago now, doesn't have an issue!
I just kept turning the wheel lock to lock to bleed it, self bleeding i believe.
 

VR-04-TT

1 AYC Bar
Location
NSW
First Name
Paul
Drive
2005 Liberty 3.0R Spec B
Yeah that's how I did it, with the p/s cap off to let the air out.

Well it looks like it might be ok, the noises have stopped and the steering feel is just as good (if not better) than it was before. But I'm still cautious, so tomorrow is a full degrease of the engine bay to make sure there's no more leaks.

Oh and on the way home from getting the line fixed, I copped a stone chip which has sent a crack right across my driver's vision...bloody hell lol...I think I must've blasphemed too much in a past life :p haha
 
G

Guest

Unregistered
This is the EXACT same way my power steering pipe sprung a leak as well, a clip was rubbing into it until eventually there was a pin hole leak. At the time I patched it up with some fuel line putty stuff - when you buy it it's a stick of black stuff with white stuff in the middle of it, you knead it until it goes grey, push it on quite firm and wait 20 minutes for it to harden. According to the packet it's as hard as steel when it dries.

I have a replacement pipe ready to go on, but in the year since I put that putty on it hasn't leaked!
 

Sydo

Leaving Skid Marks
Location
Victoria
First Name
Andy
Drive
Me Crazy
Does anyone have a photo of where to check for this naughty little clip?
 
G

Guest

Unregistered
Please exuse the odd looking picture. This is where mine sprung a leak, you can see my grey stuff on the pipe (circled)

 
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