chad_e0

I have been watching the forms here for a little while. This is the first time I have posted here. I have a 1985 Maxima GL. Since I am in Minnesota, it is a little rusty. I have owned the car for over a year now, and it has been good up until now. It has some quirks, but I live with most of them. I just put new tires on it, and it handles like a completely differnet car! The car has had problems starting when it is hot since I bought it. I noticed in the winter time it is not quite as bad. Recently it has began leaking fluid... power steering and brake fluid.
I hope it does not cost too much to get it fixed. I have located the brake leak, I will need to have the brake lines replaced. I have been told they can replace just sections of it. The brake fluid is leaking on the driver side, just in front of the rear tire. I have not been able to determine where the power steering is leaking from. My worst feer is that it is coming from the rack.

Has anyone else had problems with starting when the car is hot? Is the rack and pinion prone to going out?

Any advise or simular experiences would be appreciated.

PK_Zone

Hi Chad,

I had a similar problem with my '81 Maxima. The seals in the rack/pinion were leaking. As a short term fix I got hold of some seal lubricant/softener from an industrial supply store and put it into the power steering fluid. This has stopped the leaking for now. Yes, the seals will need to be replaced but this short term fix allows me the time I need to save up some $$$ to get the job done....

no idea on the starting problem...maybe your rad or your water pump is on the way out? I've heard of instances where the engine, after running for a while and then being shut off will heat up the fuel in the lines and cause problems for injection systems. Just a guess....

PK

chad_e0

Hi PK,

Thanks for replying to my post! I was wondering what type of sealer you purchased. I bought some sealer, and it has not worked yet. I think I have gone through about 2 bottles now. Is it normal for the rack and pinion to just start leaking like that? One minute it was fine, the next it is leaking like a sieve!

The brake fluid has stopped leaking, that is kind of strange! I had slammed on the brakes a couple of weeks ago that is when it started leaking.

I am fairly certain that my radiator needs to be replaced on the car. (Since the cooling fins have disintegrated.) I just wanted to see if anyone else has similar starting experiences. The car runs real hot under normal driving conditions.

Have you gotten a quote to have the rack replaced?

PK_Zone

Hey, No prob!

Not sure about the product I used, all I did was tell the guy my problem and he gave me this bottle of goop and said to dump it in the power steering fluid. This was a few months ago so I can't remember what the product was, I do remember it came in a yellow plastic bottle that looked like a bottle of oil.

As for the starting problem this sounds like your problem if your radiator is going and the engine is running hot.

The engine will heat up the fuel in the lines and cause a sort of vacuum/air lock effect and the injectors will not be pumping the proper amount of fuel into the cylinders. This shouldn't be too bad when you first start the car and as it is running, the problem will show itself when you run the car, heat it up and then shut it off. If you try to start the car a short time after you shut it off the problem will manifest itself as this gives the engine sufficient time to heat up the gas lines.

You should fix that soon. You run the risk of warping the head and/or blowing a head gasket as the weather gets warmer....

No quote on the repair to the rack/pinion, ballpark I would estimate probably about $500-600 CDN....

Cheers!

PK