I need some really major help from anyone. It seems as through there is a leak in my power steering hose. The problem is my brother cannot seem to get it off and he will not ask for help. He said that it goes straight into the engine and will probably have to be cut off. Please help! I love my car. By the way it is a 90 SE 5 speed.

Thank you for any help and kindness with my situation.
Jami

 

There is no way for power steering hose goes straight to the engine. There are two things that you might need a new hose or if you feel a steering wheel turns hard then you might need a new power steering.

 

doesn't Aaron92SE live in Vegas? maybe he could help you guys out.

 

Last week I leaked a bunch of fluid out of my car and later that day it made a weird sound when I turned my wheel hard to park. My brother lifted the hood and there was fluid all on the power steering hose. I picked up a repair book and have searched the web and still have not found any information on this. You mentioned a new power steering. What exactly would that be. I appreciate you putting up with my ignorance when it comes to cars. I am just trying to find out what is wrong before my brother makes it worse.

 

Hi,

I have a VE but maybe I could help. You have to remember that the power steering hose is a high pressure line and will be torqued on accordingly. It will require some force (maybe a breaker bar) to get it off. On my VE (92-94) the hose bolts in down by the rack and pinion under the engine on one side then by the fluid resevoir on the other side. Remember, be careful not to get much fluid on your bushings (control arm, ball joint, tie-rods, etc). The oil will break down the rubber and cause handling issues....

Hopefully this will help. If not, one of the VG guys will be by soon enough.

Lata

 

Thank you so much for your advice. If my brother gets the hose off will he be able to put it back on. Does it require a special tool.
Jami

 

Yes... it shouldn't be a probem gettin it out. You might wanna drain the system if you can. Otherwise you will get fluid all over the place (which you must clean). I'm not sure on the procedure for the VG engine (your car). If it can't be drained use something to stop up the openings in the system. A new line usually comes with plugs.

Also, I don't think it needs a special tool. It should be a large diameter metric bolt on each side, possibly 16mm.

Try the Haynes manual for a little more specifics

 

Ok, you problem is clearly the high pressure hose (not that uncommon). I would imagine its leaking form the upper section, right next to the strut tower? As your brother discovered, the power steering pump is on the block, and the bolt on the pump that holds the hose down is very difficult to get to. If its not leaking at the pump, try replacing the copper washer at the top and see if that fixes your problem. Otherwise, you will need to replace the hose and may need to take it to a mechanic if you cant get the bolt loose yourself. The hose is less than $50 and the labor shouldnt be more than $50. There are no special tools required just a metric socket (I believe 24mm) and a breaker bar. Get this fixed RIGHT AWAY as power steering fluid is an EXCELLENT paint remover (trust me on this one, and dont ask how i know)

 

pretty much just as these guys have said, no speciality tooks are required, just comes off/goes on like just about everything else on the car.

If you get them at Napa:
Power Steering Pressure Hose: Item# NPS72281 $34.99
Power Steering Return Hose: Item# NPS71899 $10.49

I would say buy from Internetautomart, but in this case, Napa is cheaper.

 

Wow, all of you guys are the greatest. I can't thank you enough!
Jami

 

 

MrGone has lots of specialty "tooks"

I have the same problem with mine and it's the hose near the reservoir. When I drove up to MrGone's house in February I had to add fluid. I have been meaning to fix it, but mine just leaks a little bit and I have been just cleaning it up and adding fluid now and then.

Before you go replacing a bunch of hoses, try to clean up the fluid and isolate where the leak is the best you can.

Also, make sure there is fluid in the reservoir, even if it leaks. You don't want to ruin your power steering pump.