Major Steering Fluid leak after doing donuts....

[mark001]

Before you say anything, yes I know, it was pretty stupid.

Anyways, my tires were worn so I thought it would be cool to do some awd donuts before putting the new tires on. I did quiet a bit of drifting and donuts and noticed that my steering wheel would barely move into either direction after about 5 minutes. So I stepped out of the car to see wtf was going on......a huge trail of steering wheel fluid right behind me where I was drifting. I looked under the car and sure enough, the steering wheel fluid was dripping rapidly. After getting the car home I bought power steering fluid and some lucas stop leak fluid....this didn't help at all. The fluid drips right out beneath the car.

What could I have damaged?

[DESPOT D S4]

Rack or pressure line.
Eather way your gonna hate life

[spearson]

Find where it's leaking first. There are two lines that connect to a cooler right next to the oil filter, I'd check those first. Then I'd check the suction hose coming off the drivers side of the power steering pump, it's a really short hose about 3/4in diameter.

[mark001]

^^^ I've checked those but no luck. The dripping is coming from somewhere above the downpipes.

[zrider91r]

Above the DP= rack. Im sorry.

[rtl5009]

the rack sucks to change in car, I'd pull the motor and go stage 3 and change the rack at the same time. No joke. That will give you lots of room

[s4930]

i wish you luck

[CELison]

never do full lock donuts. Even in the snow or rain

[quattroloco]

^yep. never. the variable rate system audi uses does NOT like full lock for more than a second or so... you blew it.

[speedlyte]

never do full lock donuts. Even in the snow or rain

I borrowed an old school 95 sl 500 mercedes back in 2002 and just locked the steering wheel parking the car. Blew the power steering line and power steering fluid was everywhere. So the rack on your car was probabally on its way out ands its a 10+ year old car. Just get it pulled and rebuilt.

[ddillenger]

There are threads about this warning new audi drivers not to rev the engine at full lock. Where you doing this on dry pavement :)

[calundeen]

Ouch! sorry to hear that!

[julex]

Sorry man. I postponed my rack replacement until next engine pull even though it was very loose and ate a set of tires. Reason? Let's say that replacing turbos with engine in the car is the only other equally pita job on these cars. Good luck man.

[mark001]

ohhhh man. I was really hoping for better news. Really? It's just as bad as replacing turbos? Is there a writup somewhere?

[getslideways]

i hope you at least took some video of this to share. You should have something to show for the price of a steering rack lol

[KaoticS4]

The outcome sucks but on the bright side...

























...The thread title made me lol

[Meow]

In the owners manual it says not to stay at lock for more than a few seconds. Being at lock + high revs doing donuts = big power steering leak. I had the same thing happen to me...

I did do a perfect donut though.

[somebody5788]

I feel like it's not as bad as people make it out to be.

I had the exact same rack in my old A4 and that only took about 1.5 hours to replace. I managed to install that and coilovers in the same night after work and overall that was around 5 hours.

The hardest part for me was lining up the threads on the banjo bolts...

[dubzackvr6]

I did do a perfect donut though.

LOL. Sometimes, it's worth it.

[JDM EJ1 95]

I feel like it's not as bad as people make it out to be.

I had the exact same rack in my old A4 and that only took about 1.5 hours to replace. I managed to install that and coilovers in the same night after work and overall that was around 5 hours.

The hardest part for me was lining up the threads on the banjo bolts...

if your a4 had a 1.8t.. then this means nothing

[mark001]

Alright, so how exactly would I be able to tell whether or not the rack is bad? Obiously it will be leaking power steering fluid but which location form exactly?

Please refer to the picture




I took my wheel off and noticed that the driver side rack boot was detached from the rack itself as shown below (no clamp was holding it on).






Does it even matter that the boot was detached? If I re-attach it and clamp it down properly, does it still mean that the rack is shot? The leak is definetly coming from that driver side area because it only leaks down on that side. The passanger side has no visible leaks anywhere.

[obijohn22]

you can change the rack with the motor in. It's not that bad. I have done it. As long as you have a manual car... Tiptronic is a different story. Good luck.

[mark001]

Yup, the car is a manual. I just want to staight this out. There should be no power steering fluid in the rack boot at all (the boot is just there to keep out dush or harsh driving environments) correct ? As I mentioned before, when I took a look my driver side rack boot was not connected to the rack.

[julex]

you probably blew that side seal and it squirted the fluid out on that end causing the boot to balloon and eventually detach from the rack. you have to take the rack out either way since either some line or the rack itself blew up. good luck. you're in for some extensive name calling when doing this.

[mark001]

alright, thanks for the encouragment :D

[bps4]

there is a writeup on here somewhere

[Smitty2A4]

I hate the power steering systems in these cars, I went through two pumps in my old A4 in under 40k miles and the rack needed to be replaced. In my current S4 the pump groans if you have the wheel at full lock for even a split second which I am told is normal because the car is lowered and it puts extra stress on the pump. After reading to never go full lock in the owners manual of my old A4 I avoid it at all costs with the S4, I only do it sometimes in tight parking spaces when I don't have another choice. It is pretty annoying tho when every time my car makes that sequel my passengers act as if the motor might blow!

[00SantorinS4]

My pump is to the point where if I turn the wheel at idle in any direction it groans and makes a *faint* whine sound.
Full lock it screams even more than ever.. sigh. I guess I'll be replacing the pump soon and doing a fluid flush.

Exactly like this lol..