Power steering cooler hose pressure

[jpulll]

In the process of re-doing my intercooler, I guess I managed to bend the PS cooler too much and created a blockage. Immediately after I thought I was done I had a steering whine. So off to advanced auto to replace the cooler with an actual cooler with fins.

Back to my question, are those lines high pressure or low pressure? I’m hoping they are low pressure otherwise this silicone line I used wont manage 1000lbs of pressure.

I used some of the silicone intakes line which is rated for a couple hundred pounds of pressure max. I know, I know it’s all I had at the time. Hoping it’ll work.

Other than that the job is done and I have no steering whine or bubbles in the reservoir.


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[shurur9]

It is LP.
return from the rack..to the coil..to the reservoir/filter and back to the pump.

[jpulll]

Thank you for the info ^


So I thought I was good till 5-10 minutes into the drive the whine came back. Bubbles in the reservoir.

Only possible cause is I have a leak or I have air in the system. Correct? A bad pump wouldn’t cause bubbly fluid would it?

I currently am trying to purge the system but I can only run the car a quick second because bubbles appear and I’m afraid I’m reintroducing those bubbles into the system.

I feel purging is helping, started as a layer of foamy bubbles, now it’s just small micro bubbles appearing, not as much of a layer.

Forgive me, my experience with power steering isn’t that great...yet it seems.


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[shurur9]

Thank you for the info ^


So I thought I was good till 5-10 minutes into the drive the whine came back. Bubbles in the reservoir.

Only possible cause is I have a leak or I have air in the system. Correct? A bad pump wouldn’t cause bubbly fluid would it?

I currently am trying to purge the system but I can only run the car a quick second because bubbles appear and I’m afraid I’m reintroducing those bubbles into the system.

I feel purging is helping, started as a layer of foamy bubbles, now it’s just small micro bubbles appearing, not as much of a layer.

Forgive me, my experience with power steering isn’t that great...yet it seems.


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If bubbles are getting smaller and less, that is good.
Did you add more steering fluid?
That coil may have dropped the level some.

If you have a 3.0, that reservoir should be filled to the max+...as it is almost level with the pump..I run mine ~1" over the max mark with no problems.

If there were no problems before you bent the cooling pipe, it should still be OK.

You may be over worrying.
There is procedure to get the air out of the system, by turning the steering wheel fully to each side.

[jpulll]

I didn’t think there were problems. It didn’t show signs of anything before I touched the coolant pipe. The whine from the pump especially. The pump only starts to whine heavily once the car has been running and introducing those bubbles which you’ll see in a later picture.

I tried following the Bentley procedure which is in this pic:
IMG_3534.jpg

Started the car up for a minute after following the procedure and now I have bubbles like when I first started.
Image1526855306.313027.jpg

Those bubbles are worrisome.


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[shurur9]

Have you turned the wheels full left to full right a few times?
There could still be air in the rack..they need to be squeezed out.

[jpulll]

Yeah I tried that a few times.

I’m afraid of doing damage to the point of now I need a new rack and pump.

My connections seem tight, no leaks and a quick tug doesn’t even budge the hoses. I’ve been bleeding the system all day. Would a bad pump cause bubbles?


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[shurur9]

Yeah I tried that a few times.

I’m afraid of doing damage to the point of now I need a new rack and pump.

My connections seem tight, no leaks and a quick tug doesn’t even budge the hoses. I’ve been bleeding the system all day. Would a bad pump cause bubbles?


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It shouldn't..only air getting into the system through a hose or rack seal.
Some might suggest a power steering sealer at this point.....

if system was ok before the cooler tube bend and cooler install, the problem should be there..somewhere.

I'm gonna wait for others to chime in here..

[jpulll]

Was foaming out of the reservoir after my drive to work. Massive air leak? I don’t understand the least bit.


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[stemac33]

Do these have a sensor on the power steering lines as I had a ford that did the exact same thing turned out to be the sensor was sucking air in but not leaking fluid. Worth looking at. Hth

[jpulll]

Do these have a sensor on the power steering lines as I had a ford that did the exact same thing turned out to be the sensor was sucking air in but not leaking fluid. Worth looking at. Hth

I do not believe there is a sensor. Maybe on the rack but not by the pump.

Was this sensor you speak of on the feed line to the pump, the high pressure line from the pump or the return line from the rack?

I’m wondering because on the feed line there is a suction motion. Correct? And then on the return line it is more pressure outwards. I remember diagnosticator saying check the line between the pump and the reservoir. Anyone want to chime in on that?




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[jpulll]

Checked fluid level on break. Fluid level seems to have risen. Air pocket somewhere?


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[jpulll]

Going to try flushing to make sure it isn’t bad fluid. Will update afterwards. Still open to suggestions. Feel I’m going at this blind.


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[stemac33]

Sensor was on high pressure side and put revs up on engine at idle on full lock

[jpulll]

Update:

Fluid flush definitely has been confirmed effective. Froth is not present after 3 minute idle or test drive. Before the fluid flush, froth was present after 1 minute of idling. Fluid looked disgusting which is odd because I flushed the system 1-2 years ago. Crazy how quickly fluid ages.

We will see what the drive to work tomorrow morning has to offer. I have read threads where people do exactly what I’m doing but a week or so later the froth returns.

For now, I try to force myself to accept the success but knowing cars, I can only remain pessimistic.


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[jpulll]

Well after a long test drive, 30-45 minutes, the silicone hose finally popped. Right next to the hose clamp. Immediately you could hear the pump whine, which is why I went on the test drive. Changed out the hosing with reinforced transmission hose. So far so good, as in no whine from the pump, but I just don’t know about the small bubbles inside the reservoir. Small as in 1/1000 of an inch in diameter.

I remember posting after I put the new reservoir in that the silicone hoses were expanding more and the fluid level dropped with the engine running. I’d say the silicone hose expanding had to do with the level dropping. Idk if the hose clamps around the supply to pump line and new reservoir was enough to create more pressure in the system but that was my observation. Before the lines weren’t expanding that much and the fluid was washing around in the reservoir instead of staying relatively still with the new reservoir in.


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[shurur9]

So the silicone hose was the hose that came with the new cooler?

yeah..someone told me that those silicone hoses are only good for the vac lines and to steer clear of using them for anything else.

My reservoir stays pretty much calm with slight swirling..
If bubbles continue, you probably have a hose clamp problem still.

good trouble shooting.

[jpulll]

The hose that was kitted with the cooler was a power steering hose. Very robust, it was just the wrong size.

I mistakenly read the reinforced silicone hose specifications on silicone intakes website. I have the regular vac hose, used 10mm.

With the car running looking in the reservoir I don’t see those bubbles. I just see a slight movement. But once I turn the car off, bubbles rise to the surface. Could possibly just be the stoppage of the flow creating those minuscule bubbles.

I’ve been driving around a lot today and the bubbles haven’t been getting larger, and my pump remains silent. If the bubbles were getting larger, that would mean air is still slowly leaking in making the smaller bubbles into larger bubbles. I guess more/longer driving will answer this.


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[jpulll]

I’d like to update and close this thread. Seems the hose clamps on the supply hose and new reservoir (includes a new filter!) is working just fine. I have optimal power steering and am enjoying the car once again. I hope this helps someone in the future!


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