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Power steering leak?

20K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  blackx09 
#1 ·
The gifts keep on giving... Don't you love it when you are fixing one problem and by chance discover another? Yeah- good times- anyhow I found what I believe to be power steering fluid leaking from somewhere haven't found exactly where yet. I checked the fluid level and it's good but this is my first X and it's a recent purchase. What's the most likely issue and how difficult/expensive is it to fix? Thanks for the help.
 
#2 ·
I bought a '01 with 128K recently from a family friend. he had it detailed before trying to sell, so everything was cleaned up when I acquired. About a week after purchasing there was a drip off the front tow hook on the drive. Leaking fluids is one of my pet peeves, so I crawled under there. Traced it back to the power steering reservoir. Thread searched on here and determined that the supply and feed hoses have a tendency to leak on this age vehicle. I bought the hoses from a Toyota house that deals over the internet ($60) and replaced.

Before I got to that point, I took the thing to the car wash and hit it hard with the engine degreaser on the fluid reservoir, the rubber hoses up top, the pump and all the frame that was wet with the fluid. I waited a day and then started checking where the fluid was coming from and determined the crappy clamps and old hoses appeared to be the likely suspects.

I removed the battery from the X to give me more room to work, but still this is a tight area. I used the worm-gear clamps on the new hoses, and took it again to the car wash to remove the fluid that went everywhere during the removal. I had my large, flat drip pan under the X to catch the drips, but it was/is a mess getting this off, even after draining the reservoir with the turkey baster. Checked it again every day for a week until I was satisfied that problem was gone.

This is my first Nissan, after owning Honda's, Toyota's, Jeeps, GM products.
I did the thermostat on the X and then the power steering hoses, and my opinion is that Nissan's (or at least the X) is about the tightest workspace vehicle I've tried to turn wrenches on.

One thing I did learn the hard way was that the reservoir will come out of it's mount by pulling it straight up without removing any bolts to allow you to get to the hoses on the bottom. Likewise you can clamp the hoses on it before you put it back home....heck of a lot easier than trying to remove/install the clamps while it is mounted.

Good luck to you !

PS ....I noticed my pump has just a little bit of whine to it, do you have that too?
 
#6 ·
power steering hose leak

Could someone please direct me to a website (that ships to Canada) where I can purchase new power steering hoses. I have replaced most of the clamps but am still getting a leak, and I think the hoses are just worn out. I also am getting a nasty burning smell inside the truck and need to get this solved.

Also the fluid leaking is a brown-ish colour (almost like oil) but I am fairly certain it is PS fluid... I always thought PS fluid was a pinkish red. Up here in the winter we see little puddles of the stuff all over the snow, where trucks have been parked for awhile, but mine is brown.
 
#10 ·
I'm replacing the clamps on the hoses as well- what did you use?
Worm gear clamps. I think I might have stopped the power-steering leak, but I am still seeing drops of fluid in the snow after I park it. Unfortunately I think I may have another (possible oil) somewhere mid to higher up in the engine. :-( No fun to try and diagnose that when it's dark out and -30...
 
#12 ·
I have this same exact issue on mine. I believe it's the hoses, it looks to be coming from around the bottom of the reservoir and getting all over absolutely everything down that side of the engine bay down to the tow hook and frame rail.

I also remember hearing one guy on here at one point with the same issue who had a hair line crack in his reservoir, so probably a good idea to take a good look at it when you do the hoses.

The whine is probably age related. Mine has a very slight whine, unless the fluid level gets low then it's more noticeable, I know that's not a good thing to run it low. Best thing to do is probably to change the fluid out, possibly even run a bit of sea foam trans tune through it first. Should help.

You should find what you need here: http://www.courtesyparts.com/xterra-parts-wd22-2000-2004/genuine-nissan-parts/steering/497-power-steering-piping/-c-532_14_80_513.html



@ ArcticX:
Have you checked to see if your valve cover gaskets are leaking, that's a very common problem on these? Mine is a 2001 and they both needed replacing for a while. I just recently got around to doing it and the old gaskets were so bad off they broke into pieces when removed. When they were leaking the oil would get everywhere.

Also check your transmission cooler lines where they go from the hard lines to the rubber hoses that go up to the radiator, those have a tendency to be forgotten about and as they age they crack and leak, old trans fluid can have a brownish tint to it, especially if it hasn't been changed.
 
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