Power Steering leak, and oil leak questions

Power-steering -

So I've noticed my power steering rack has started to leak, though its not consistent.. I noticed arc's of fluid leading up to my driveway, only when I turn right into the driveway, no fluid seems to come out when turning left into my driveway..

A bit of history, I replaced the struts and strut mounts and the steering response improved, but seems a bit sluggish. So I decided to 'flush' the power steering fluid by pumping it out of the reservoir after a week. I repeated this a few times. I was using regular cheap power steering fluid for the flush, and the power steering seemed to improve drastically after the 2nd flush.. at which time I started to notice the leak... Could the regular fluid just not be 'thick' enough and is making its way past the seals? Did I cause any damage by using the regular fluid?

I've checked underneath and all the fluid lines appear intact and not leaking, the only place I can really see fluid originating from in the passenger boot on the p/s rack..

I have some spec Lucas fluid for European cars I have yet to put in, and plan on putting it in before I start messing with the rack itself..

If I do need a new rack do you all have any recommendations on where to source it?

Also it seems like if I do remove the p/s rack I would have easy access to the turbo, would it be worth while getting a new seal/bearing kit, or anything else to prolong the turbo life? I have yet to measure shaft play so I don't really know the condition of the turbo, though it seems to come on good with the power..

Oil leak -

A very slow leak is noticeable around the oil filter, and front of the oil pan. I can't really tell where its originating from, just a thin film around the bottom front of the motor. I haven't noticed any considerable drop in oil level, just the oil film.. Any suggestions on what to look at first?

Supposed to only use the VW p/s fluid. Using regular p/s fluid is probably why the seal is leaking now. My rack was leaking a while back,so I used the Bars Leak power steering sealer(the 2-part bottle)-helped for awhile,then when it began to weep again,I tried the Lucas P/S sealer-seems to be working-trying to make it last as long as possible(my findings,use at your own risk)-not sure where to get a rack-I've read here to avoid Autozone or carsteering.com racks. You will have the TRW rack(all TDI's). As far as the oil leak,check the plastic tube from the CCV puck that attaches to the block by the oil filter housing(using 2 allen head bolts)-the tabs by the bolt holes tend to crack/break over time-common problem for the 1Z/AHU motors.....new one runs around $30 from IDParts.

Check your power steering pump, specifically right at where the shaft goes into the pump. This is a very common place and happens when people overtighten the belt. If it is leaking here, you need a new one.

But the best thing to do is to find out where it's leaking and go from there. If it steers OK, odds are good you don't need a rack unless it's leaking from there.

I had a B4 someone added regular PS fluid to the CHF-11S that's supposed to be in there and it was a mess. The CHF-11S is being phased out and replaced with Pentosin 202.

The turbo on these cars is non-serviceable and as such there are no reputable places to get parts or rebuild them. Replacements aren't a lot of money and they are quite robust and capable of a long life.

As to your oil leak, wash the motor and go from there to identify where it's coming from.

Thanks! The p/s pump itself is dry with no residue, the pully shaft also appeared dry but I'll take a second look at it. Basically I only notice fluid residue on the passenger side cross member and above that the p/s rack boot seems to be 'wet' though I can't confirm that its leaking from there.

The only steering issues I have I think may be alignment related, as I have yet to get the car aligned since installing the struts/mounts.. basically is pushes or pulls when going over bumps or low spots in the road - I think a big part of this is the 17x6" wheels with the -44 (i think) offset, did not seem to track like that with the stock 14s. Either that or the larger wheels expose the p/s rack problem?

Good to know about the turbo, seems to be working fine, except for oil sludge build up on the compressor side.

I'll clean it up with some simple green, put the correct fluid in and see if I can trace the leaks. Thanks again!

Have you ever changed your control arm mounts? If they've never been done,they may be due-should be done before alignment if they are worn.

Once the rack leaks, its basically done. You can use the stop leak stuff, but that that point I dont see the need of changing to the correct VW power steering fluid, as you would be mixing in that stuff anyways. You say its around the passenger side steering rack, which doesnt have any power steering lines running around it, so you can rule out a loose line. Its probably the seals starting to go. But it doesnt sound like its fully gone yet, and you could probably try the stop leak stuff. Mine was so bad, that it would empty out a completely full power steering resevoir within a minute or two of driving (backing out of spot, and trying to get it to go into the garage...it was a fast leak).

I'll have to dig up where I got my rebuilt rack from. I think it was around $200.

tdidieselbobny said:

Have you ever changed your control arm mounts? If they've never been done,they may be due-should be done before alignment if they are worn.

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Haven't changed the control arm mounts, but I do have them in the new parts box.. seems to be a decent chore, could I change them out without a press? Thinking of using an all thread, a pipe, and a washer to get them out..

FordGuy100 said:

Once the rack leaks, its basically done. You can use the stop leak stuff, but that that point I dont see the need of changing to the correct VW power steering fluid, as you would be mixing in that stuff anyways. You say its around the passenger side steering rack, which doesnt have any power steering lines running around it, so you can rule out a loose line. Its probably the seals starting to go. But it doesnt sound like its fully gone yet, and you could probably try the stop leak stuff. Mine was so bad, that it would empty out a completely full power steering resevoir within a minute or two of driving (backing out of spot, and trying to get it to go into the garage...it was a fast leak).

I'll have to dig up where I got my rebuilt rack from. I think it was around $200. .

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Cool thanks, I have a bottle of the lucas stop leak treatment I plan on filling up with.. So far so good though, not leaking at the moment..

Spiked1Z said:

Haven't changed the control arm mounts, but I do have them in the new parts box.. seems to be a decent chore, could I change them out without a press? Thinking of using an all thread, a pipe, and a washer to get them out..

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Member Abacus has some pics around here doing it that way w/out a press. As long as you added regular PS fluid to the rack already,don't waste $$$$ on the expensive VW ps fluid until you replace the rack.