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Power Steering Leak

C

coreys

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Alpharetta, GA
I have a 88 XJ 4.0 4x4 Laredo. My power steering pump started whining about a month ago. I checked the power steering fluid and it was a little low. I topped it off and it stopped. I drove it for a week and it started whining again. Of course the fluid was low. I am now having to add power steering fluid twice a week to keep the level up. Is this a common problem with the older XJ's? Is it time for a new power steering pump or could it be something a little more simple problem? I can see a power steering fluid drip but I have not located the source. I know very little about power steering.
 
power steering is just like any hydraulic system. I'd start by cleaning the entire area well, then starting it up and racking the wheels back and forth a few times. THen go and look for leaks.
Likely places:
Hoses and fittings at the steering box.
The steering box itself.
 
I had a leak on one that I could not find and it turned out to be the presure hose, but it only leaked when the wheel was completely turned. I suggest looking at the hoses while you have someone turn the wheel and maybe you can see where your fluid loss is coming from
 
Check the hoses first - they're old.

If you get into turning the wheels to check, look at the box while you have someone you trust turn the wheels (viz, someone who isn't beneficiary of your life insurance...) and make sure they understand to not hold the wheel at "full lock" for more than a couple seconds. Holding the wheel over to "full lock" effectively dead-heads the pump, and can cause a failure where there wasn't one before...

5-90
 
I have cleaned the entire area around the power steering pump and tried to locate the leak. I cant seem to see where it is leaking. I bought some Lucas powers steering treatment and stop leak to see if that helps. It seems to have slowed the leak and quiet the noise (after it warms up). It seems to be helping but I am not convinced that it will fix the problem.
 
5-90 said:
Check the hoses first - they're old.

If you get into turning the wheels to check, look at the box while you have someone you trust turn the wheels (viz, someone who isn't beneficiary of your life insurance...) and make sure they understand to not hold the wheel at "full lock" for more than a couple seconds. Holding the wheel over to "full lock" effectively dead-heads the pump, and can cause a failure where there wasn't one before...

5-90
Click to expand...

I think for testing I might give the opposite advice. The system should be capable of tolerating a fully "deadheaded" position without failure. If you're testing and planning to get it in shape, I think now would be just the time to sock it to the pump and hoses and make it fail if it's about to, rather than blowing out the next time you have to get out of a tricky parking space.
 
My 89 leaked for a few weeks. I put in some stop leak, and the system has held fluid now for over 6 months. It took several weeks for the leak to stop.
 
Stop leak fluids usually swell up seals and hose connections ok on the no-psi side - but they can't stop a 1500 psi leak on the high side.
I don't recommend deadheading a pump just for the fun of it, but if it could fail in the hands of your average driver, I think Detroit would have designed that liability out to prevent warranty issues. So try it - remembering a high pressure jet escaping the hose can blind or injure you.

Tighten all the clamps and fittings, check the pump, and replace/repair the offending part.
 
I had the O-ring fail that goes between the pump and resoiver(sp) it would only leak when the pump was not running .It would leak directly to the ground and not into the engine compartment.Had to really clean the pump off on the under side and keep a close watch to find it.
Wayne
 
I would check the pitman arm shaft seal on the underside of the steering box thats where mine failed same thing started with a slow leak and then I could not keep fluid in it.
Good Luck.
 
i had weak steering and very slow leak in mine when i bought it. spent 70~$ on a new pump at AdvanceAuto and bought the new high pressure hose and low pressure host for another $20 total. then flush the system with new Power steering fluid to get the old stuff out of there (this is easier with 2 people, one to pour in new fluid and another to turn the motor on and be ready to instantly turn if off after seconds as it will pump the fluid out faster than you can fill it. Afterwards it worked great with no more leaks... and a great oppurtunity to learn a little more about what condition your XJ is really in by getting in there and seeing.
 
oh yeah.. fyi.. i also heard that the O rings that seal the hydraulic lines into the steering box get brittle and no longer seal... alowing fluid to slowly come past the threads. sneaky to catch. yet another great reason to get in there and clean things up with engine degreaser.
 
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