Is your power steering fluid leaking?

Has your car gone from steering like a dream to handling with the finesse of a dinosaur? Perhaps you’ve noticed your car is a little stiff in response to turning the wheel. Or, you’ve even spotted that dreaded fluid puddle on the driveway. Any of these things can point to a power steering fluid leak.

Whether you only take your car out on the weekends or have a daily commute, left unchecked, wear and tear will eventually catch up to the components in your car’s power steering. At first it might not seem like you have a major leak, but continuing to drive your car could worsen the problem - a small leak doesn’t often stay small. Here are common symptoms of a power steering fluid leak.

Diagnose a power steering fluid leak like a pro

Are you worried you have low power steering fluid? Whether you’ve seen a wet spot on the garage floor or your car is taking a lot of extra muscle to control, your first port of call should be checking the fluid levels in the power steering reservoir. If it’s not full, you can easily buy fluid to replace it. Keep in mind that if you’re topping it up regularly, then you likely have a leak. Make sure you use the correct, approved power steering fluid for your vehicle.

Where does power steering fluid usually leak from?

It’s often tricky to pinpoint the exact location as a power steering fluid leak can be caused by the failure of multiple components simultaneously. Likely culprits are a combination of any or all of the seals, O-rings, valve, housing assemblies or pump. Bringing your car in to a professional mechanic is the best way to identify where the issue is.

Power steering fluid leak symptoms

A power steering fluid leak is pretty easy to spot and is often picked up during regular servicing. Besides the obvious steering failure, here’s a quick list of signs that you should keep an eye out for:

If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to get your car straight into a mechanic’s workshop, before minor damage becomes a major repair.

Can you drive a car with a power steering leak?

Theoretically, yes. Should you? We wouldn’t recommend it.

Driving a car with no power steering fluid isn’t the same as driving an older car that never had power steering in the first place. You’ll find you need to put in a lot more effort to control your car, especially at low speed. Not only does that make for dangerous driving conditions, but driving with a power steering leak could cause substantial damage to your vehicle if the pump runs dry.

If you have a minor crack, it could suddenly become a much bigger problem with little-to-no warning, leaving you stuck on the side of the road. It’s best to get any issues checked at the first sign of trouble while the problem is still relatively small and less expensive to fix.

Drop in for a power steering fluid replacement

The first step to fixing a power steering leak is a flush of the system to clean out any debris, isolate and repair the leak. Depending on wear and tear, your might also need to replace parts like the steering pump or other components. These are all steps best performed by a qualified technician.

Inevitably, an unexpected power steering leak is always going to happen at the worst possible time. Stave off issues before they occur with the team at mycar. All our repair work is backed by an Australia wide guarantee on parts and labour, giving you that extra peace of mind once you leave the workshop.

A power steering leak might seem like a hassle but hoping it will go away or waiting for it to get worse before getting it sorted isn’t worth it – for your wallet or your car. mycar will take the pain out of a power steering leak repair, getting you back on the road in no time. Book into your local store, or give us a call on 13 13 28 today.