Power steering woes

here lately I have been having ot add p/s fluid in the p/s pump seems like everyday now to my '99 Taurus. This morning when I drove into work and and shut the car off I saw fluid running out by the driver side tire , does this mean I need to replace the rack?? if so any estimates on how much it will cost??? Would greatly appreciate any feedback.

Jack it up so you can get under it and see where the fluid is coming from. If as close as you're going to get to it is looking at it from a standing position, you better take it to a shop.

There is also a hose and filter in the area you are talking about. As the other poster suggested, you need to get under it to determine where the leak is actually coming from.

I guess to get a better look I would need to take the tire off to see, also, if I put more p/s fluid in it wld it still be ok to drive?? Also where is this filter located , I have tried to locate it before but have not found it.
Thanks for the info

It should be attached to the frame just in front of the wheel

the high pressure line may just be leaking where it goes into the rack.

drove it home and steering was stiff , but I got home safely , pulled the tire off on the driver side and the steering boot on that side pretty much exploded, from what I can tell, is this an easy fix or am I going to have to take it to that shop because of a more under lying problem. Thanks for any input

There has to be a reason for the boot to rupture. If it was not damaged, then there is a problem in the rack assembly.

I have a 99 Ford Taurus SE 24 Valve, about 3 months ago, I started having issues with my power steering as well. It was gradual at first, and checked my ps fluid often. Finally the ps went out, and I took it in. I was told that it was the rack and pinion. I had the same similar issue on a 92 Taurus as well when we had the rack and pinion replaced. They replaced the rack and pinion. Things worked fine for a couple of days, and started having the same issues again and finally the ps went out completely again. I was upset, I thought I just spent 600.00 on a new rack and still having the same issue. I took it back and they told me they would have to replace the ps pump and that would be around 300.00 to do for labor and new pump. I called around to some other mechanics around town and was told the same thing, that usually when one of those go out, the other is shortly to follow, and I roughly got the same price estimate from everyone. I went ahead with the replacement on tne ps pump and after 900.00 things are working fine. The car has around 122,000 miles on it, and if I recall the 92 Taurus we had before, was a little more than that when we had to replace the rack and pinion.

You should always replace the pump at the same time as the rack. The bearings can only last so long once they are continuously deprived of fluid.

I forgot to mention that in my post. I was told by most of the mechanics during this, that they normally replace both now at the same time because of that fact. The place that I had the work done at only uses new parts, and I am sure I could have found some other place cheaper, but one mechanic had told me that they have tried aftermarket ps pumps in these taurus and they may or may not work, so they usually use new OEM ones as well now to save time and trouble later on.