PS fluid leak, other roadtrip prep

[uunter]

I have six more days and virtually no budget to get my '98 V6 Camry ready for a coast-to-coast trip during which it will pull a 5x8 u-haul trailer. I've already taken care of most of the basics--fluid levels, oil change, checked my brakes/fuel/exhaust systems as best I know how. There's still an unresolved O2 sensor problem that I've asked about in another thread. But over the weekend I discovered another problem:

I have a power steering fluid leak. I filled the reservoir appropriately about a week ago, and on Saturday it was back down to where it was before I filled it. I looked under the car, and found a hose coming off what I think is the steering gear box (going off of Hayne's repair manual pictures) that is not connected to anything. (See pictures below.) The driver's side control arm and other parts below this hose were all slick with what I can only assume is the PS fluid, and I actually saw a drop fall out of the hose onto the control arm while I was looking at it. But I can't find where the hose should connect to. Any suggections?






Possibly relevant: Six months ago I first noticed my power steering fluid was low--I would lose PS at low speeds, but still had it cruising (this is to be expected with low fluid, I know). I filled up the reservoir, and didn't have a problem after that. Even now, with the obvious leak, I don't notice any loss of PS.

However, on Sunday, after having found the unconnected hose, I noticed a rubbing noise coming from the front left of the car, and I can feel slight vibrations simultaneously with my left foot (I drive barefoot). It goes away at high speeds, so I assume it's merely a symptom of the low PS fluid that will go away once I fix the leak, but wanted to check the AF collective wisdom: whaddaya think?

And two unrelated, simpler questions, to avoid starting a gazillion threads:

This is my front left suspension; I just noticed that today, while taking pics of the leak area. Is this a serious problem?

Below is one of my tires. The treads still have 1/8th inch I think (or was it 1/16th? I should remeasure), and I haven't noticed any handling problems. I recently replaced one tire that had a flat. Ideally, I'd like to replace them all, but budget is very tight and tires are expensive. How critical is it that I replace these?

[RIP]

That might just be the A/C evaporator drain hose if it's on the passenger side. You should see water drip out of it after the A/C has been on a bit. If so, it should be "disconnected". Power steering hoses have a bigger diameter. Try wrapping a rag around it or use something to catch the fluid so you can determine what you saw drip out.

That's a torn strut dust boot in the second picture. Not a major concern. If you saw fluid coming from the strut then you would want to change the struts.

Tough to tell for sure but your tires, or at least the tire in the picture looks good as long as the tread wear is even across the face of the tread. A quick way to measure tread depth is to put a penny head down in the tread grove. If you can't see the top of Lincoln's head, you're good. That said and though that has held true for years, I've read the general consensus now is to use a quarter in the same way. The measurement a quarter gives provides a deeper minimum tread depth. If it's close and considering you're going cross country, I'd barrow some bucks and get new tires. Maybe just replace the two worst tires.

When you're traveling with a trailer, slow down. People tend to start off slow, get complacent, speed up thinking all is well then...

[uunter]

Thanks for a quick reply. I'm really impressed with these forums.

The unconnected hose is on the driver's side (coming off the black box with spatters of white dirt in the photos--that's the steering gearbox, right?), and when I saw it drip, the car had been off for over 24 hrs, so I'm pretty sure it's not water from the A/C. Even if this isn't it, it's certain that I have a power steering leak, since the level dropped noticeably over just a few days. Add to all that the rubbing noise coming from the same area that goes away at high speed, and I'm still inclined to think that this hose is dripping PS fluid.

But I'll take another look, and see if I can find out anything new. In the meantime, any other ideas?

Thanks for the strut boot/tire wisdom. Based on that, I think I'll stick with these tires (haven't had any problems with them), and drive very carefully. I've made my trip itinerary based on the assumption that I'll be driving 45mph the whole way, so I shouldn't be in a rush at any point.

[jdmccright]

I've had good luck using Valvoline MaxLife power steering fluid with Stop Leak, presuming that Toyota actually uses PS fluid now (my '92 specs out tranny fluid, but I use PS anyways with no probs). You may need a quart or two to keep it topped off as you drive.

Using a penny complies with many state safety regs of at least 5/32" tread depth left, but using the quarter has shown to be significantly safer, especially in wet conditions.

If you're handy with a knife, you can cut away the strut boot as long as you don't nick the shiny shaft inside.

[JOET/CAMRY]

[quote=uunter]

I have a power steering fluid leak. I filled the reservoir appropriately about a week ago, and on Saturday it was back down to where it was before I filled it.
[quote]


http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...STEERING+FLUID

[uunter]

It's been a while since I started this thread, but I want to do the proper thing and finish the story. I made my road trip with no major problems, although it did bring my car a large step closer to death's door--mainly by taking the suspension from fairly worn to kaput. It has sat dormant for most of the time since then, since I've not yet landed a steady job, and I'm staying with family who have other cars I can use in the meantime. But I did take it to a Toyota shop recently that my mom has gone to before, and they gave it a thorough looking-over (for free!). They confirmed that the PS leak was coming from the rack, and that it will need to be replaced. They also confirmed that my suspension is totally shot, and found several other things that are leaking or worn out. I'll likely post questions about those later, when I get around to tackling my car again (job first, though--one thing at a time). While I'm sure there are some things that I'll have the shop do, I want to fix as much of it myself as I can figure out how. Educational experience and money-saving and all that jazz.

Thanks to those who offered suggestions that helped my car survive the cross-country trip.

[jdmccright]

We like happy endings here...glad you and the car made it and good luck to you out there in Cali. We'll close the thread on a good note.