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View Full Version : Radiators, PS Pumps, and lots of leaks, oh my!



andyman32
10-02-2004, 08:24 AM
Oh, glorious day! It appears that I am having a relatively common problem: I have PS fluid leaking all over my driver's side motor mount. I believe this is the provenance of the metallic knocking noise coming from the bottom of the car that I've been tracking down since I bought it in April, and, it may also be causing (or at least contributing to) a rough idle. So, item 1 of the impending super-fun Saturday: replace both motor mounts. Now, as for the PS system:

1) Will I need to replace the PS pump, or is the leak probably just in one of the hoses?

Out of curiosity:

2) I notice that new pumps are just grouped as "Self-levelling" and "non-ASC-T". My car does have ASC-T, but what does "self-levelling" have to do w/ power steering? Is that supposed to be the same thing as ASC-T? And, if not, why don't any websites have a PS pump WITH ASC-T but NOT self-levelling?

I already see that both feed lines from the reservoir > pump and reservoir > gearbox are leaky at the base of the reservoir. But when I was at my mechanic's shop the other day and the car was raised I saw it was coming out of the pump end as well.

Then (isn't it SO FUNNY how these things happen all at once?) I'm losing coolant. There is no smoke in the exhaust or burning smell coming from the motor. There is no condensation in the A/C. I am guessing the radiator has a small crack; I do not know if it's ever been replaced, but it doesn't look to me like it's 10 years old, and the car only has 97k on it. Anyhow, item 2: replace the radiator.

3) Will I need to replace the fan, can the old one be reused, or will it come with the new radiator?

4) When I replace the radiator, should I replace all the hoses in the area as well, just to be sure? From the looks of BMA, all of the hoses in the neighborhood will probably run me about $100.

TIA for advice.

-Andy