Loss of power steering and red fluid all over ground

September 17, 2018 7:43 PM

This was me. They replaced my transmission and I've had the car back for under a week. Today as I was parking, I suddenly lost all power steering. After wrestling the car into a parking spot, I got out and saw red fluid all over the ground. Pools of it.

I'm assuming the transmission replacement and the new issue are related but does that seem reasonable? It's late so I left messages at the dealership's service number and for the rep who handled my warranty work last week. Conveniently, the operations manager emailed me a followup note today so I've emailed him as well.

I"m assuming I can't drive this without power steering, too. Correct? What else do I need to know to talk to them tomorrow?

posted by otherwordlyglow to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

From your description, the red fluid is almost definitely your power steering fluid. (Transmission fluid is also reddish, but hoof beats, zebras, etc.). I had a similar issue and the power steering pressure hose had cracked from age and had a slow leak. Yours sounds much more dramatic, but like a hose or reservoir that has ruptured somewhere. I would NOT drive without power steering fluid. You can top up the fluid if it’s low, but driving totally without it, as it seems you would be, will burn out your power steering pump.


Here’s a quick guide to fluids.
posted by assenav at 8:12 PM on September 17, 2018 [1 favorite]

With a manual, you won't have transmission fluid as such.

There's clutch fluid but unless they've changed things since my 2010, the clutch uses brake fluid from the brake system's reservoirs.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 8:22 PM on September 17, 2018

Best answer: It's possible that when the mechanics were swapping the transmission, they had to disconnect power steering hoses or lines for access. If a hose clamp or fitting was incorrectly tightened, or a hose/line was accidentally mis-routed in a way where it rubs/chafes against something and wore through, that could account for what happened. +1 on not driving it without fluid in the system, you will toast your power steering pump. It will need to be towed in for inspection. Just tell them what you told us here (high steering effort, big puddle of red fluid.)
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 8:55 PM on September 17, 2018 [3 favorites]

You can most definitely drive without power steering but NOT without power steering fluid.
posted by pintapicasso at 9:31 AM on September 18, 2018

Response by poster: Okay so apparently the banjo bolt to the power steering was insufficiently tightened, allowing all the fluid to drain. The dealer service center says there's no way of being sure that the transmission replacement they did last week was the cause - the mechanic says they weren't working in that area - but agreed that it was a bit too coincidental to think it was anything else. They tightened the bolt, refilled the fluid, and sent me on my way. Luckily it happened in front of my house and I had AAA towing service.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 2:20 PM on September 18, 2018 [4 favorites]