Why can't I keep a PWS hose on my car?
 

It's absolutely insane. The wife's teally has only 41,000 miles on it, and all the hoses and belts appear to be in great shape...except one. It's a low pressure return hose (or so I've been told) going back to the power steering pump. When it falls off, I get a nice big puddle of fluid under the car, and then when I start it up, the rest of the fluid comes pouring out, so I can't drive it without burning up the pump. This has happened FOUR times in the past six months! The first two times, they blames it on the fact that they were using a "similar" fitted hose, but not the exact fit. The last time it fell off the dealer ordered the part from Japan. It cost me a whole $12.85, but they had to give me a loaner car for a week. This week it happened again. While the car is parked - this time it was just for an hour or so - the hose simply falls off! The last two times it has been on very cold nights (10 degrees F) but I can't see how that's got anything to do with anything.

Has anyone else ever experienced this before?

tighten the hose clamp?

better hose clamp?

The low-pressure PS return hose is nothing but a length of ATF hose available from any auto parts store, secured wth two universal hose clamps. If installed properly there's no way for it to fall off. Something's up, but I can't imagine what. Have someone else take a look.

dcb

I just got in from putting another clamp on mine.
I had this problem last week, and am scared to death to crank
the steering wheel too hard! I figure a second clamp can't hurt.

Return hose trouble.
 

The return hose runs through a cooler pipe that runs around the front of the car in the radiator area. If this pipe is dented or bent, it will restrict the flow of ATF back to the pump, causing it to build up pressure in the return line and blow the hose off.

Harvey. ;)

That sounds quite plausible. Mine only came off the one time, and I was cranking on the wheel, trying to park.

Yes Tim, my wife was driving mine one week after its 100k service :rolleyes: , to have the return hose blow off, smoke every where. Refuses to drive it again.

Harvey. ;)

That's all it took?
 

If that's all it took to keep your wife from driving your SVX, I'm going to try it too.

:D :D (digits here.):D :D

Thanks guys,
I talked to the mechanic today and he said the clamps supplied with the hose were pretty chincy, and they are double clamping it now with ones that can be tightened. I'm intrigued by the theory about the return line, though, so I'll probably take a look at it & see if there is a bend in the line somewhere. Maybe I bent something when I put the aluminum radiator in last summer, but I sure don't remember that happening.