Oh crap! What did I break?

DavieGravy · #1 08-14-2003, 01:08 AM

k, I just did my PS return hose. 5 minutes after I start driving, it begins to smoke like crazy. I'm thinking, no big deal. I probably got **** everywhere when I took the old hose off, which I did, and it will just burn off. Well, it didn't stop.

So I continue to drive anyway, then get on the highway and start smoking people out behind me. I parked the car for a few hours when I got to where I was going.

Then when I started it up again, I immediately pulled into a high pressure car wash. I high pressured the engine and undercarriage on the degreaser setting, and then sprayed it off with water. This seemed fine for a while, but it started to smoke again.

I checked return hose up and down and on both ends and I don't see a leek. I also ran my hand up and down the high pressure hose and it seems fine. I'm thinking that I may have broken the metal pipe that the bottom part of the return hose fits over. Is this possible? The old hose was a real pain to take off so I may have gotten a little over zealous.

CigarJohnny · #2 08-14-2003, 10:56 AM

AAARRRGG! I suppose it's possible that you cracked the lower hose. I had to pry mine away from the block a hair because it was binding against the hose where it goes onto the lower steel pipe. Once my oil burned off things were fine and have stayed that way but she looked like she was on fire for a while. lol

I sure hope you didn't damage anything cause I don't know what is involved in replacing the metal pipe but I'm sure it wont be inexpensive or easy.

Good luck!

DavieGravy · #3 08-14-2003, 12:35 PM

Well I just checked the PS fluid level and it was full! With the exception of a minor drop. I also just checked the hoses and metal hoses. They're gritty, but seem fine. I'm thinking that maybe all the stuff I spilled just hasn't burned of yet. But she sure was a smokin! I think I'll try another pressure wash.

How long did yours smoke for? I was leaving a trail of white smoke behind me on the highway at 80.

rufus · #4 08-14-2003, 12:45 PM

I know when this happened to my car, it smoked a lot after I fixed it, for a lot longer than I thought it should. Do you see any drips on the floor when the car is parked for a while?

DavieGravy · #5 08-14-2003, 12:56 PM

Hi rufus,
I don't see any drips. Right now, I'm letting it idle in the hopes that everything will burn off. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

DavieGravy · #6 08-14-2003, 01:45 PM

Good news and bad. Good news is, smoking stopped. Bad news is, fluid is spewing out the top of the resevoir even when the cap is tightened down. This occurred after I pressure washed it. The car started to make a terrible whinning noise as well. It was high pitched and changed with RPMs.

Couple of questions:

1. Could the whinning have resulted from the fact that the fluid was dripping onto the belts?

2. Is it a sure thing that my resevoir cap is bad?

3. Could the fluid be vastly overheating, causing a perfectly good cap to leak?

4. Could the PS pressure be too high as a result of improper hose replacement, causing the cap to leak?

Any help would be vastly appreciated. Kind of freaking out here.

ensteele · #7 08-14-2003, 02:21 PM

It is very easy to overfill and that will cause it to leak. How is the O ring? Have you replaced that recently? That may be causing the whinning.

DavieGravy · #8 08-14-2003, 02:25 PM

I don't think I overfilled it. And the whining only started to occur as the fluid started spewing from the cap. I think a bunch of PS fluid dripped onto the belts and pulleys. It's a high pitched, electric motor-like whine.

I don't know why the cap would leak though.

ensteele · #9 08-14-2003, 02:36 PM

They all seem to leak if they are too full. I don't get why yours should be too full though.

DavieGravy · #10 08-14-2003, 02:41 PM

I filled it to about a third of the way up the yellow mesh thing that sits inside the resevior, so I assume I didn't overfill it. Or did I?

Zeppelin · #11 08-14-2003, 03:47 PM

You probably have air in with your fluid, and the air will push the fluid out. I had the same problem with mine when I did the O-ring fix. I'd take the cap off, put some paper towels around the tank, and let it run for a few mins, then shut it down and check the fluid level.

DavieGravy · #12 08-14-2003, 05:19 PM

I let it run for a couple minutes with the cap off. It didn't spew anything out. I hope all that air is out of there. How can i make sure?

Zeppelin · #13 08-14-2003, 07:29 PM

If it has run for a few mins and isn't spitting out any fluid, you should be fine.. Just fill it back up and check it a few more times to make sure the level stays put!

DavieGravy · #14 08-14-2003, 07:36 PM

Thanks. I will.

CigarJohnny · #15 08-14-2003, 08:02 PM

Davie, when I first hooked the new hose on and topped it off it made a hell of a squeeling racket. Had to stop the engine and fill it twice before the fluid displaced all the air in the system. Once it had enough fluid the noise stopped. Had me scared at first. I thought I had destroyed the pump but all is good now. Just be sure you have no kinks in your return line. That is all I can think of, besides air, that may have caused it to blow past the cap.