DIY Saturday: When It’s Normal, When It’s Not (Part II)

This post is the second half of my last DIY post, which talked about the different conditions in a vehicle and determined whether they are normal or not. The first two conditions mentioned in my last post were the presence of metal shavings in the oil pan and the presence of a pool of fluid underneath the car. In this post, we’ll look at another condition and determine which is normal and which is not. Read on.

Normal: Some steering fluid leaking from the power steering cap.

There are instances when you will notice traces of power steering fluid around the cap, and this doesn’t actually mean that there is anything damaged in your car. There’s actually a vent in the cap, and that vent is designed to allow fluid to leak out when needed. That leak could happen because you might have overfilled the power steering, and that’s only but normal.

Not Normal: Too much steering fluid leak that doesn’t seem to go away.

If you notice, however, that the leak has gone more serious and is almost always there, that could mean there’s an underlying problem. You might have a damaged gasket in the cap. Look into the possibility of overheating as well. The PS fluid might be continuously expanding, and therefore leaking, because it’s already too hot.

If this is the case, then you need to find out the reason for the overheating. Otherwise, if you neglect this, that continuous overheating and fluid expanding and leaking could eventually lead to the loss of power steering fluid in the system. And when that happens, you’ll have a problem with steering your car and you may also cause damage to some steering components.

Therefore, if you notice a problem like this, don’t panic. But, don’t be complacent, as well. Take the necessary action to fix the problem.