help im leaking something need help identifying it

[mat82284]

my car was running fine intill someone slashed my tires so i sat in my garage for 5 days never ran then i start it up when i get the tires on the back it out and take for a drive there were 2 puddles 1 small small oil leak and there was a medium puddle about 4 inch circle of a orange red substance it could have been orange yellow but i couldnt tell it looked orange to me. it was on the right side of the car where my smog pump connects too. also i dont have a smog pump but the hose is just sitting there with nothing pluging the whole should i plug this whole???

 

[Kdubslugga]

not sure but, once i saw someone who had orange radiator coolant instead of the typical green, what color is your coolant?

 

[battyice]

If the liquid is red or orange I would guess it is power steering fluid. It could also be transmission fluid leaking from a hose going to your tranny cooler. If you're not running an automatic, I'd suspect your leaking power steering fluid somewhere.

 

[Michael Yount]

The orange coolant is Dexcool. Powersteering and tranny leaks seem to happen more often when the systems are running and under pressure/heat -- but I think the other guys have id'd the possibilities.

 

[mat82284]

yea it was 105 deg today. if its power steering what can i do to stop the leak? i put in that lucus stuff a wile back because it leaked but it didnt leak to the ground where i can see it like it did this time.

 

[Michael Yount]

You need to find out what/where it's leaking. There are many possibilities from a bad high pressure or return hose, fitting, or the steering rack itself, pump seal,.....

 

[PonyBoy90]

Simple way to check if it's power steering fluid is to check your pump reservoir. If it's unusually low, you have a leak somewhere on one of the two hoses, if not both. How's your steering? Has it started stiffening up?

I just got this problem recently. Mine seems to be leaking somewhere where my 2 hoses meet the rack and pinion by the steering coloum. I hope it's a hose and not the rack else I'm looking at a replacement or rebuild.

 

[dastang2]

does the PS pump whine when idleing and turning

 

[Michael Yount]

My replacement pump whines more than the stock one did - neither leaked. I just tell 'em it's the supercharger.

 

[Rerun]

My replacement pump whines more than the stock one did - neither leaked. I just tell 'em it's the supercharger.

 

[PonyBoy90]

Yeah, the power steering pump does whine, especially when doing sharp slow turns. A whining pump is not reallly a good indication that the pump is going bad. Same goes for a whining fuel pump.

The PS pump isn't bad until it become difficult to turn due to the pump itself going bad, or you spring a leak somewhere.

 

[DMAN302]

econo supercharger..all the sound without the expense.

 

[Michael Yount]

Correction - all the sound and none of the fury without the expense....

 

[DMAN302]

As always you are correct sir.

 

[dastang2]

Yeah, the power steering pump does whine, especially when doing sharp slow turns. A whining pump is not reallly a good indication that the pump is going bad. Same goes for a whining fuel pump.

The PS pump isn't bad until it become difficult to turn due to the pump itself going bad, or you spring a leak somewhere.

well what i meant by asking that was, when you get super low on PS fluid, you hear the whining louder. so if the PS is leaking it may be getting louder thatn usuall.