[ONF]

Hi all,

Finally started my Spider V6 restoration project today (about 18 months after I bought it!) and already got a question, one of many I'm sure..

The car drove back fine at the time but after being sat on my parents drive the power steering reservoir seems to have emptied itself. The only place I can see any sign of a leak is on the passenger side where it has tracked onto the support member that goes from the floor pan to the engine.

Looking from the top there are signs of a leak in the corresponding as well, photos below.

Could the power steering fluid be leaking from that area of the engine bay and if so any ideas what the likely source is?

First photo gives an idea of where in the engine bay it is. The second one shows 2 areas of fluid circled in yellow and then the fluid on the support in red.

 

[Rewe]

Not the engine, looks like the steering rack seals have failed

 

[pkr]

Not sure how different the V6 is compared to the TS, but see if there is a power steering hose in the area running from the rack to the cooler in front of the radiator ( Eper indicates that there is one ).

If there is a hose, check it for a leak.

That's exactly where mine went ( but on a TS ) as it had chafed against a metal pipe. When I put a new hose in ( generic hydraulic hose from a motor factors ) I adjusted things so the hose wouldn't chafe in future.

 

[fewleh]

Pardon me for butting in but I just got a v6. Where is the power steering pump ? I couldn't see an obvious top up etc. It's not the yellow part on your pic is it? I assumed that was brake fluid.
Mine is very whiny

 

[Stixy]

The power steering fluid reservoir is located on the O/S engine bay, the cap is access in the plastic engine cowl/cover. I cannot remember where the location of the steering pump actually is.

 

[ONF]

Pardon me for butting in but I just got a v6. Where is the power steering pump ? I couldn't see an obvious top up etc. It's not the yellow part on your pic is it? I assumed that was brake fluid.
Mine is very whiny

Yellow cap is break fluid. Power steering top up is on the driver side of engine bay in plastic engine cover as stixy mentioned. Got a yellow sticker with steering wheel on it and breather pipe coming off the cap.

Power steering pump is next to the oil cooler I believe but I could be wrong. Picture below may show it as I've just been cleaning layers and layers of mud off my oil cooler! Someone will point us in the right direction soon I'm sure!

 

[ONF]

Not sure how different the V6 is compared to the TS, but see if there is a power steering hose in the area running from the rack to the cooler in front of the radiator ( Eper indicates that there is one ).

If there is a hose, check it for a leak.

That's exactly where mine went ( but on a TS ) as it had chafed against a metal pipe. When I put a new hose in ( generic hydraulic hose from a motor factors ) I adjusted things so the hose wouldn't chafe in future.

Thanks pkr, yes there seems to be a pipe running from the rack to the cooler but all looks okay. After more crawling around underneath looks like the drivers side has fluid on the steering rack gator. Looks like Rewe may well be right and its the steering rack seals. Photos from underneath below showing drivers side, passenger side and pipes running to the cooler.

Think I'm going to get it recovered to Autolusso for them to give it a once over so I know exactly what I'm getting into before spending too much on it and if it seems worth rescuing get them to do all the big mechanical work first before I tend to the cosmetics and other jobs I'm confident doing myself.