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Power steering leak-stupid cause

18K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  bink76 
#1 ·
This morning my wife was going to work and came back in to let me know that the steering had stopped working and there is a huge puddle under the van. I go outside to investigate and there is indeed a HUGE puddle of power steering fluid where the van is normally parked. Since she pulled back in behind my truck, I muscle it back into her side of the driveway and jack it up to take a look. I was thinking the pressure side hose ruptured.

This is what I found:


I pushed the hose back up past the dimple in the line and installed a worm drive clamp since the spring clamp had obviously stopped holding anything. I have no idea how it happened. It was cold, but not that cold this morning, 31 degrees.

Put more fluid in and bled the system of air. Good to go now.
 
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#4 ·
I will eventually replace them both or maybe replace the van.
The spring clamp wasn't broken. It was still on the hose in the original position. I put a screw clamp on it instead. I hate spring clamps. The raised lip goes around the steel line, so with the screw clamp on, it's going to have to split the rubber now. It isn't going to just slip off now.
 
#3 ·
I had a leak in a similar place. My 02 AWD w/ towing package has the dealer-installed tranny cooler there. The screw hose clamps they used aren't sufficient so they usually start leaking. Wish I had known that since the backside of my power steering pump was wet so I ASSumed the leak was there (highest wet spot). After changing the pump (difficult to access) and messing up the plastic pulley, which stranded us on the highway later (no stores had the pulley then and didn't come on the new pump), I found it wet again there, then figured out a leak at the cooler was spraying a thin stream right at the pump. I search this forum religiously now to save me future mis-directions.
 
#5 ·
Here is the thread for the service bulletin 19-006-05 which relates to the hoses:

http://forum.chryslerminivan.net/showthread.php/3570-Technical-Service-Bulletin-anyone

-----------------------------------------
NUMBER: 19-006-05
GROUP: Steering
DATE: August 4, 2005
THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES SERVICE BULLETIN 19-004-03, DATED AUGUST 29, 2003, WHICH SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM YOUR FILES. THIS IS A COMPLETE REVISION AND NO ASTERISKS HAVE BEEN USED TO HIGHLIGHT REVISIONS.
SUBJECT:
Steering Shudder
OVERVIEW:
This bulletin involves replacing one of the two power steering cooler hoses with a new longer power steering hose and if necessary, installing a fin packed power steering cooler.
MODELS:
2001 - 2005 (RS) Town & Country, Caravan, Voyager
2001 - 2005 (RG) Chrysler Voyager (International Markets)
NOTE: This bulletin applies to right hand and left hand drive vehicles equipped with a 3.3L or 3.8L engine (sales code EGA, EGM, EGH) built on or before December 8, 2004 (MDH 1208X
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
#6 ·
I'm having the same problems with my 07 T&C and I'm getting fed-up with it. My van made it to 170,000 miles before the power steering started to leak. The same cooler hose as in this picture developed a split and eventually gave out. I have recently replaced both hoses to only have issues again. The same hose has developed a pin hole and leaked twice in four weeks. The first hose lasted 2400 miles and this last one lasted a week. Its as if these is pressure being built up or something but I thought both cooler lines weren't under pressure, since they are held on with spring clamps. I also took the cooler off to make sure it wasn't plugged. I even replaced the reservoir for insurance to eliminate that. I'm at a loss and any help would be great.
 
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