Re: <E30> Power Steering Problems (another one)

["Mike Theuri" <mikesoft@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rolf, 

My car is a little older being a '86 325 165k miles, this sounds just 
about exactly what happened to my ps system. There is a bit of ps 
steering fluid on the boot on the right side while looking at the area
from the front side of the car. Initially I couldn't pinpoint where the 
leak came from. So what I did was to top up the ps with ATF ( I 
had initially made a mistake of using PS fluid but according to BMW
this shouldn't have hurt it), started the engine and turned the 
steering wheel from side to side. Soon enough the ATF fluid seemed 
to be dripping from the point where the steering column meets the 
the front axle just right before the boot. I did not have a hydraulic
lift to lift the car nor a pit but I passed my finger just around the joint
and found a not very flexible black plastic pipe running from the left 
side of the joint about 1/4 of an inch in diameter that seemed to run 
into the joint and also seemed to be loose since I could lift its end up
and down but not very much. I hope the bcg can be of help. One thing
that you might want to do as recommended by Gene M., is to check 
underneath  the area where the brake booster connects to the brake 
master cylinder -- if you do find fresh ATF then this probably has 
something to do with replacing the O-Ring. My mech said it was the 
rack but I became doubtful the minute I came across the black pipe 
which continues to be a mystery. 

Mike
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So to get to the point. Things go ok for a day or two, and then I
started noticing a leak, and the fluid started going quickly. The leak 
is on the right side of the car when viewed from the driver side, kind 
of at the boot on the axle that goes to the wheel.


Does anyone have any ideas what the problem is and if it is the 'rack' 
how serious is that. 

Rolf
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