2007 Ford Focus ZX3 / 227,000 miles
Power steering Reservoir runs low or emptys every 10-15 miles resulting in tight steering with a growling noise fill back up runs okay for 10-15 miles don't have much money to be able to bring it to a shop is there any helpful advice you may have that I could do, to troubleshoot the issue or maybe a staring point , thanks for the help in advance
I've traced the source of the leak , it's leaking from the high pressure hose where it goes into the rack , does that mean it's a bad rack or just a bad o-rimg on the hose
It's a little hard to tell but looking at a photo of the pressure hose it appears that one end has an o-ring and the other end has a flare fitting like a brake line. I don't know which end goes into the rack but suspect it is the flare fitting. That may have worked loose, or possible the hose or metal part of the line is leaking and spraying power steering fluid on the fitting.
all that fluid has to be going somewhere. Try to find the leak.
I've spent hours and still can't seem to find it
Find and fix the leak.
That is one heck of a power steering leak. Did you ever change the power steering fluid? If you never did, the fluid eventually acts like a crude cutting fluid and destroys rubber seals, over time. You could have a failing rack.
Fluids never been flushed , Ive used so much power steering fluid that it is now cleaner then when the problem started I thought It might of been the rack but I don't see any indicators that it's a bad rack , I have more free time tomorrow to take a deeper look so I'll be digging more into it
Set up a jack, and jack it up. Then, put jackstands underneath and set it on them. Make sure the car is straight and level before you start jacking up the car, and set the emergency brake. Start the car. Have a helper help you. Using certified safety glasses, check for leaks while your helper moves the steering wheel, preferablyfrom lock to lock, and do it gradually. Try to stay out from directly under the steering rack. You will be guaranteed to find the leak. It's a very simple system. One hose goes to the rack and pinion, and the other is the return hose, which returns the fluid back into the system.
I've traced the source of the leak , it's leaking from the high pressure hose where it goes into the rack , does that mean it's a bad rack or just a bad o-rimg on the hose
O-ring was shot on the pressure line at the rack so now I'm on the hunt for an o-ring
That's a lucky break. Take the old o-ring to an auto parts store, they should be able to match it up.