Questionhey well i have a problem on a 1992 740i, the power steering fluid is leaking and we cant find the leak...do you have any suggestions of what to do?
AnswerDavid,
This particular car model is not like the 3 series that have simple power steering setups. It has a lot more hoses and connections that can leak in addition to the connection
to the ABS/ASC (in some models). But the principle is still the same.
Buy maybe 2 cans of brake cleaner. Clean by spraying the left side of the engine compartment where you see all those steering hoses. Trace the hoses and clean all of them specially where it connects to something. Remove the lower engine cover and look at the steering pump and the looped
tube that traverses the area right before the rack and pinion.
The fluid circuit is still: reservoir to pump, pump to gear box, gear box to cooling tube/looped tube back to the reservoir.
Remember that some cars have tubes going to the ABS/ASC unit. Some even have connections all the way to the rear axle.
After cleaning the whole setup of tubes, pipes, connectors,
etc., roadtest or use for a day or two then recheck. I am sure that now you can see clearly where the leak is coming from.
Oftentimes, even if you tighten the hoses they would still leak. They are simply wornout and should be replaced along with the clamps.
Bleeding is fairly simple. After the repair, fill the reservoir with ATF or CS11 depending on what is required by the car(look at the reservoir cap), then without starting the engine turn the steering wheel approximately 6 to 7
times end to end, refill reservoir to max level, start engine and turn steering wheel again approximately 12 to
20 times, check and refill again the reservoir.
Have fun! It is not rocket science...
Tino
