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General >> Problems >> Leak on the passenger side
(Message started by: wojtekor on Apr 10th, 2009, 1:50am)

Title: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 10th, 2009, 1:50am
Holly crap... Few hours ago I've noticed a leak of some sort on the passenger side.
It's a brown oily fluid like from the auto gearbox but the spot is unusual.
When you look under the car the passenger side of the engine cover is moist and it's dripping very slightly [over 7h in one place and there's a stain under the car not bigger then 2£ coin]
You can't tell where the leak is from by looking under the bonnet... :/

All fluids checked but it's probably to soon to tell the difference in levels.

Don't think it's the gearbox oil, a friend suggested that it could be the power steering fluid... possible? If so, where would it be leaking from and how screwed am I? :)


great timing as the Easter period starts tomorrow [actually today] and every single garage will be probably closed...

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by Jonnycab on Apr 10th, 2009, 2:46am
Autobox fluid & power steering fluid is red, or should at least have some hint of red in it  ;)

Could be the autobox cooler pipes leaking near to where they go into the radiator, this is quite common. Maybe a jubilee clip needs tightening or the metal pipe/s have corroded  :-/. If you suspect power steering fluid then it could be running down the pipe from the reservoir. Usually tightening the jubilee clip cures this problem. Could be slight leak in the pump etc.

You'll really have to get underneath & remove the engine tray & look for any oily bits  :)

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 10th, 2009, 2:57am

Quote:
 Autobox fluid & power steering fluid is red, or should at least have some hint of red in it


that's why I'm confused... at first i thought it was the autobox oil because of the colour but the spot where the leak is seemed strange, then I was told it can be the power steering fluid and now I can't tell which one is it... oh my oh my...

i don't have a garage so it will have to wait probably till Tuesday  when the local garage is open... :/

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by gozz on Apr 10th, 2009, 9:21am
wojercallit.
If you do have the undertray in place,a leak of the nature quoted by JC will of course drip onto it and find it,s way through in a different spot.If its power steering fluid you will notice the loss as the reservoir is small.Shouldn't worry unduly leaks are common and not usually severe unless the rack is leaking into the gaiters,which will eventually burst or blow off,if this is the case the reservoir will be noticeably depleted.
                                   GOZZ.

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 10th, 2009, 12:07pm
will try to diagnose the problem myself today...

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 10th, 2009, 12:39pm
the passenger side steering rack cover is moist... so it is the power steering fluid... crap... better then the autobox but still crap... how screwed am I? [financially speaking]



i'll try to find the place where the leak is coming from, hopefully it's a loose pipe or something...

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by amigafan2003 on Apr 10th, 2009, 4:41pm
Racks are only £100 for a recon item.  Guess it's 1-2 hrs labour to change for a garage.

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 10th, 2009, 4:52pm
i've investigated the case further and i guess that there was no reason for panic in the first place. the pipe from the PAS reservoir is wet like hell and so is everything around it. so it's either a crack in the pipe somewhere or the connection under the reservoir was loose... we shell see in a few hours as i wiped it down around the connection and tightened the screw...

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 11th, 2009, 1:05pm
checked again today... no luck, still dripping...  :-/ will have to wait till Tuesday.  hope it won't damage the engine and gearbox loom...  :-X

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by Simmo on Apr 11th, 2009, 4:41pm
The main thing to watch and clean is the alternator. They do not like power steering fluid.

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 14th, 2009, 6:02pm
just left my car in a garage... will have the diagnosis tomorrow morning. we will see... i'm about to get a heart attack...

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 15th, 2009, 11:09am
crap crap crap, holy crap...  >:( this pipe from the PAS reservoir needs changing anyway but it wasn't PAS that was leaking so badly. It was the transmission fluid coming from those metal pipes that it used for cooling it or something. all of them corroded :/
it's not a tragedy as it won't be expensive to fix but i've been told that there might be a problem to get needed parts... :/

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by Simmo on Apr 15th, 2009, 12:45pm
I think you will find that others have replaced the pipes with flexible pipe BUT IIRC the important thing is NOT to damage the actual connections into the cooler. I'm sure the 'experts' will be along later to advise you further.

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 15th, 2009, 1:31pm
Simmo thanks for the advice.

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 15th, 2009, 2:59pm
just came back from the garage. it's a pretty bad situation. The whole connection between the cooler for the transmission fluid and the radiator needs changing.

I mean there a two pipes that need changing both attached to the transmission fluid cooler and then to the radiator. First one is an ordinary rubber pipe that can be supplied by Ford for 36£, which is not bad. The second one is metal [was metal as it's totally corroded] , connected to the rubber one and goes to the radiator.
The second one [metal] is not available from Ford and in that case the garage can do nothing.

Has anyone got one spare and can send it to me asap? Please help me guys, I can not be defeated by a small piece of metal... I miss my car...

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by Simmo on Apr 15th, 2009, 5:34pm
IIRC all these pipes have been replaced with flexible as I said and £36 seems an awful lot of money for a pipe. Wait till the 'lads' get on the site tonight and I think you'll find an answer. ;)

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 15th, 2009, 5:37pm
cheers, Simmo. Snoopy already helped me out here; http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=admin4;action=display;num=1239804213

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by trol on Apr 15th, 2009, 5:41pm
Can't they just cut the rusted parts of the metal pipe out and replace it with rubber?
If you have the right diameter, it will slide over the metal pipes, put 2 hose clamps on it and youre done.
Worked with my old Chevy  ;D
Just make sure the hose can withstand ATF.

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 15th, 2009, 5:56pm

Quote:
 Can't they just cut the rusted parts of the metal pipe out and replace it with rubber?


that's the plan :) and seems to be the only solution...


Quote:
Just make sure the hose can withstand ATF.  


that's the task for the garage. ;)

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 20th, 2009, 5:21pm

Just got a call from the garage about my car and Ford screwed up the order and sent the wrong parts  >:(
the garage has to send them back and in the meantime will be waiting for the right parts to come in. Long story short I won't see my car before Thursday   >:(

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by python9 on Apr 20th, 2009, 8:15pm
what engine size is your scorp theres a 2.3 auto estate in my local brakers he told me it drove into the scrap yard  it will still have all the pipes connected to the atf fliud cooler

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 20th, 2009, 8:34pm
cheers but I'll wait for the new parts to come... it's only a few days and the used ones probably won't be much better then the rotten ones i already have ;)
new parts are new parts and they minimize the risk of doing the same job twice :)

Title: Re: Leak on the passenger side
Post by wojtekor on Apr 24th, 2009, 4:49pm
yeah!! my baby is back on the road :) done superbly for a reasonable price :) and it's good as new!



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