ok now after my last radiator disaster....new rad, new tranny...still have leak in power steering, of course warranty won't cover because the pump works...but there is a leak at the plastic tank or hoses.....has anyone has this same thing..I dont want to buy tank and hoses...but cant afford to tear it down and have it out for days....has anyone replaced the tank alone? where does it normally leak from any ideas? thanks guys.

 

I might have the same thing....I got my oil changed to day at Penzoil (too damg cold to do at home). Tech said "rack and pinion" or line" was "wet", but have plenty of fluid (no apparent loss). Anyone else seen this "wet" line issue?

 

Mine is wet in the same spot

 

1. went to gm ordered O-ring, got schematic, and 500ml correct cold weather canadian gm factory factory filled powersteering fluid part #89021186 as per the owners manual for 2007 H3
2. turned steering all the way to the right access via wheelwell area as well as underhood
3. cleaned area under reservoir and main line with clean dry shop rags.
4. remove reservoir cap, suctioned fluid with small hand pump into plastic bottle.
5. placed clean shop rags under res. to catch any fluid from line
6. remove main line nut with 5/8 wrench pull line down from bottom of reservoir
7. clean threads on both line nut and bottom of reservoir
8. remove old o-ring from line clean line again
9. lubricate new o-ring with silicone grease *very important to do so as not to bind new o-ring when tightening* install o-ring on line.
10. replace line at bottom of reservoir careful not to catch new o ring on anything sharp push line up tight to bottom of reservoir hand tighten line nut careful not to cross thread as the area has poor visibility
11. tighten with wrench *careful not to overtighten keep in mind the small size or the o-ring you do not want to crush it.* just lightly snug.
12. clean area again very well especially under reservoir, refill fluid in reservoir, check for leaks.
take for test drive, check for leaks again, as well as fluid level re-check.
F.W.I.W. the whole job takes about half an hour or less, fairly easy. No point in even thinking about a trip to the dealer for this one. Anyone with a 5/8" wrench could do it.

Hope this helps! figure I should add to the forum seeing as I use it and have learned a lot here even prior to being a h3 owner.

 

Great write up! I'm sure it will be used. Any idea what caused the leak to begin with? Usually sealing 'O' rings don't leak unless they get loose, or brittle (unlike 'O' rings on rotating shafts, that see wear).

 

From the looks of how much fluid was saturated all the way down that line and you could tell from the dirt buildup and how hard it was, it looked like it was leaking very slowly... for a long time, maybe from new!! If anyone did spot it which I doubt, it May have been mistaken for risidual oil from the engine oil filter area after change as it is very close to the same area, when doing oil changes that area oil gets spilled a bit at the small plastic catch drain. directly below the p/s pump. who knows all fixed now. I hate any leaks even small ones.

 

A old mechanic once told me that if you drop a cap full of brake fluid into your power steering fluid, it will stop the leak (for awhile). Enough to get you home, etc. I guess brake fluid swells orings. Figured I'd add this to this thread for anyone looking to get a couple days out of theirs before a repair.

 

Any of you guys know the procedure for replacing the reservoir? Mine just broke at the high pressure line.....

 

When I replaced mine it was super easy

 

Hey man. Thanks for this write-up. I tried replacing my tank today but afraid I messed some stuff up. That pin that inserts into where the high-pressure line comes in... can you tell me which direction that pin goes? It has the filter-looking thing on one end and the pin on the other. I'm not sure which one goes in first. Also, the fitting from the tank to the pump, is there supposed to be an o-ring there or is it only the plastic seeding into that spot?

Thanks for any help!