[danmm7]

I have a 2007 Sienna Lmtd. Car has 51k miles.

I noticed that there are a COUPLE of drops of fluid formed on the Power Steering pump. There are NO drops on the driveway. I wiped them but a week later, they are new drops of fluid sitting there. So there is a small leak somewhere. To me it looks like it comes from the PS pump itself.

I took the car for some "recall" work to the local Toyota dealer and i asked them to check the "drops". An hour later, the service adviser calls me and tells me that my PS pump is not leaking - it is my steering rack that is leaking and that it will cost me$1,360 to get it fixed!!!

I told him that i don't have the money now and that i will do it a later time. This price just seems way too steep, plus this same guy also recommended a couple of other maintenance items that were already addressed 2 weeks ago! He was simply lying on the phone telling me that i need this and that at 50k miles! Not happy with him at all but this is a different topic.

Now, here are my questions...

1. Could it be just the power steering pump leaking and the guy trying to rip me off by selling me a new Rack and Pinion .... OR indeed, the leaking PS rack is a well know issue with the Sienna?? Even on 2007 model?

2. If it is a leaking PS rack ... should i be worried and address it ASAP, or it can wait as long as i check the fluid. So far, the car is not loosing much/if any fluid.

3. How hard is to replace the steering rack on these cars? I have all sorts of tools and i am DIY guy for the most part but i have never done a PS rack before on any car. Is this a doable home-garage project or i need a shop? Obviously, I will pay a shop for the alignment.

4. Same question but for the PS pump.... Has anyone done it? Any tricks? How hard is the PS fluid bleeding?

5. Any instructions, feedback, tips, advices are welcome. I am not paying the dealer $1300 to do this, even if i have to do it ASAP.+


Thank you!

 

[steelcity]

Let me add my 2 cents if it were me I would wait till it leaks more and try to save up money and try to find a local mechanic to do this ,it is not all that hard to do if you are mechanically inclined you could even try to do it your self worse case you get stuck you could have it toed .Now couple of Safety thoughts come to mind if your rack(steering) is sticking then I wouldn't wait this could be bad ,say if you were turning and it started sticking on you or your wife it may be hard to make the proper radius also when you are done with your turn when the wheel kind of turns back partially on its own. Also if the leak is bad enough it may run out of fluid and experience the same results .Hopefully I didn't scare you but made you think. Is it sticking ? Also you can get a used one from junk yard which would save $. Good Luck

 

[danmm7]

The power steering is NOT sticking or acting strange at all. No issues when you drive the van.
The only reason i noticed the small leak is because i went under the car to check on other things. (we recently bought it).
The leak is very slow, given the limited amount of drops i am seeing. No sticking, no noises, no vibration.

Thanks!

 

[tbalon]

Is there a leak at the rubber boots on the rack or only on the pump?

 

[danmm7]

I got my car back from the dealer, went under it with a flash light and here is what a discovered...

1. Surprise-surprise - the steering rack is completely DRY. Both rubber boots are DRY. All hose connections are DRY. There is not even any moisture around or on the rack. I am not really sure what the service adviser was trying to do to me when he told me that my leak is from the PS rack and i need to pay them $1,300. ??? I am very very disappointed with this dealer, to say the least. I am wondering if i should call Toyota corporate and escalate this issue or just never ever put my foot @ Toyota service department.

2. The PS pump is WET. Not leaking, but it has a couple of drops of fluid on it. The PS pump is not next or under the PS rack, so i don't see how a leaking PS rack can even drip on top of the PS pump.

3. Since the PS pump is attached to the engine block, there is a chance that the leak could be originating from the engine (valve cover gasket leak?) but i am not sure how likely this is on these cars with only 50k miles.


Any ideas? Has anyone here had a leaking PS pump on a Sienna? How about leaking PS rack? Or Valve Cover gasket? I am just trying to figure out on my own what is the most likely source of this minor leak. It is obvious now that my Toyota dealer cannot be trusted!!

 

[brian_bp]

Dealerships are independently owned, so I wouldn't give up on all of them based on an experience with one - I'm giving up on them one at a time as I try them out and they mess up. :

I wouldn't even give up the current one without a discussion. Perhaps there was just a miscommunication.

A standard diagnostic technique would be to thoroughly clean the engine compartment, particularly the area around the power steering pump, then keep an eye on it for any leaks, before they have a chance to spread all over the place. Fluids are different colours so if they are fresh enough they may even be distinguishable by the appearance of the leaked fluid. A dealership should be willing to do this cleaning as part of the diagnosis for warranty repair; after warranty, a car wash visit with a can of engine degreaser would seem more appropriate to me.

 

[robo5]

Clean up the area and find the source of the leak. As you stated it maybe higher up like a valve-cover gasket leaking. I think this would fall under powertrain warranty (5 year- 60K)

 

[jh818]

I would keep an eye on the PS fluid level. Make sure you check it when warm every time.

It could be that there is a leak in the hose? How wet is it?

 

[jc]

Danmm7,

What about trying to add some "Lucas Power Steering Stop Leak" to your Power Steering fluid first?

I would try that course before dropping $1300 on a repair. As suggested by other members, clean the area with the wet fluid, add the Lucas stop leak and then watch it.

Keep us posted.

Regards, Jason.

 

[phaduman]

danmm7,
I went to my toyota dealership here in bay area for oil change. It is a '07 limited AWD with 56K Miles. Also asked for the fuel injection, and coolant flush (already done transmission & brake fluid flush earlier).

Dealer calls back saying there is a small leak on the power steering rack and that it is covered under my extended warranty (standard 3yr warranty expired last year). So I said go ahead with the repair - it was a multi-hour job with rack removal etc. It costed them close to $890 which they were charging back to their warranty department.

I should have gone underneath the car and checked out the leak first. Because it was covered under warranty, I decided to go with it. I believe it was about $400 for labor and $590ish for the parts.

Hope this helps.
cheers
PN
San Jose, CA

 

[tbalon]

If it is power steering fluid I would suspect a bad pump seal. I would also check all the rubber hoses and clamps for leaks. I have seen the hoses on the reservoir fail on my wife's 03 Camry.

If it is motor oil I would check the VVTI rubber line as this is a highly suspect item for oil leaks. That is if you have not already had it replaced under the Limited Service campaign(recall).

 

[JDSienna07]

Danmm7,

What about trying to add some "Lucas Power Steering Stop Leak" to your Power Steering fluid first?

I would try that course before dropping $1300 on a repair. As suggested by other members, clean the area with the wet fluid, add the Lucas stop leak and then watch it.

Keep us posted.

Regards, Jason.

I have the same issue with my 2007 Sienna which rack and pinion was wet from a small leak. My mechanic suggested to add "Lucas Power Steering Stop Leak" to PS fluid, and he even put a marker on PS fluid container and told me to observe the fluid level if it drops fast. It's been 3 years now and I hardly see the level drops down. The rack and pinion is still showing some kind of wet looks, but at least I know it is not a big and immediate concern as my Sienna still runs well.