[Travish]

I would get a can of engine cleaner to pinpoint the leak FIRST then decide what is needed. After you figure out what is wrong, have it done anywhere but a stealership. I would definitely replace those hoses and drain/flush the fluid if you replace the rack.

Rock auto has a all new Cardone unit with lifetime warranty for $372. Links to good videos here also.

2007 TOYOTA SIENNA 3.5L V6 Rack and Pinion | RockAuto

RockAuto ships auto parts and body parts from over 300 manufacturers to customers' doors worldwide, all at warehouse prices. Easy to use parts catalog.

www.rockauto.com

 

[Yrsman300]

Went to NTB for alignment. They said rack is fine, its leaking very little.
Then my mechanic says its bad dont bother replacing the boot. Either leave it alone or replace the whole rack The boot is where the leak is coming from
I put new struts, CV axel, control arms, sway bar links both sides. Still on the fence about changing the rack. I do notice the play in the steering but it not that bad. Unfortunately i am not a DIY,
I am still trying to nail down where and what the leak is. So far i am told the boot
Today i have to replace a wheel speed sesor, i am going to get them again to look at the source of leak. One question i have no idea if the transmission fluid has ever been changed. I read that if it hasnt, then best leave it alone. What do you say?

 

[paul r]

So far i am told the boot

The boot is there to protect the seals and also the shaft as it moves to and fro while steering. The boot itsef does not contain any fluid inside so when you see a leak at the boot it means the seals that prevent the fluid from coming out of the steering rack is leaking. Replacing the boot alone wil not prevent the leak, only hiding it to a point where it too breaks and the fluid spews out. You may want to, from time to time , check the reservoir to make sure it always has appropriate fluid levels. Doing this will also give you an indcation of rate of fluid loss. If it takes quite a while to see any appreciable loss then the leak is slow. Otherwise if the leak is fast then you might consider replacing the rack .

 

[paul r]

One question i have no idea if the transmission fluid has ever been changed. I read that if it hasnt, then best leave it alone. What do you say?

How is the van shifting ? Any jerks , long delays in engaging? I f you experience any of these it might be worth your while just to drain out the 4 qts that typically come out and replace the said amount. Use Toyota T-IV fluid ( 2005 Sienna). See what happens.

 

[sixto]

x2 on monitoring the rate of fluid loss before deciding. You might get lucky with an additive that swells seals to slow down leaks. Lucas power steering fluid sealer gets good reviews as does Scotty Kilmer’s favorite AT-205 re-seal.

Change at least as much transmission fluid as drains from the pan and go from there. If it’s just dark, change the filter too. If there are chunks of metal in the fluid, you were on borrowed time.

Sixto
‘04 LE FWD 201K miles

 

[Yrsman300]

How is the van shifting ? Any jerks , long delays in engaging? I f you experience any of these it might be worth your while just to drain out the 4 qts that typically come out and replace the said amount. Use Toyota T-IV fluid ( 2005 Sienna). See what happens.

Good idea.. ill watch the fluid levels Thanks No issues shifting at all.. just looking at preventative care. I am at the shop now The engine oil looks clean however down a quart

 

[Yrsman300]

Good idea.. ill watch the fluid levels Thanks No issues shifting at all.. just looking at preventative care. I am at the shop now The engine oil looks clean however down a quart

Power steering fluid is good

 

[wag3719]

x2 on monitoring the rate of fluid loss before deciding. You might get lucky with an additive that swells seals to slow down leaks. Lucas power steering fluid sealer gets good reviews as does Scotty Kilmer’s favorite AT-205 re-seal.

Change at least as much transmission fluid as drains from the pan and go from there. If it’s just dark, change the filter too. If there are chunks of metal in the fluid, you were on borrowed time.

Sixto
‘04 LE FWD 201K miles

+1
I had to replace the right side boot on my rack. At that time I also replaced the power steering fluid with Valvoline Max Life Synthetic ATF which has seal conditioners in it. I have not had to add any fluid since I did this (frankly, it used very little fluid before) and the replacement boot is still intact.

 

[goodtogo]

Great Video. He talks at the end of about the bushings being defective .. does this mean the entire rack should be replaced as well?

No!
At the 12:50 mark in the video, he shows the bushings he's talking about. They are not internal to the rack, they are essentially vibration dampening bushings for the mounting points where the rack bolts to the frame of the vehicle. If Toyota deos not sell them, then you should be able to get them from an aftermarket source. I was able to pull up one source just by searching for "Toyota Sienna steering rack bushings" on google:

Amazon.com: Left/Right Rack and Pinion Mounting Bushing Kit For Toyota Sienna 04-11 : Automotive

Buy Left/Right Rack and Pinion Mounting Bushing Kit For Toyota Sienna 04-11: Mount Bushings - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I cannot vouch for the quallity of that particular vendor. I'd recommend doing your do diligence before buying aftermarket. I merely posted it to show they are available seperately (i.e. you do not have to buy the whole rack to get them, even if that's what Toyota does.)

 

[alexandra007]

Hello

Dealer said my steering rack is leaking and too much play in rack. They would not do an alignment until fixed.. .No charge...I trust this dealer. . here is my options

My labor to install the rack is 380

1/ i can buy one from a junk yard 80.00 USD. Dont know the miles yet on the vehicle
2/ autozone sells one for 500
3/ LKQ... has one out of a 2007 seinna with 41k miles on it

What would you do? Any other places you trust?

i just had to have the rack and pinion steering (?) fixed, as well as my struts on my 2006 sienna. it has 228,000 miles. i paid around 350-400 for the steering and then 450 for struts & alignment. i considered myself lucky!

 

[thebarmecca]

If you plan on keeping the van, change the rack. I purchased one on RockAuto for 300 dollars. My Indy mechanic charged me 350 to install. The racks go bad and i couldn't get it aligned correctly. It was wearing out my front tires plus the steering sucked. I did this at 180k miles. I'm getting close to 300k. I love my van. I camp with it, haul with it and use it for my daily commute of 80 miles a day. I don't wait for anything to break. I try to do preventative maintenance once a month. One month rack, next month suspension, next month control arms, tie rod ends, stabilizer bars. Next month axles. All the front end is done on the van. Next month, transmission replacement from a low mileage donor. Don't want to have a car payment.

 

[Yrsman300]

If you plan on keeping the van, change the rack. I purchased one on RockAuto for 300 dollars. My Indy mechanic charged me 350 to install. The racks go bad and i couldn't get it aligned correctly. It was wearing out my front tires plus the steering sucked. I did this at 180k miles. I'm getting close to 300k. I love my van. I camp with it, haul with it and use it for my daily commute of 80 miles a day. I don't wait for anything to break. I try to do preventative maintenance once a month. One month rack, next month suspension, next month control arms, tie rod ends, stabilizer bars. Next month axles. All the front end is done on the van. Next month, transmission replacement from a low mileage donor. Don't want to have a car payment.

Thats amazing. How does your engine look? Does a bad rack cause other parts to go bad?

 

[Calothrix]

+1
I had to replace the right side boot on my rack. At that time I also replaced the power steering fluid with Valvoline Max Life Synthetic ATF which has seal conditioners in it. I have not had to add any fluid since I did this (frankly, it used very little fluid before) and the replacement boot is still intact.

x2 on monitoring the rate of fluid loss before deciding. You might get lucky with an additive that swells seals to slow down leaks. Lucas power steering fluid sealer gets good reviews as does Scotty Kilmer’s favorite AT-205 re-seal.

Change at least as much transmission fluid as drains from the pan and go from there. If it’s just dark, change the filter too. If there are chunks of metal in the fluid, you were on borrowed time.

Sixto
‘04 LE FWD 201K miles

I had a slow steering rack leak on my 2004 le about 10 years ago. Added Lucas Power Steering Stop Leak and it stopped leaking! It started leaking again about three years ago, so I used the Lucas additive again and haven't had a leak since. A cheap fix that is worth trying!

 

[BillG]

Next month, transmission replacement from a low mileage donor. Don't want to have a car payment.

I totally get this idea, but I wouldn't bother with a trans replacement unless/until the trans failed. In my mind, everything on the Sienna is replaceable (or replacement-worthy) except the engine and transmission. Most of the reason for that perspective is that the rest of the van will probably rust away before the engine/transmission die, as long as you have a good radiator and a sound cooling system.

 

[danielemartini4]

IMO the alignment should wait until after the rack has been replaced since it will have to be done again at that time anyway.

Nox Vidmate VLC​

 

[Alex Cai]

+1
I had to replace the right side boot on my rack. At that time I also replaced the power steering fluid with Valvoline Max Life Synthetic ATF which has seal conditioners in it. I have not had to add any fluid since I did this (frankly, it used very little fluid before) and the replacement boot is still intact.

Almost a year (last December) I changed the transmission fluid using the Valvoline Max on my Lexus RX300. Everything seemed fine untill a week ago. When I shift, I felt a jolt (or jerk however you say it) and there was no Check Engine light on. So I decided to change the fluid using the Toyota Type I-V, about one gallon +. The jolt disappear since. My guess is that although the Valvoline Max claimed to be compatible with the Toyota one, maybe only for 10 months or less than 1000 miles. I wouldn‘t do it again next time, just for the sake of saving a few bucks.

 

[Yrsman300]

I totally get this idea, but I wouldn't bother with a trans replacement unless/until the trans failed. In my mind, everything on the Sienna is replaceable (or replacement-worthy) except the engine and transmission. Most of the reason for that perspective is that the rest of the van will probably rust away before the engine/transmission die, as long as you have a good radiator and a sound cooling system.

Well, the body on my seinna looks fantastic no rust hardly any scratches. It was garage kept. When i first saw it, " ill take it" well beautiful is only skin deep
Ive replaced all front suspension parts except the rack.. car is in good alignment. As mentioned before , the anti skid comes on and the van tries to crash to a halt for a few seconds. Mechanic said after interrogating the computer, right speed sensor code error ,,, needs replaced. The problem solved for week or two. Now its back again occasionally only happens while going onto an on-ramp.. strange.. nowhere else No engine code. Where to look? Perhaps the speed sensor wasnt the cause

 

[jzchen]

AutoZone for the rack is my vote...

Sent from my REVVL V+ 5G using Tapatalk

 

[BillG]

Well, the body on my seinna looks fantastic no rust hardly any scratches. It was garage kept. When i first saw it, " ill take it" well beautiful is only skin deep
Ive replaced all front suspension parts except the rack.. car is in good alignment. As mentioned before , the anti skid comes on and the van tries to crash to a halt for a few seconds. Mechanic said after interrogating the computer, right speed sensor code error ,,, needs replaced. The problem solved for week or two. Now its back again occasionally only happens while going onto an on-ramp.. strange.. nowhere else No engine code. Where to look? Perhaps the speed sensor wasnt the cause

Did the mechanic use a genuine Denso sensor? If not, it may have failed again. Or it might be the wiring or the ABS ($$$$$) controller. It's also possible that something else is the problem. If it were me, I'd probably drop it off at the dealer for a comprehensive inspection. That said, if the rack is highly worn with a lot of play, it might throw off the sensor readings, causing the issue.

 

[Yrsman300]

Ok thanks ill look into this. I bought new sensor at autozone. Dont remember the brand