[ul]
[li]Rack $320[/li][li]PS pressure line $110[/li][li]PS return line $128[/li][li]shop supplies $30[/li][li]Labor R&R power pressure hose $101[/li][li]R&R ps return hose $118[/li][li]Haz Mat $15[/li][/ul]
Total: $880, after tax
That’s what my wife tells me the mechanic noted as needing repair.
I concur that there’s a problem. I’ve had to replace PS fluid, and there’s a whirring sound when the wheel is locked to either side.
I just don’t know how critical the problem is. Is this something that will fail spectacularly, or can I just keep topping off with PS fluid until it finally busts for good?
Is it a fair price?
My wife is voluntarily out of full time work, but looking for full time work. I’ve been delaying a new-to-us car purchase until she’s employed. I’m trying to get 2 more years out of this car. I just replaced the alternator and related pulleys & tensioner last month.
I don’t suppose you know where it’s leaking? At 200,000 miles, the mechanic is attempting to fix anything that might fail SOON, leading you to come back as an unsatisfied customer. The prices seem ballpark correct for a mechanic and his parts mark-up, and without looking at it in person, that’s about all I can say.
(my last power steering repair cost $2 worth of o-rings, $20 for a coolant hose that wouldn’t seal upon reinstallation, and $20 in fluids…plus two days work, research, my tools and knowledge.)
If you are unwilling/unable to fix it yourself, you are up to the mercy of hoping to find a reputable mechanic. Has he done right by you in the past?
We’ve just started using him. He takes the time to explain the problem and demonstrate the evidence that led him to the conclusion more than the wage slaves at MONRO did. That’s why we switched mechanics.
That said, his prices do tend to be a little higher, and his work takes a little longer than places we’ve been before… but never more expensive or longer than we were quoted. He’s rather keen about keeping us up-to-date when either of those details change.
If it weren’t for the reputation of the profession, I’d have no hesitation signing off on any work he recommends.
My issue is whether I’m running a risk of sudden steering failure. I’ll keep dumping PS fluid in every 6 months if I can keep it safe for that time. I just don’t want my wife driving down the street and experience near-total steering failure.
You can test the extra effort it would take if the power steering were to give out completely. Go to a large empty parking lot (like a big mall after hours) and get the car up to about 30 mph. Put the car in neutral, shut the engine off with the key, but turn the key back so it doesn’t lock the steering wheel. Try steering around with the engine off. It will be possible but it will take more effort. It’ll be hardest when the car isn’t moving. At traffic speed, a little car like that won’t be very hard to steer if the power steering fails. Have your wife try this too.
Believe it or not, that’s a good thing. He’s charging enough to stay in business, not ‘win the bid’ and make it up on volume. Like I said, he’s replacing all of the components that are likely to fail in the near future as well. The only component remaining is the power steering pump, and if it’s not worn, it’s expensive and doesn’t NEED to be replaced.
It looks like he’s charging you for slightly more than an hour’s labor, which is not unreasonable.
California jobcase’s advice is good, see if your wife can steer the car without power assist. Make it a BIG parking lot as you’ll only get two or three applications of the brake before THAT power assist goes away, too.
The problem may be if it fails intermittently, where the steering is light-heavy-light-heavy. If the leak is bad, and you don’t know where it’s leaking from, you can’t eliminate the possibility of that fluid contacting hot exhaust…PS fluid on hot exhaust is contra-indicated. At the very least, it’d smoke and smell bad, at worst, you could have an insurance claim on a car fire.
(again, I’m unfamiliar with the engine setup on your car, YMMV.)
You don’t say how bad it is leaking. The hoses could be leaking and the rack probably is leaking at the end seals. If you can stand the leakage and will diligently keep it topped off, you could continue on. If the fluid is pouring out the bottom or there are signs of hard steering or jerky steering, I say the game is up. You must get it fixed.
PS. The itemized prices seem appropriate. $880 is a lot to put in an old vehicle, but the alternatives are worst. If the rest of the vehicle is in great shape, staying with this one may be the least costly route.
“whirring” at full lock to either side isn’t out of the ordinary. losing PS fluid is out of the ordinary. how critical it is depends on where it’s leaking from. if it’s from the seals in the rack, it might not be a big deal save for staining the pavement. if it’s one of the lines, well, those can burst and spray fluid (which is just oil) all over the engine compartment, risking a fire.
At the very least, it’d smoke and smell bad, at worst, you could have an insurance claim on a car fire.