Tips on tracking down a power steering leak?

[littleblazer]

03 escalade, this thing will kill me. It developed a power steering leak and lost about a quart in a 2 month period... but it isn't leaving any more drips than normal in the driveway. (It's leaked 160k out of the 206k we've had it) Anyone have a method for hunting this leak down? I can't just pressurize the system I think so I'll actually have to catch it in the act. UV dye and a blacklight perhaps?

 

[Capote]

03 escalade, this thing will kill me. It developed a power steering leak and lost about a quart in a 2 month period... but it isn't leaving any more drips than normal in the driveway. (It's leaked 160k out of the 206k we've had it) Anyone have a method for hunting this leak down? I can't just pressurize the system I think so I'll actually have to catch it in the act. UV dye and a blacklight perhaps?

Have someone bind up the steering while you're under it and keep an eye out.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Clean everything and then get under there while someone works the wheel around

 

[Mooseman]

Brake clean everything or use a pressure washer. UV dye is also a good idea after that.

 

[littleblazer]

Thanks gents. I was planning on de-greasing to start anyway. It's pretty clean at the moment as I gave everything a good hosedown when I replaced the rad back in November. Let you know the outcome come this weekend.

 

[Capote]

Thanks gents. I was planning on de-greasing to start anyway. It's pretty clean at the moment as I gave everything a good hosedown when I replaced the rad back in November. Let you know the outcome come this weekend.

My TB has had a PS leak for a year, never got to fixing it for good. My truck is caked with grime that has gotten stuck to the PS fluid and oil from a very old valve cover leak from 2yrs ago all over the undercarriage. It would take a whole weekend to clean it all up.

 

[littleblazer]

My TB has had a PS leak for a year, never got to fixing it for good. My truck is caked with grime that has gotten stuck to the PS fluid and oil from a very old valve cover leak from 2yrs ago all over the undercarriage. It would take a whole weekend to clean it all up.

I just hit it with a ton of spray nine and let it sit then hose off. It all mostly comes off that way. Enough to find a problem at least.

 

[Mounce]

Yeah definitely clean it up then check it for a few days till you see the schmoo. Make sure to get all ps lines clean, most have a common leak point at the compression splice or what have you where it goes from line to hose. Also hit the rack, pump, and other major components pretty well. Sounds like common sense but some get caught up on stuff like this thinking it's one thing and barely look at the rest.

I'm voting line or pump.

 

[littleblazer]

Update: brake booster is saturated, nothing else seems bad... not cleaning at 25 degrees.

 

[Capote]

Update: brake booster is saturated, nothing else seems bad... not cleaning at 25 degrees.

Is the Escalades brake booster in a similar spot in comparison to ours? If-so, it could be a bad seal where the lines connect to the rack.

 

[littleblazer]

Is the Escalades brake booster in a similar spot in comparison to ours? If-so, it could be a bad seal where the lines connect to the rack.

Yea but it is hydraulic boost so it uses the power steering, looks like one of those lines is failing at the booster it would seem.