very minor oil leak, please advise...

steven76

Original poster
Member
Mar 24, 2012
54
Yesteray i got up under my TB to check out my sway-bar end-links. I discovered a small collection of oil on the sway bar.

I traced the leak to a line which comes out of the engine below the power steering pump.
It leaves the engine as a metal tube, then changes to a hose, runs along the lower perimeter of the fan, then back up to the driver side of the engine where it changes back to a metal tube again.

It is very oily and dirty just where it changes from the metal tube to soft hose below the power steering pump. This is what's dripping/oozing down onto my sway-bar. There is not even enough oil to cause a drip...its just oily and dirty down there. Also, my oil is not low; my last oil change was about 7000 miles ago (currently 5% remaining in my DIC,) and i havent added any oil since the oil change.

I believe this is some sort of oil cooling line, or something. Can someone please advise me as to exactly what it is, and how hard it would be for a urban-guy with limited tools to change. Or do I need to head in to a mechanic. I really miss Compnine.com. I would study the diagrams and figure out which part is which on my own.

Thanks...
 

christo829

Member
Dec 7, 2011
497
Fairfax, Virginia
Some pictures would probably help ID the part that's leaking. It could be the power steering line (without me
climbing under my TB, and based roughly on your description) so you may want to check your PS fluid. Do
you see a clamp imprint on the hose, or is it one of those crimped connections? It's always possible to lose
a clamp, if it was a clamped connection, in which case you may be able to repair it instead of replacing it.

Also, Mooseman has posted links to manuals, so you can look through those to see if you can find your part:

http://gmtnation.com/f23/need-manuals-get-them-here-371/

Or just go up to the search window and put in "manuals". The sticky will show up about third. For some reason
my URL is not showing as a link (suspect operator error). EDIT: It came up once the post was submitted.

Good Luck!

Chris
 

steven76

Original poster
Member
Mar 24, 2012
54
Here are the pictures.
I outlined the hose that is causing the problem.
There is not enough oil to even cause 1 single drip on the ground though. It is just collecting on the sway bar.
 

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christo829

Member
Dec 7, 2011
497
Fairfax, Virginia
Check your power steering fluid levels. That location looks to me like it's the
power steering hoses. Are you sure they're coming out of the engine, and not the
lower portion of the power steering pump housing? Where does the other end of
the leaking hose go (as in where it terminates)? You said it goes up by the driver's
side of the engine, but not where it ends.

Just trying to get some more detail. Also, look at Mooseman's manual collection for
2002-2005. There's a section in there about the power steering. If those *are* the
power steering hoses leaking, you can get an idea what you're getting in to.

Cheers-

Chris
 

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