Re: 987 Boxster S power steering leaking?

Was cleaning my throttle bodies and noticed that it looked wet and dirty around the bottom off the power steering resivoir so i cheaked the level
and it was low.It appears to be coming from the overflow tube that comes out near the filler cap.I dont race it,its a daily driver.Is this typical for an 06 model.
Is it caused from heat or did they make the resovoir to small,just guessing here.I topped it off with some european formula that includes the brand in my car that porsche sells.
Cant remember the classification rite now.It wasent clear though,green color comes to mind.Has anyone else had this problem with a daily driver.
Will a under drive pulley solve this or do i need a cooler.Maybe theres a way off getting more air up there that someone has thought off.Thx

Quote
moresquirt
Was cleaning my throttle bodies and noticed that it looked wet and dirty around the bottom off the power steering resivoir so i cheaked the level
and it was low.It appears to be coming from the overflow tube that comes out near the filler cap.I dont race it,its a daily driver.Is this typical for an 06 model.
Is it caused from heat or did they make the resovoir to small,just guessing here.I topped it off with some european formula that includes the brand in my car that porsche sells.
Cant remember the classification rite now.It wasent clear though,green color comes to mind.Has anyone else had this problem with a daily driver.
Will a under drive pulley solve this or do i need a cooler.Maybe theres a way off getting more air up there that someone has thought off.Thx

Be sure you don't over fill the tank. With one of my car's there's a hot and cool fluid level marking on the power steering fluid level dip stick. The cold level temperature is 20C, the hot level temperature is 80C.

The tank is large enough. Overfilling will have excess fluid vented. Also, the pump pressurizes the fluid to around 1000psi and any leak however small will have fluid, well, leaking.

What can happen is the level drops and the fluid froths/foams up and this can have some fluid vented out. It is carried out with the vapor generated by the tank/pump operating with too low a level of fluid. Also, while you see fluid sign at the tank/fittings the leak may not be at the tank and fittings. A problem with some MY's is a high pressure relief valve fails and the system gets too high pressure fluid. In this case a common leak point is the rack seals. However, the fluid doesn't hit the ground but gets caught in the dust boots.

You should use Pentosin. Anything else is not recommended. It reads like you mixed Pentosin with something else that while it might be a power steering fluid is probably not Pentosin. If so you might be faced with flushing the power steering system with Pentosin until all the wrong fluid (and old Pentosin) has been removed and replaced with fresh Pentosin. IIRC this can be done by disconnecting the return line at the tank -- and plugging the hole at the tank -- and routing the fluid to a bucket and keeping the level topped up while you spin the pump by hand to pump the fluid out of the tank and through the system and out the open return line. This is how the techs bleed a power steering system that has been opened up to replace something.

You do not need to fit an under drive pulley nor a fluid cooler. For a daily driver that sees no track time the stock system is just fine. Tracking might require a fluid cooler or possibly just limiting the amount of time one is out on the track and giving the car a chance to cool down between sessions.

Might add both of my cars have been driven in high ambient temperature conditions a number of times - going to be 100F Friday here I think in fact -- both power steering systems are bone dry.

I mixed the fluid with a European formula that stated was ok to be mixed with pentosin ect. I think i may have a leak or the high pressure releif valve may be bad.I did not have to add much to get from no reading to full cold was maybe couple oz at most.Thx for info,i will keep an eye on it.

Quote
moresquirt
I mixed the fluid with a European formula that stated was ok to be mixed with pentosin ect. I think i may have a leak or the high pressure releif valve may be bad.I did not have to add much to get from no reading to full cold was maybe couple oz at most.Thx for info,i will keep an eye on it.

If you believe the fluids are compatible then never mind regarding the flush and refill operation.

If there is any chance the high pressure relief valve is bad, my advice would be to get the car in the air and get access to the power steering rack and check the dust boots for any signs of power steering fluid. Chances are they will not show wetness but one or both can be filled with power steering fluid, fluid captured that was forced past the seal. If the condition persists long enough the fluid will eventually show up but by this time the power steering fluid level can be low enough the power steering pump is damaged from the low level.

Grope the dust boots. If either feel like cheap breast implants you have identified the signs of a probable high-pressure relief valve problem. Be careful you do not get too energetic with your groping. I was at the work bench when tech removed a boot with fluid in it. He covered the boot with a shop rag and when he removed the boot it came off with a pop and a spray of power steering fluid that the rag caught.

k thx Marc