Is it possible the mechanic broke the steering rack?

Question

I had my car worked on 2 months back. He removed and replaced the front struts and the power steering bellows. The next day the steering rack started leaking out from the drivers side bellows. I kept the old parts. The old bellows were torn but dry, no power steering fluid on them.

What are the chances that this leak is do to a poor repair job that was done wrong?

It's a 2002 car. The steering rack is only 1 year old. The car has been driven in ideal conditions in Southern California so there shouldn't be any weathering or corosion damage.

Answer 1

If the struts were changed and the tie rods were Not disconnected the rack will be damaged.

Answer 2

Actually you will get absolutely no power steering fluid leaks even if either of bellows were NOT installed. The bellows covers inner tie rod ends to keep them clean. There's no hydraulic fluid in there at all. They are dry inside all the time.

If fluid is leaking a piston with two O rings are leaking way inside the inner tie-rod end. It sounds as if you need some steering rack work or better yet use yours as a core and purchase a re-manufactured one.

The mechanic changed the bellows correct? He should have advised you that a leak comes from the pressure side of the steering rack and it needed repair or replacing.

If you think about it for a minute any ordinary power steering pump would blow the bellows apart within one second if full pressure were allowed to come near the bellows. Think of how thick and the materials power-steering hoses are made of. One is a steel high pressure line.

Answer 3

Old cars have parts that are just old and fragile. There's a difference between car damage from incompetence and car damage from old and crumbly car parts.

I've had stupid mechanics put in wrong oil in my transmission and wrong coolants in my radiator. That would be incompetence. But even when I work on my own car, often times other car parts break (known or unknown) just because the parts are just old.

Let's say the "bellow" broke during the repair (just because it was old). If your mechanic called you over and said to you, you need new steering rack - does that make it any more or less his responsibility.

What if the same thing happened but he either (a) didn't noticed the broken bellow (b) just forgot to let you know you should have it replace soon. Does that make it any more or less his responsibility?


Good Luck.

P.S. If the mechanic sat you down and told you all the things that need repairs, then you would think he is just a rip off artists.

P.P.S. I am a backyard mechanic. I've been burned by mechanics. But I also know when it is NOT their fault.

P.P.P.S. The you should NOT have waited 2 months. You probably have a legit case, but you should NOT have waited. Now he will claim (and probably believe) that the damage was done elsewhere. Sorry to deliver the bad news.

Answer 4

When replacing the "bellows" on the rack, there is little to no chance of breaking the seals on the ends of the rack. If anything, I'd say there is more likely a problem with the power steering pump itself, over pressurizing both sides of the rack at the same time, causing a high-pressure condition that's often the cause of rack seal failure. Usually when replacing a rack, it's often recommended to replace the pump and the lines too, unless the failure on the rack is due to some outside influence that's very obvious (like an accident of some type)

Answer 5

The bellows that where replaced due to being torn protect the rack. Torn bellows could allow debris to damage the seals or scar the metal. If it leaked the next day I would not wait 2 months to say something?

Answer 6

For issues like steerage, suspension you need to truly take your vehicle to a expert. the steerage wheel ought to be close to to at latest while the recent rack is put in. you need to straighten your wheels, turn to the marvelous until finally it locks, count quantity the turns then lead them to at latest, turn to the left and count quantity the turns. in case you have the comparable volume of activates the two guidelines, then have the wheel alignment achieved. mutually as they do the wheel alignment they'll straighten the wheel. it is a factor of the interest. even though if it is making a grinding sound you need to get the mechanic to earnings it out. flow to the pro's my guy.

Answer 7

Typically the force used to replace the struts would not affect the steering. Does your car have over 100,000 miles on it? Your steering system might be on its last leg.

Answer 8

in order for rack to leak seal has to be leaking which are really hard to get at no freebie