Rack and Pinion Leak...

[rbays7@hotmail.com]

Does anybody else have this issue?
I have a 2010 2LT with only 7600 miles. I have a good mechanic!
He does all my maintenance. I went for an OLF change and he showed
me my power steering fluid was low and that there was a leak. He showed me
the leak along the rack and pinion steering bar that started from the seal. He said not to worry about
it now because it was so minor. He said he only needed to add a couple of
tablespoons of fluid. But that eventually he'd have to change the whole part.
I do have an extended warranty that expires in 2016 and I think the repair should be covered. Should I wait like he said or do the repair now? Could the bad roads where I live have caused the leak? Is it because I don't drive the car enough? What do you think?

[GONIF]

Drain all the old fluid and ,Try some Lucas power steering conditioning fluid ,it may stop the leak or slow it down some . After 5 years your old fluid is shot anyway .
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...76943099,d.cGE

[Dimitrim]

Why on earth did you spend good money on a great extended warrenty and not use it. I would ask your mechanic if he could take a picture of the leaking seal and write a report about the leak. Then take it to the dealer and have it replaced right away. The reason to have it done immediately is what if they replace the unit and then a hose starts leaking. Then at least you have time on your warenty to have the hose replaced.

[GONIF]

Didn't see you had the extended warrantee . If it is in fact a leak they will fix it ,but if they claim it is not a leek just some minor weeping/dampness ,they may want to charge you half of a very inflated price to fix it . Do you have a deductible ?

[rbays7@hotmail.com]

Originally Posted by Dimitrim

Why on earth did you spend good money on a great extended warrenty and not use it. I would ask your mechanic if he could take a picture of the leaking seal and write a report about the leak. Then take it to the dealer and have it replaced right away. The reason to have it done immediately is what if they replace the unit and then a hose starts leaking. Then at least you have time on your warenty to have the hose replaced.

Thank you for your advice. My extended warranty is good through 2016. I would rather have my mechanic do the work than the dealer. The leak is very minor and he only had to add a little to the reservoir. I'll discuss it with my mechanic and see what he thinks as well. I'm not very knowlegeable about these things. What hose are you refering to? He showed me the area where the leak was coming from. It was on the left side of the rack and pinion bar. There was a dampness all along the bar but not much.

[rbays7@hotmail.com]

Originally Posted by GONIF

Didn't see you had the extended warrantee . If it is in fact a leak they will fix it ,but if they claim it is not a leek just some minor weeping/dampness ,they may want to charge you half of a very inflated price to fix it . Do you have a deductible ?

Thank you for your advice. No I have no deductible. If the mechanic says it's nothing to worry about at the moment, and that I can wait to the Spring when my next oil change is due(about six months from now) and check it out then... Does that sound reasonable? He is a very good mechanic. Could there be some hose damage in the future do to this problem as another poster mentioned to me? I'll ask him about draining and refilling with Lucas oil.

[rbays7@hotmail.com]

Originally Posted by GONIF

Didn't see you had the extended warrantee . If it is in fact a leak they will fix it ,but if they claim it is not a leek just some minor weeping/dampness ,they may want to charge you half of a very inflated price to fix it . Do you have a deductible ?

Also,

Don't I notify the Grantor of my extended Warranty... They either look at the car and/or then contact my mechanic and they negotiate between them a repair price before any work is done. The warranty pays for the repair, right, I don't. And as I said I don't have a deductible. By the way according to my Warranty I can bring my car to whoever I want. It doesn't have to be to a GM dealer.

[GONIF]

All depends on the warrantee company ,there are some good ones and some bad ones . If there is no deductible ,that is a good start and you should be able to get it fixed right. Just make sure your warrantee company will allow your mechanic to do it and they will pay him directly. Still ,you should have changed the power steering fluid B4 this long . I like to change power steering fluid when it starts looking funky , every 3 years or 50000 miles witch ever comes first .

[rbays7@hotmail.com]

Originally Posted by GONIF

All depends on the warrantee company ,there are some good ones and some bad ones . If there is no deductible ,that is a good start and you should be able to get it fixed right. Just make sure your warrantee company will allow your mechanic to do it and they will pay him directly. Still ,you should have changed the power steering fluid B4 this long . I like to change power steering fluid when it starts looking funky , every 3 years or 50000 miles witch ever comes first .

Checked on those this AM. Can choose my mechanic. They will pay directly.
I only have 7500 miles on the car. But I bought it in 2010 and it has been
checked out on a normal regular basis. As of now I will heed my mechanics
advice and wait till the Spring and see where I'm at then. In the meantime,
I will check the reservoir from time to time and see if I get low on fluid.
Thank you for your help...