Fluid leaking near the front of the car

DANHERFEL

MEMBER
2003 FORD MUSTANG
68,000 MILES

I recently took my car to a Sears store to get my battery replaced. While taking out the old battery the mechanic broke the clamps that hold the battery in place. During this process they pushed my car without it running and powersteering fluid came out. Since this happened I have taken the car back twice because I have a clear fluid under the vehicle. They tell me they overfilled the powersteering fluid, but this liquid is clear. I never had any issues wtih this before this happened. What could this be?

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,858 POSTS

This is actually pretty common and only pertains to Fords. When the steering system is turned repeatedly without the engine running, power steering fluid will get pushed out of the reservoir. That happens on all cars, but on Fords it becomes really miserable to get the air out once the fluid is refilled. A number of special tools have been developed to aid in the process. There are vacuum pumps and special funnels that catch the fluid. The system will appear to work fine while the engine is running, but when the engine is stopped, the air pocket expands and pushes the fluid out. Power steering fluid can be red but it's usually clear.

Once the fluid was low and the pump circulated air in it, there will be tiny air bubbles that only float out while the engine isn't running. Only those air bubbles in the reservoir float out and are expelled. All that air in the rest of the fluid just starts to circulate again when the engine is restarted. It can takes days to give that air time to work its way out. Just keep adding fluid just before each time you start the engine after it has been sitting a few hours or longer. Fill it just enough to cover the pump. Leave the fluid level low enough to give the expanding fluid a place to go without running over and making a mess when you stop the engine.