Power steering experts in Wellington

[Mr Ree]

Hi there TS'ers

My SXV10 Camry has decided to spring a rather large PS fluid leak, so something in the system needs work.

Im going to get underneath it today to see if I can identify where the leak is coming from, but Im presuming it will be the seals in the pump that have gone, which will mean a rebuild/new unit. If that is not the case, it might just be a leaky line, which hopefully Im able to repair myself, but failing that, where in Wellington would be the best place to go to have it repaired? I dont have any space to pull it apart and work on it, so Im hoping some members here have some good suggestions for some honest workshops to take it to (provided I can actually drive it without it losing all its fluid too quickly.

Thanks for any advice that you can offer

[edwagon]

It'll be the high pressure hose down behind the engine - which are straightforward enough to sort out

[Mr Ree]

Thats what I am hoping it will be. After doing some reading last night, a few chaps found that one of the hoses had rusted out so they just hacksawed it off and joined a 3/8th rubber line to it. Fingers crossed it is that simple

[sergei]

If PS pump is leaking Replacing seals in PS pump is rather easy.

I have done my STI pump after getting a $1300+GST quote for new pump from Subaru. BTW on ebay they are about $400 USD new genuine (and similar cost in Japan). Winger are ripp-off artists.

It will cost you about $30 in seals and bearing. Go for viton O-rings from advanced seals in albany. The STI pump I rebuilt had nitrile O-rings and they only lasted less than 30k.
The only problem you might face if your pump uses gaskets. These will need to be sourced from toyota or ebay.

The pumps inside are very simple, if they are vane pumps .

[Mr Ree]

Thanks for the info, Sergei.

Luckily the leak is coming from one of the hard lines that goes between the steering column, and the rack...it was rusted through, just like every one of my brake lines and fuel lines, that I had to replace a little over a year ago.

Its a real shame that Toyota didn't use a material better suited to being under a car, completely exposed to the elements.

As I feared, like most parts for this car, Toyota have discontinued them, so going oem isnt an option. Just need to work out what sort of fittings are used at each end before I know whether I can just have a line made up, or not.

Cheers

[GDII]

Living on the south coast is harsh on your car. Never heard of fuel and brake lines having to be replaced due to rust in NZ.

[Mr Ree]

Agreed, mate. I know the South Coast is very harsh, but in my defence, Im extremely fastidious when it comes to keeping my car as safe as possible from the elements (think: removing all trims and seals and door rubbers periodically, to clean any built up dirt from under them to prevent rust, and hosing under my cars wheel arches and floor pan after all big southerly fronts etc) but yes, there is only so much that can be done without having a garage. But in saying that, I know that its not an all too uncommon problem with this model, as have read about it on various forums over the years. Perhaps they lived in a marine environment too though...

My brake and fuel lines all rusted in the same place, at the rear of the floor pan, where they leave the under body protector, and start to head upwards. Its looks as if the contact between the protector and the lines eventually caused spots of rust, which then grew and grew. Just glad to know that now, the risk of fire from a fuel leak, or the lack of stopping due to a brake line failing, is a thing of the past