Pwer Steering Went Out

[muddfildvaynes]

So my brother totalled his 97 2500 diesel suburban by rolling it on the freeway during a snow storm and while we are waiting to get the insurance money for it I am letting him drive the pathy around to get to work and back. He called me last night because he was driving and all the sudden it started smoking so he pulled over and I cam to look at it and power steering fluid was everywhere on the driver side of the engine and pooling on the ground; but the belts were dry and still had a coat of dirt on them. Looks like maybe the high pressure hose went on the pump, but I am not sure as I have not looked at it to much yet because it was cold and dark last night. So I towed it to my buddies shop where it sits now and hopefully gonna go look at it on my lunch break from work. Any ideas?

[skulptr]

still drivable, jsut take the belt off lol

[muddfildvaynes]

Well my buddy just got back to me, and he said it was the low pressure line, not the high pressure that went; it seems that the low pressure line was bent against my manifold for some reason and it melted.... I have no clue how that came about. Anyways I am glad it was the low pressure one because they want $160 for the low pressure replacement and $260 for the high pressure replacement. The thing is that I can't find a parts store that has it.... Its the return line with the banjo fittings... Maybe make one? Any ideas?

[SilverPath]

eh, take it to a hydraulic shop, they can make one for a lot less then $160. Atleast they can over here...

[DanAK]

It does not sound like the problem that I had but I just thought I would throw this in.

 

When I first got my pathfinder I had huge power steering issues, first my pump went out (no problem it was old) so I replaced the pump with a new one. Then 5 days latter that new pump went out while driving in the desert and when we checked it we found that the reservoir cap was missing. Went and got a used pump this time, it lasted 2 days. Flushed the system and got another used pump. Went good for maybe a week and then failed, by this point I am crying my self to sleep and night and throwing tantrums in the street whenever it breaks down. I bit the bullet, I take it to Nissan and pay $1,500 and replace every component in the steering system and in doing so get a 3 month, 10,000k warranty. 3 and a half months, and 15000k latter Power steering starts to die again

 

During that three months I had found a new work shop to work on my car (a place where a local guy builds his own rally cars) so I took the truck to them and told them my whole ordeal. They installed steering oil cooler from a Nissan petrol, I paid $50 for parts and labor and I didn't replace anything else. That was 2 years ago, and it is still going strong.

 

That's my horror story about that pathfinder, and I don't know anyone else who has had that kind of trouble with their power steering.

[1999R50]

I power steering is in and out. I can't seem to figure out what it is. It work some times(not very often) but most of the time turing feels like an arm wrestle. When I pop the hood and turn the wheel while listening, I can hear the pump going. Maybe I just need a new pump.

[SilverPath]

Have you checked the fluid?