Third-gen Ram 1500 Power Steering Cooler Change, Made Easy
Dodge Forum member shows how Ram 1500 power steering coolers are very easy to change, despite being problematic.
If you have a Ram 1500 from the 2002 through 2009 model years, the odds are good that the power steering cooler has been replaced or it will soon need to be replaced. I own one of these trucks and I have replaced the power steering cooler twice. It is mounted behind the grille, in front of the main radiator, right where it is exposed to the harshest elements. Over time, they crack around the fins and begin to leak.
Some people might run to a local garage to pay someone to make the repair, but this is truly one of the easiest jobs that you can do on a third generation Ram 1500. With this write-up from BobK anyone with simple tools to swap out this leaky part in their driveway or garage.
Ram Power Steering Cooler Diagnosis
If you find that your Ram 1500 is dripping red fluid from the area around the front bumper, the odds are good that you have a leaking power steering cooler. When you open your hood, it is mounted to the front-bottom of the main radiator, with a black plastic shroud hiding it from above. You can remove that shroud to get a better look at the power steering cooler, but it is removed from beneath, so you don’t need to increase access from above.
The location also allows you to diagnose the problem from below. When this cooler fails, you will find drip marks in your driveway, but you will often have fluid on the bottom of the radiator and sometimes on the rubber hoses running to the power steering cooler. If you have red fluid anywhere in that area, you have a leak and unless it is the hoses, the problem is the cooler.
Simple Fix
This do-it-yourself write-up explains each step in great deal, but there is the quick run-down of this project.
You start by draining the power steering fluid by removing the reservoir cap and carefully sliding the rubber hoses off of the cooler. You will need a catch pan for this. Once the cooler is drained, you remove the two bolts holding the unit onto the bottom of the main engine cooling radiator. Aftermarket replacements kits do not always come with the new cooler, so you will want to check before tearing up the old nuts and bolts. The Mopar cooler does come with new fasteners, just in case the old ones are in bad shape.
Once you have removed the old unit, you bolt up the new power steering cooler, slide on the rubber hoses with some new clamps and refill the system through the reservoir. That is the entire process.
You can buy the Mopar replacement part for around $100, but if you want to go with lower cost aftermarket parts, you can get them for as low as $30. You will most certainly pay more than $100 to have an average shop make the swap for you.
Click here for a closer look at the whole write up. You might want to bookmark this thread for the time when your Ram 1500 power steering cooler craps out.
Join the Dodge Forums now!
