I added power steering fluild (Not atf+4) a few months ago and now I noticed red fluid leaking from under the car. Leak is only less then 10 drops per night.

Worried that it was my tranny fluid, I took it in and had my tranny fluid/filter replaced. Luckily my tranny is ok and has no leak.

Unluckily, the dealer told me a need a new rack since it was leaking and it would cost $840

questions are:

Is it ok to drive the vehicle and just monitor the fluid and fill as neccessary?
Do you think using not atf+4 caused this issue?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

It's never OK to drive a vehicle with problems like that. If it's starting to leak now, what happens if the leak suddenly gushes out and you loose all your fluid? Well, you'll have no power assist and this will cause an accident. ever try to steer without the engine running? So shop around and find another estimate on the repair. If the doctor said you had some incurrable disease, you'd get a second opinion/.... right?

 

$840 for a new rack isn't bad. The shop labor is 4.2 hours.

As for driving with it leaking, you're taking a chance. Usually the seals start to leak slowly, and I've seen them go for 6 months or more. But at some point, they blow out. That's when you'll be stranded. Worse yet, since the pump is always driven by the belt, once the fluid sprays out, the pump will be running dry. Then you'll be looking at a new rack AND a new pump.

How big of a risk taker are you?

 

If you are mech. inclined or not, slide under your van and search out the leak for yourself, it might not be the rack, pressure lines are prone to rot and leaking, at least that way you know what is leaking and can either replace yourself or request to a mech that is what you want replaced so you don't get hosed (Pun intended) LOL.. the lines are not hard to do all though you will need a crow foot wrench at the rack, at the pump you can use a comb.wrench
Just my .03 cents, Good Luck

 

it dont seam like this guy is gonna do that. maybe find a good shop that would put it on a rack and check for that leak. i hadda couple vans that the lines on the rack leaked but the aint all that easy to get at and then the fittings were a pita to get out

 

I bought an 06 Grand Caravan used, in Dec. of 08... and appearantly, had a similar problem.

Thing was, about a week or 2 after I bought it, notice that the rear wheel bearing was going bad (grinding). Took it back and they replace it for free, since I had just bought it.
When I got the paperwork back, I noticed that THEY had noticed a steering leak.

They also did this for free, says they "replaced leaking steering gear" Even tho there was no charge, on the paperwork it says ... gear-rack and pinion- $309.00 and O ring-power steering hose (?) $4.76..plus what looks to be $181.00 labor

 

I have a 2001 Grand Caravan and just recently had the rack replaced on mine. Very similar circumstances...slow leak, got worse, found a bad rack. Needed tires too, so took it in for all at once. After tires, alignment, the new rack, the new tie rod ends they said were shot (I had them replaced 3 years ago, so they did them for free this time), sway bar stuff, and the labor all said and done I ended up spending about $1,400. So I'd say your quote isn't far off. It's not an easy task to replace a rack on one of these, and I wouldn't do it myself. Just don't drive it too long, or you could cause more issues.