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Dissapearing Power Steering Fluid?

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xonetruthcrewx

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Has anyone else noticed this. Just Curious. I did maintenance yesterday and checking the fluids i found the PS fluid quite a bit low. No leaks, all is good. Thanks to VW and their mineral oil PS fluid i had to make a trip to the dealer (60 miles each way) to pick up some fluid. Checked every where for some Pentison CHF-11S, but no one had it or could get it. Oh well.

Also, i sold my Audi (05 1.8t Avant) almost a year ago now and i am still in contact with the new owner mostly as an over the phone mechanic for him. He had this same problem recently. No leaks, just low. We both have about 28k miles on the rigs. Its all just kinda odd.
 
#2 ·
Yes, I noticed this on my 2004 V8 too.
10.000 miles ago the fluid level was far below MIN. The dealer did not find any leak and filled it up to MAX again. In the meantime I am again below MIN. From other forums I learned that the steering fluid can disappear into to engine oil through a leaking steering pump. I assume I have this problem on my Touareg. I will confront my dealer with this issue next week. Fortunately I still have warranty on my car. As soon s I know more I´ll let you know.
 
#4 ·
power steering leak

had the same problem with a 07 v10. turned out to be the p/s hose was leaking. on the v10 you have to pull the motor to get to the hose. But ours was dripping on the garage floor. not much but a couple of drops. It was a month long repair before repair. THe first time they though it was the the p/s pump and replaced it. then the leak was still there so had to pull again to replace the hose. problem was they had to order parts both times and a 2 day motor removal.
 
#5 ·
Hi fellow enthusiasts. First I'd like to say what a great site this is, I'm a NOOB and this is my first post. I picked up my TREG in August and love it.

I just read this post and am experiencing the same problem with my 08 V8. I took the vehicle into the dealer today since still under factory warranty. The power steering fluid was way below the min mark. I took it in and told the service rep. it must be leaking since the fluid was so low but I saw no external signs of a leak. The service guy told me that since this is mineral based oil that it evaporates and that's why the level is down. I said, "Isn't this a sealed system and if the fluid were to evaporate, it would condense in the reservoir and no fluid would be lost?" I liked his response, "Your power steering uses oil just like your engine, and that's why they sell the oil, so you can top it off". And he went on to say that I shouldn't question him since he has 10 years of service experience.

Anyway, has anyone else experienced this problem with the dealer and how did you get it resolved?
 
#6 ·
All I can say is .....Wow.
 
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#8 ·
I assume the steering fluid has now been topped up to level?

Keep an eye on it at least once a week.

If it starts dropping again then you have got a steering fluid leak.

In the meantime, write to the dealer principal putting him on notice that you believe you have a fluid leak, that you further believe the service agent has given you incorrect advice, and that your car may have a serious safety issue for which you will be holding the dealer responsible.
 
#9 ·
Good advice Noobytoogy,
I'll go pick up the car today. Couldn't do it yesterday since he didn't call back til late in the afternoon. Thought I'd take a Sharpie with me and have the service adviser make a mark on the reservoir where the fluid level is currently. Before I got off the phone yesterday, I asked the adviser that if I brought it back in, say, a month and the level was down what would they do to address the issue. I never got a response.

I looked at the ratings for this dealership "VW Clearlake" and they have the worst rating in the Houston area. May try the dealership on the westside, lots of good comments there.
 
#12 ·
Not sure if the Treg has that system, but back in the day, the master cylinder had a rubber "membrane" which applied the pressure. With time that membrane became either porous or cracked which resulted in fluid oozing behind it ...

siberian
 
#15 ·
conrad787 said:
how does the problem of low power steering fluid or a faulty power steering pump manifest itself? something like this, where the wheel "groans" when you turn it from side to side?

http://www.clubtouareg.com/forums/f...he-cold-weather-make-your-touareg-freak-out-like-mine-video-attached-63383.html
Click to expand...
In my case (to my best assessment), the fluid level was really low, I did a hard acceleration which allowed the fluid to pull away from the inlet in the reservoir and the pump pulled air into the line. The pump immediately began the groan/whine noise and I felt the vibration in the steering wheel like other members have noted. I continued to drive the vehicle and turned the steering wheel lock-to-lock a couple of times and the air in the pump/rack/lines worked out and the noise and vibration subsided.
 
#17 ·
Loss of power steering fluid 2004 Touareg V8

I believe my loss is due to a leaking hose which I will eventually look for but the point of this post is that I don't see any drops on the ground.
The reason for this is, I believe, the fact that the tray under the engine absorbs the leakage and it will evaporate eventually.

When I find the leaking hose I will take the ends down to my local hydraulic hose maker and pay $25 for them to make a replacement. I won't even check with VW for a price.;)
 
#18 ·
In my experience the power steering fluid level remained stationary (for years).

Find another dealership. Or see if you can locate the leak yourself and then point it out in a cellphone picture. VW should train these employees better.
 
#19 ·
Power Steering problem (NEED HELP ASAP)

i have a 2009 volkswagen touareg and i was driving home last night and my steering wheel got stiff i dont know what happenened no lights leaks or nothing i can turn it but at will it is really stiff i am a pretty big guy and im having trouble with it
 
#20 ·
My wife's 2015 TDI had the PSpump groaning for some time now. I thought it was low voltage and would charge the battery but the groaning when turning the wheel hard over in the driveway never went away.

It had finally dawned on me, after I had done an oil change, to check the PS fluid and sure enough, the level was not even registering on the stick. I went to my local O'Reily's and gone some Beck Arnley mineral power steering fluid and filled up the reservoir in the parking lot and the moaning and groaning from the pump had instantly gone away. I got home, maybe a 2.5 mile drive, added a little more and no more sound or noise.

I have no leaks onto the ground or onto the tray as the skid plates were both taken off during the oil change. If the system does use oil or somehow it disappears, I have a quart to now top it up as I'll be checking it more often.

I had to add some to my 2016 Cayenne Diesel as well as it was at the Minimum on the stick.
 
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