Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Autocross and Open Track PS fluid boil?

I post this here because this is the real hard driving forum...
After "boiling" the PS fluid at my last track event, I switched to a full synthetic PS fluid. Will this solve the problem? Anyone else boil their fluid? The runoff onto the right rear tire is quite disconcerting!!!

your PS fluid overflowed onto your
rear passenger side tire?????

the synthetic should definitely help with your boiling problem. if not you prolly will have to replace the pump or the rack.

i could see that, it boils over, splashes onto the body and then wind "leads" it down the body onto the rear tire. Of course, you'd have to be going a bit fast for this to happen, but I could see it happening.

It happened during the third track session at Road Atlanta last Sept. The right lower side of the car looked damp. The fluid came out of the top, ran down the firewall area and went all over the right underside of the car, including the right rear tire. I kept wondering during the later laps of the session why the rear felt so loose braking into 10a, a hard-braking 90 left, until I got to the pits and had a puddle under the right rear engine compartment!
I'm hoping that it's fixed!!

The LP return line to the res is usually very close to the R/H drive shaft support bearing in can get rubbed and leak...may want to check it

I had the same thing happen, but after some careful checking I found that the fluid didn't boil. What happened was excess fluid got tossed out of the cap. Once I let the fluid reach its own natural level I didn't have a problem.

BTW... that was after replacing the stock fluid with synthetic.

FYI... autocross is much harder on the PS system than track events.

Terry is correct. The PS lines are routed very close, and may rub. This can lead to a catastophic loss in PS fluid if not taken care of. :rolleyes:

I boil mine out the top of the res. during my track day events. This is on a small 1.6 mile 12 turn track. I was thinking of adding some form of P/S cooler to remedy the problem but I have not really looked into it yet.

Alex in Boulder, CO
95SE MTX
160hp 152tq more to come!

84 VW Jetta GLI
Loud Fast Fun!

I have had the problem once at a track event. I am interested in swapping over to sythetic fluid. For the people that have are you switching to sythetic power steering fluid or synthetic ATF fluid, like Ford uses?
Also, where is everyone breaking into the system to flush it with new fluid?

Thanks,

Use Mobil 1 ATF. Do not downgrade to a P/S fluid even if synth or semi-synth!

A common problem is frothing due to constant high rpm's. Once that starts; overheating the system is quick to follow. Pump cavatation is last and expensive!