Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Autocross and Open Track PWR Steering fluid out the cap

Has any one else had a pwr steering fluid leak at the cap after an autocross? The resevoir is quite hot and i am wondering if the fluid is boiling or is the reservoir becoming pressurized due to the quick steering inputs of the autocross and blowing it out the cap. Any ideas? TIA
Andy

I started autox this summer and never had a problem with the pwr steering fluid. I'm thinking that you have a problem with the power steering system. Especially since you say it is "hot" not warm. Depends on the weather also. I'll be curious to see some other input also.

Mine does it too. I first noticed it last year and had the bottle and cap replaced under warranty at the end of the autox season. It started doing it again this year and I took it back to the same dealer. They said the resevoir was overfilled and removed some fluid and pronounced it fixed. Funny, it had slightly less fluid in it than when they filled it the last time they worked on it. :rolleyes: I suspect the fluid is boiling. When I complete a run the rack makes a lot of groaning noises.

Chris

Interesting, I'd like to hear more on this. Mine never seems to be a problem. Last event was over 95 degrees for the day too.

The problem occured this past weekend at a divisional in Topeka, KS. The temperature was 100 degrees w/ 115-120 heat index. Most of the run was at 4K rpm or higher. It was a speed course with 2 high speed slaloms, lane change and various turns. The time on course was approx. 58 sec. each day. There were a lot of elavation changes also. This was the first event on the new Bridgestone S-02 Pole Positions instead of the BFG KDWs, so the extra grip may have been a contibuting factor.

just take the return line of the power steering system and pipe it through a radiator mounted auto trans cooler and the oil will never get hot.

I run on R1's so I doubt the extra grip is a factor. The only thing I could see being a problem is the 100 degree day.

Yes, the power steering fluid boils on hot days. I noticed this after driving around town and popped the hood right after to check something, and the fluid was boiling. It was about 95F outside. I haven't autocrossed it yet - this was just from driving around town, a bit aggressively, but nothing crazy.

Yes, there wer 3 Contour SVT's on the track last week here in Detroit and 1 boiled over quite a bit while the other 2 showed signs of slight boil over. Temperature was around 80 that day and we ran for 30 minutes at a time.

This is not something I like hearing.