2004 Silverado - clamp failure on PS system.

[mrsilv04]

On the power steering system, GM uses a constant tension clamp on the line that runs from the power steering fluid cooler to the rack. This line is a rubber hose.

On the cooler end, it is a crimped connection. However, on the rack end, they use a constant tension clamp. I would assume that this is for speed and ease on the assembly line.

And after 9 years, and (of course) in the middle of winter, that clamp apparently can get weak. And when that happens, you'll have a quart of PSF all over the engine compartment and the under side of the truck... all the way back to the spare tire.

And I'm sure some of it found its way to the windshield of the car behind me as well.

Of course, the truck is a *handful* to drive without power steering.

Luckily, I was within a mile of home when this happened, and was able to limp it home before the pump ran dry.

I will be checking the 2000 Sierra over the weekend, to see if it has the same clamp as well.

The one upside of all of this? I don't have to worry about changing the power steering fluid anytime soon. It's all nice and fresh as of yesterday.

The downside of that is I had to use what I could get my hands on quickly and easily. And that happened to be Prestone PSF from Wal-Mart.

Oh well, it's probably the same stuff that Advance sells as well.

 

[KrisZ]

I would fix the clamp and consider everything else as cheap rustproofing.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I would fix the clamp and consider everything else as cheap rustproofing.

I'm very happy that the fix was a 50 cent hose clamp (plus $4.50 for a quart of PSF), and that I was able to limp it home to fix it.

It's not often that I get so lucky.

 

[GMBoy]

We still use the same setup today on the GMT900's. The operator slides the hose on and "pops" the clamp. The clamp comes open and glued to the hose so the operator just uses a small tool to pry the clamp off the "park open" positon and the hose is instantly clamped. Same for radiator and heater hoses.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
We still use the same setup today on the GMT900's. The operator slides the hose on and "pops" the clamp. The clamp comes open and glued to the hose so the operator just uses a small tool to pry the clamp off the "park open" positon and the hose is instantly clamped. Same for radiator and heater hoses.



I assumed that it was this way for the assembly line.

I also noticed that the old clamp was glued to the hose. I wasn't expecting that... ;^)

I've replaced the constant tension clamp with a worm drive clamp.

 

[cptbarkey]

hoses should in general be inspect at 7-8 years for damage. you are lucky you dont have more issues. you should do a full inspection if you dont want to expect any more "trouble."

 

[xxch4osxx]

I will have to check out the clamps on mine as well. Im going to replace all the coolant hoses this spring too.

 

[JimPghPA]

Sounds to me like a real safety problem.

1) Fire hazard, hot exhaust + PS fluid. If it let go on a hot day with the vehicle hot after an hour or more of towing something heavy and the exhaust at maximum normal temperature, there probably would be a good chance of a major fire.

2) Major hazard to vehicle and other vehicles that travel on the road. If it let go when the road was wet from a light rain + the PS fluid on the tires and road vehicles could louse enough traction to loose control and crash.

3) Hazard because of loss of power steering. If a light weight woman with minimum arm strength were driving, the sudden requirement to muscle the steering wheel could result in a crash.

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I do not know who to contact regarding registering this problem, but there has to be some federal agency that tracks these kind of problems and demands a recall fixing it, if there are enough of them.

Probably called federal highway traffic and safety or something like that.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Sounds to me like a real safety problem.

1) Fire hazard, hot exhaust + PS fluid. If it let go on a hot day with the vehicle hot after an hour or more of towing something heavy and the exhaust at maximum normal temperature, there probably would be a good chance of a major fire.

2) Major hazard to vehicle and other vehicles that travel on the road. If it let go when the road was wet from a light rain + the PS fluid on the tires and road vehicles could louse enough traction to loose control and crash.

3) Hazard because of loss of power steering. If a light weight woman with minimum arm strength were driving, the sudden requirement to muscle the steering wheel could result in a crash.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I do not know who to contact regarding registering this problem, but there has to be some federal agency that tracks these kind of problems and demands a recall fixing it, if there are enough of them.

Probably called federal highway traffic and safety or something like that.




I think you are over reacting because this is a possible scenario with any hose on any vehicle. Coolant hoses, heater hoses, oil cooler lines as well can burst and dump oil and fluids.

Bottom line is that these are normal wear items and the power steering hose in the ops truck was going on 10 years old. Lesson learned is for everyone to check all their rubber hoses yearly atleast.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
I think you are over reacting because this is a possible scenario with any hose on any vehicle. Coolant hoses, heater hoses, oil cooler lines as well can burst and dump oil and fluids.

Bottom line is that these are normal wear items and the power steering hose in the ops truck was going on 10 years old. Lesson learned is for everyone to check all their rubber hoses yearly atleast.


Not so much the hose, but the clamp.

But the main point is the same.

 

[JimPghPA]

And how is one to inspect these clamps in a way that will determine if they are good, or about to let go?

Sounds to me like a new design that is faster to assemble, but does not have the life expectancy of previous items.

If your family were rounding a bend in the rain at highway speed and the road was slick with oil from a hoseclamp on a vehicle failing like that would you just chalk it up to normal life expectancy failure, or would you want the previous design that did not fail like that to be required on that vehicle.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Sounds to me like a real safety problem.

1) Fire hazard, hot exhaust + PS fluid. If it let go on a hot day with the vehicle hot after an hour or more of towing something heavy and the exhaust at maximum normal temperature, there probably would be a good chance of a major fire.

2) Major hazard to vehicle and other vehicles that travel on the road. If it let go when the road was wet from a light rain + the PS fluid on the tires and road vehicles could louse enough traction to loose control and crash.

3) Hazard because of loss of power steering. If a light weight woman with minimum arm strength were driving, the sudden requirement to muscle the steering wheel could result in a crash.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I do not know who to contact regarding registering this problem, but there has to be some federal agency that tracks these kind of problems and demands a recall fixing it, if there are enough of them.

Probably called federal highway traffic and safety or something like that.




I think you are over reacting because this is a possible scenario with any hose on any vehicle. Coolant hoses, heater hoses, oil cooler lines as well can burst and dump oil and fluids.

Bottom line is that these are normal wear items and the power steering hose in the ops truck was going on 10 years old. Lesson learned is for everyone to check all their rubber hoses yearly atleast.


Agreed. And it should be noted that not a single old GM in our fleet has EVER had any power steering issues of any kind!

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
And how is one to inspect these clamps in a way that will determine if they are good, or about to let go?

Sounds to me like a new design that is faster to assemble, but does not have the life expectancy of previous items.





Simple to check - you just tug on it. If those hose moves, it's loose.

The same design is used on the small coolant overflow hoses from the engine to the coolant tank. This and the P/S are not under high pressure.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
If your family were rounding a bend in the rain at highway speed and the road was slick with oil from a hoseclamp on a vehicle failing like that would you just chalk it up to normal life expectancy failure, or would you want the previous design that did not fail like that to be required on that vehicle.


This kind of logic can be applied to anything, food, walking, flying, or just sitting comfortably in your home. What if scenarios are countless. What if your family got hit by a bus, the wings came off, the furnace caught on fire... all scary and deadly scenarios that can happen.
Definitely it's not something I would wish for anyone to happen, but it's not one of those things that all of the sudden "we have to do something about".

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
And how is one to inspect these clamps in a way that will determine if they are good, or about to let go?

Sounds to me like a new design that is faster to assemble, but does not have the life expectancy of previous items.

If your family were rounding a bend in the rain at highway speed and the road was slick with oil from a hoseclamp on a vehicle failing like that would you just chalk it up to normal life expectancy failure, or would you want the previous design that did not fail like that to be required on that vehicle.


Jim... my best guess would be to replace the clamp. It takes about 5 minutes when everything is coated in PS fluid. I'd say it would take about 3 minutes when everything is clean and dry.

Actually, the clamp wouldn't even have to be replaced. There's enough room to simply add a worm drive clamp. So, we're now down to a minute and a half.

You've spent more time than that just arguing about it.

 

[bdcardinal]

Or you could take the line off and let the system drain some and do an end around P/S fluid change.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Or you could take the line off and let the system drain some and do an end around P/S fluid change.


That's what I did... it was just "unscheduled maintenance".

 

[ls1mike]

Lots of manufactures use similar clamps that can all fail like that. It is rare and that is why they are still used.

 

[another Todd]

It's probably not a clamp problem IMO. It is probably the rubber has hardened and the clamp can no longer squeeze it tight. I would replace the hose.