Gotta love it when something goes right..

[Virtuoso]

So I was pulling out of my driveway yesterday morning, and when I got to the street, the steering got pretty stiff and "bouncy", and I could hear the pump groaning..and some hissing going on under the car. UGH. PS fluid of course streaming out from under the rack..

Had to get to work so I took the van. The whole day wondering if it's a $15 hose or a $180 rack. And if I couldn't do it myself (boy, they sure pack that stuff in there..), it might throw off our summer plans a bit.

So I get under the car today, and what do I see?? A loose return hose !! So $1.30 in clamps, $2.80 in fluid and some time and a few select words later, and I'm all set!

Just thought I would share. Usually it's my luck that the hard part fails. I was ecstatic to find it was the easy, cheap repair today.

 

[bruckus]

Eveybody deserves a break now and then. good for you. Now back to watching Kyle Busch dominate.

 

[mechanicx]

I love it when it happens like that.

 

[Hethaerto]

Exact same thing happened to my XC70 a couple of years ago: failed clamp. I was shocked.

 

[FL_Rob]

Imagine for a moment if this happened to someone with zero mechanical aptitude,and they had to take it to a shop.A $1000 rack and pinion would be sold.

 

[Scotty1981]

Originally Posted By: FL_Rob
Imagine for a moment if this happened to someone with zero mechanical aptitude,and they had to take it to a shop.A $1000 rack and pinion would be sold.


And more than likely not even installed on the car, they'll charge for a rack and pinion and just clamp the loose hose back on. Then have the customer wait the whole day for no reason so it seems like they did the work.

 

[FL_Rob]

If I need any work done that I cant do myself ,I'll mark the part in such a way so that I'll know that its been changed,but so they would never realize.Anyone else do this?

 

[hate2work]

Originally Posted By: FL_Rob
If I need any work done that I cant do myself ,I'll mark the part in such a way so that I'll know that its been changed,but so they would never realize.Anyone else do this?


ABC news did that to some oil filters, then went to several quickie lubes for oil changes. Any guesses to the outcome

 

[daves87rs]

NOt yet, but I plan to....

 

[sciphi]

At least the shop my brother went to for the failed PS pump on his Olds Silhouette did the work. The new pump whines a lot, and is clearly new. They even slopped PSF all over it to be sure he wouldn't touch it. Which he did after being handed a pair of nitrile gloves. Gotta love shops that don't care.

 

[mechtech2]

Vituoso - That's a heck of a way to do a PS flush!

 

[Virtuoso]

Tell me about it! New fluid looks great though

 

[ekpolk]

Ah, the difference between cars and airplanes. Twenty-five years ago, a hydraulic line came undone in an aircraft in one of our sister squadrons. It ended up costing the taxpayers about $70 million, and four young friends their lives.

Yes indeed, it's good when you get to walk away with your wallet, and your body, intact. Count your blessings.