One of the most common problems that happens with a vehicle over time is it’ll begin leaking power steering fluid. Your Saab 9-4X‘s power steering fluid runs through your power steering pump, and all throughout the steering system.
Without the power steering system, your 9-4X would be very difficult to drive. Most of the weight of the vehicle is absorbed by the power steering system, making it feel much lighter than it really is.
Power Steering Leak Symptoms: Saab 9-4X
Here are the most common symptoms of a power steering leak in your 9-4X:
- Fluid on the Ground– The first symptoms of a power steering leak will be when your Saab starts dropping fluid on the ground. As long as the leak isn’t bad enough, this will be the only symptom. But, if you let it go too long, it’ll begin to make noise.
- Whirring Noise– If your power steering system is critically low on fluid, you’ll begin to hear your 9-4X make a whirring noise. This is the sound of the pump not having enough power steering fluid to cycle through the steering system. It’s only a matter of time before there is no fluid left at all and your 9-4X’s steering wheel feels heavy.
- Hard to Steer– At this point enough power steering fluid has leaked out of the system so that the pump can no longer do its job. Modern vehicles are not made to be driven without power steering. Their close ratio steering makes them very hard to operate without power steering.
Saab 9-4X Leaking Power Steering Causes
1. Power Steering Hose
The first thing that you would want to do is look around the power steering hoses for any obvious signs of a leak. The power steering hose will run from the pump to the rack or gear. The most common place that the hose will leak from where the metal part of the hose meets the rubber. Look for power steering fluid on or below it.
2. Power Steering Pump
Your 9-4X’s power steering pump pushes the hydraulic fluid through power steering hoses and through the steering rack or gearbox. It is turned by the serpentine belt attached to the engine. The pump can wear down over time. When it does it can begin to leak power steering fluid under the engine.
3. Rack or Gearbox
There are seals in the rack or gear box that can go bad over time and leak.
4. Cooler
On some makes and models there will be a power steering cooler. It’s easy to determine if there is a cooler. You’ll see lines running from the power steering pump to the radiator. It will look like a smaller radiator.
9-4X Power Steering Fluid Leak Fix
Fixing the power steering fluid leak in your 9-4X is a pretty straight forward process. You’ll want to try and find the leak.
- First, take a look at the power steering lines, they most commonly leak where the metal meets the rubber on the line. Replacing the line will stop the leak. If you have a power steering cooler, you’d want to follow the lines there as well. Hoses are cheap.
- After that, the power steering pump itself would what you would want to take a look at. A leaking power steering pump is easy to identify. Unless it’s leaking from the very bottom, it’ll be covered in fluid.
- Seals in the rack and pinions or steering gear box can and do go bad over time. The leak should leave fluid further back than the power steering pump. This is the last thing that you would want to look at in terms of likelihood of it being the problem, as well as cost/effort to fix.
Conclusion
Good luck finding your Saab 9-4X’s power steering fluid leak. If there is anything that you would like to add, please feel free to leave a comment below.