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E34 oil cooler leak

I have a 1995 E34 525 TDS with automatic gearbox, which has a radiator for coolant, a small radiator in front for, I think, cooling the engine oil, a radiator that seems to be incorporated in the coolant radiator (? Transmission oil heater / cooler ?) and a pipe that winds around in front of the coolant radiator which I think possibly cools the power-assisted steering oil. This pipe has been extremely rusty on the outside for a long time and I think has finally given up and is leaking oil - the oil is golden in colour, not pink like transmission oil and not black like the engine oil. I need to get it to the garage.......

Questions.....

1) Is my assumption that it is the steering oil cooler leaking correct ? 2) Can I check / top up before I drive the 15 miles to the garage ? 3)Where is the reservoir to top up ? 4) What happens if / when the oil is all gone ? Do I lose steering or does it just get heavy 5) Does it take out the power steering pump or should it be alright for a few miles?

Any other points I haven't thought about ?

Thanks,

Nick

Reply to
Nick
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I can't answer most of your questions since I do not have an E34, I have an E36. The ones I do know are:

You should deffinately add more fluid because if it is low, you are damaging the steering rack (not sure about the pump), and you are correct, steering will get heavier. Also, if you brake hard and then turn the steering wheel and hear some wierd noises, you are most deffinately low on power steering fluid. I am not sure what the E34 uses for power steering fluid but the E36 uses dextron 3 ATF (auto tranny fluid). It should say on the cap of the power steering fluid reservour.

Good luck.

Reply to
andrey.ivannikov

Hi, Thanks for the reply (only one ! ) I have got it to the garage now and they are investigating.

Regards,

Nick

Reply to
Nick

No problem man, sorry it took me a while to write it though. I hope it all goes well.

Reply to
andrey.ivannikov

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