Well, the car started making a funny noise, so I checked all the fluids. PS fluid was almost gone; I check fluids every few hundred miles, so it didn't happen gradually.
Looks as if it's the hose that runs along the subframe and loops in front of the radiator that is leaking.
So, is this the return hose? I found somebody on line who said it took him three hours to remove the old hose, and two to put the new one in.
I also don't get much info on what kinda fluid this should have. Dextron III? PS fluid? Special Hyundai fluid distilled from the secretions of the Assyrian Musk Ox?
Looks as if this is a common problem with this model. Any help/ advice would be welcomed.
Have you checked with the Hyundai tech website? The 2002 Kia Optima power steering hose diagrams at kiatechinfo shows that the return hose runs to the reservoir. The high pressure hose goes to the pump.
Yes, I tried the website, but it acts oddly with the Mac. I did find some info at the hyundai forum website:
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although a little vague. I was hoping it wouldn't take five hours to change the hose, but it did take about four, with trips to wash hands and I removed the reservoir to flush it.
Took about two hours to get the old hose out, I removed the passenger fan and wheel. Had a hard time with the return hose at the spool valve, but removing the pressure line freed up some room. The hardest thing was the bolt at the sub-frame in the back. I used a 10mm crows-foot wrench on a 3/8" ratchet.
I didn't want to order the part on-line, because I didn't want to get the wrong part and get hung up. None of the local parts jobbers had it, and the local dealer said they would have to order it too. I found one at a dealer in the next town over. It was $100, plus $16 for two quarts of SP-III ATF for refill. Overall, it was a pain, but do-able.
Thank you for the info on that job. It seems that those hoses are never easy to replace no matter what the vehicle. The last one I did was on a Pontiac. It took about the same amount of time. I, too, prefer to buy parts locally. Too many times I had to take them back and get the right ones.
Well, got it all back together Fri, torqued the wheel this morning and took it for a 20 mile trip to a birthday party. Left the parking lot for the return trip, and the brake pedal went down. Far down. But then it came back...until I reached the intersection for the highway. So, I backed up and parked. Sho' 'nuff, fluid is leaking. PS fluid is fine, but brake fluid is down. Wasn't into rolling around on the hot blacktop in my nice white clothes, so I drove home using the parking brake, keeping the regular brake in reserve.
I put it up on ramps, and one of the rear brake lines is leaking near the firewall. Either I caught it when I was trying to loosen the return line from the spool valve, or it's a damned odd coincidence. The thing I don't like is that I don't think I did anything that should have broken a line, unless it was pretty weak already. Where it broke, there are 2 brake lines and three fuel/emission lines in that bracket; are they all ready to go?
It just seems like the Sonata is corroding faster than one would think reasonable. I broke a top headlight screw changing a headlamp bulb (yes, I sprayed it the night before and tried removing it *gently*) The passenger side backing plate is so corroded I ordered a new one from the dealer ($90).
Well, I can't fix the brake line, so it's off to the garage tomorrow morning. *sigh*
Seems like 8 to 10 years is when corrosion becomes a factor if you live an an area that salts the roads. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least four cars from 1999 to 2002 that have had a corrosion related problem this past year. Different brands. Brakes lines, brake components, light mounts frame issues. .Seems like the body panels are far superior than they were years ago, but the rest of the car is not so good.
I was luckier than you. When the brake line on my 2001 Buick corroded through, it was in my driveway.
Look for a low pressure line. The Hyundai part# is 57560-38030 unless you have a 4-cylinder manufactured between 9/24/04 and 5/3/05, in which case it 's the 57560-38130. You should be able to purchase this at your local Hyun dai dealer. A sizeable dealer should have the 38030 in stock for $100 to $
150 or so.
Use Dexron III in the power steering system. The SPIII fluid mentioned in the post is intended for the transmission, not the steering system.
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