Power Steering Pumps Leaks - Alternator Will Fail - How Long?

[pachanga]

Anyway - same old story - power steering pump leaks - alternator is below the PS pump - I was wondering what is the time frame that once the power steering pump starts leaking is the usual or average time the alternator will fail. Also curious - how does the power steering pump fluid damage the alternator? corrosion? or? My power steering pump in my 1998 LS400 just started leaking last week. I know I need to address it ASAP - just going to be this weekend before I can.

[billydpowell]

it just ruined your alternator while you were making this post... there, do you feel any better, or worse?

both of these items were made by man, so they dont come with a time table,

but since others have warned you, you know what to do...

I guess you have figured out by now I am retired and really just dont have anything to do so I am answering your post which is about as important as my answer...

anyway, you are knowledgeable about it all and I hope you get it fixed without and further damage..

cheers, and good luck

smiles..

ps: how does any liquid cause failure to electrical items? you got it..

[pachanga]

that is good... I had to smile a bit.. just the way it is with things - going to wear out or break eventually.

[billydpowell]

Oh, welcome to the club, when you get it repaired, post some photos of your work

also at the top of the postings (pinned) are some good helps about some related problems

and how they solved them.. you might also try: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls400-183/

these are my chariots , the Dove & the Raven

[pachanga]

Texas eh? (license plate) what part of Texas? We lived in Georgetown - really enjoyed living there. I remember how upon first moving there form SC - first -- we were considered intruders ..not being native Texans -- second - thankfully we were not from the north side of the Mason Dixon Line and were generally accepted as long as we knew our place.. more or less. I loved Texas ... as I told people... It IS a whole another country.

[billydpowell]

I was born in Dallas, but now live a little NW in Carrollton, lived here all my life except when the Army sent me to Korea in the 50's.

I had kinfolks in Georgetown in the 1880's thru the early 1900's.. bunch of German folks...

[brybo86]

you sure it is the pump and not the o ring under the reservoir?

the o ring cost like $1 takes maybe 10-15 minutes to change

[Exhaustgases]

In an emergency a person could always take some aluminum cooking foil and fashion a cover of sorts to deflect the PS fluid.

Just don't want is touching anything electrical.

[pachanga]

you sure it is the pump and not the o ring under the reservoir?

the o ring cost like $1 takes maybe 10-15 minutes to change

I put in a small amount of UV light leak detector stuff this morning - I will check it this afternoon - the location of the leak will show up with the UV light.

[VBdenny]

On my 1990 LS400. The car went 200000 before the ps fluid took out the alternator. There is also sometimes a leak on the parking assist vacuum tube connector.

[VBdenny]

Oh yeah, I really like the electric steering on my new IS. Sure won't leak there

[Yamae]

The leaking power steering oil damages the slip rings and the brushes most. These have a rubber cap and the oil from above does not go into them directly and quickly but it does go in little by little and ruins them in a month or so because the airflow is there from backside to front side.

At the early stage, the resistance between the slip rings and the brushes increases and the out put voltage becomes a bit lower. You can save the alternator cleaning the inside at this stage. But if you let it go, the voltage is getting lower and lower and finally the alternator is dead and stops the function. I have seen some of those dead alternators and found that the slip rings were deteriorated.

[pachanga]

Thanks for the explanation... that is interesting how the hydraulic fluid damages the alternator.