Car problems - know any good forums?

[Tarmac]

Hi all.  My car's having some problems, and I was wondering if any of you knew any good forums to ask questions on.  

Here's what's going on.  
1991 Saturn SL1, power steering pump leaked and killed the alternator.  Replaced alternator and power steering pump.  

Now, I've noticed a whine from the new power steering pump, especially when it's under load (ie I turn the steering wheel).  The whine gets progressively worse the longer I drive.  Suspicions were confirmed when I put a thermometer into the steering fluid reservoir after driving and found that my power steering fluid was at 205 degrees Farenheit.  Tests on other family cars show fluid temps at around 130-140 farenheit.  So something's wrong in the steering system, and it's probably not the pump since that's brand new.  Sounds like fluid is being overpressurized somewhere, and causing the temp to go through the roof.

Tried flushing the power steering system.  Drained it and refilled it four times, trying to get impurities and sediments out of the system.  Fluid came out brown the first time, and clear after that.  Took it for a spin.  Result: fluid brown again, temp at 205 Farenheit.  

Any ideas as to what's going on, or where I could ask about this problem?  Thanks in advance.

[rpm]

You will continue to get the brown fluid until the system is flushed completely. That may take some work. To do it right you would have to check a repair manual.

Most likely you got a bad reman pump. Most stores have warranty on the parts. Take it off and take it back.

Buy a Haynes or Chiltons repair manual for your car while you are there. Worth it's weight in gold. Autozone.com also has an online repair manual.

G/L

[mora]

Maybe the problem is in the rack & pinion, and the overpressure could have caused the pump to leak. We had exactly a similar problem last week at work, and the problem was in the rack & pinion.

There's nothing much else than flushing you can do, but if you are handy you can try to dissasemble the rack & pinion(btw is there any other expression for it?) and clean it thoroughly and check for wear, it's easy to pull apart, but very hard to put back together.

[Chairboy]

I can't help with your problem, Tarmac, but I'd like to say that you did some really nice troubleshooting using the thermometer.  That's a great test, and your results should help someone recognize the problem for sure.  If you ever want a job in software quality assurance, it sounds like you have the right approach to thinking through a problem.

!

[storch]

Bleed out the entire system.  every last drop of fluid.  It's probably been in there since 1991.  Did you buy the pump at a "discount" place?  Have the pump tested I have purchased equip and had it failed right out of the box.  Buy the part from a NAPA store or from the dealer even if you pay a little more for it.

[Tarmac]

Originally posted by Chairboy
I can't help with your problem, Tarmac, but I'd like to say that you did some really nice troubleshooting using the thermometer.  That's a great test, and your results should help someone recognize the problem for sure.  If you ever want a job in software quality assurance, it sounds like you have the right approach to thinking through a problem.

!

Chairboy, my dad's a mechanical engineer who's worked in hydraulics for the last 30 or so years.  He's the one who deserves the credit for troubleshooting.  

rpm and storch:  the new pump is a remanufactured unit from Murray's (discount auto store).  The reason that I'm unsure if it's the new pump's fault is that the old one just failed, and I'm thinking that if there's a blockage in the line or piston that it's going to do the same thing with this new pump, and any subsequent replacement.  I don't want any more pump failures, because while the pump is warrantied, it always leaks on the alternator below and kills that too.  

mora: rack and pinion is only way I know to refer to it.  We're trying to rule out all the other possible problems (ie the cheap fixes first) because ripping the steering gear apart is a big job, and being in the police academy I don't have much time for that.  I'd probably end up just throwing money at it.  


Thanks for the help all, but as for my original question: does anyone know any auto forums that would be good places to ask about something like this?

[J_A_B]

Don't throw money at it.  You will spend more fixing it than the car is worth. A 1991 Saturn in somewhat rough condition is basically worth scrap value.  Fixing the steering will not substantially change this unless your car has unusually low miles and even then it isn't going to be worth much.

Even buying remanufactured parts is kinda pricey.  There are lots of Saturns in junkyads which can make a good source of parts.

Remember , every dollar you sink into this car is that much less you have availale for your next one.  Do the minimum possible to keep the Saturn running while you save up for something else.

Also consider this.   I don'tknow if you have a position lined up for when you're out of academy or not (dunno if you're in a departmental or a private academy), but if you don't have a position as yet--having an unreliable car is usually detrimental to your ability to land a job.


J_A_B

[Masherbrum]

I now you're strapped for cash Tarmac.  Just keep it running, but be easy on the tranny. They are fragile, they fixed it after the 95 model year.  

Karaya

[rpm]

Autozone.com

partsamerica.com

carforums.com

[capt. apathy]

http://www.automotiveforums.com