Another letdown.

[TheEdgeofSanity]

well, its unfortunate to say but the cold weather that we're experiencing today sent my alero to the grave again. After dumping $500 into it last week after a strut and spring failure, it seems that my rack and pinion has given out. This morning was -1 degrees so i went and started my car 10 minutes early. it was warmed up and i headed off to school. about a mile down the road, i had no power steering so i went home again to check it ( i was really early anyway) so i get home and something totally let go in my garage and power steering fluid sprayed EVERYWHERE! so, long story short, i was late for my finals and my car's dead once again. :cry:

[cherrington17]

wow.... how many more of these before you hang up the olds symbol for good?

[TheEdgeofSanity]

ha. who knows. i'm convinced that this car is just a lemon but some days it drives like a dream. i'm considering buying a 2000 coupe for a grand and using it as a commuter vehicle and selling this alero for as much as i can because many of its problems are only occasional. i love the alero but i'm sick of it doing things like this. this will be week 2 in a row of not having a car.

[cavaliers60]

you can have mine for 1,000. :lol: Just needs a little interior work...... thanks to my wonderful stupid idea of painting some of the interior...... :( Really sucks about your car though.... Makes me a little worried about mine... IT's going to be REALLY cold here.

[[ion] C2]

i hope my steering never breaks

that 2.4L for $1,000 is a deal, wish it was closer i'd come help you check it out

[cherrington17]

if it makes you feel any better... i'm half way done with replacing my washer fluid pump, and i've ripped the heads off 3 bolts already.

stupid f'n NY and their ridiculous salting.

[Nate's Alero]

if it makes you feel any better... i'm half way done with replacing my washer fluid pump, and i've ripped the heads off 3 bolts already.

stupid f'n NY and their ridiculous salting.

try NH and then tell me about salting.... when it is dry the salt sprays off your tires in a little dust cloud....

[Vinalero]

You guys don't know what salty roads are...

my car is black...

http://www.aleromod.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3637&d=1201715713

[black00gt1]

you'r car looks mattle black not gloss black.

[cherrington17]

thats what mine looks like right now! :lol:


'cept for a few hints of maroon here and there....

[jayson_waltz]

u sure its the rack and pinion? the same hting happemed to mine b4, it was a p.s. hose that come undone cause of the crappy factory clamps.

[umm_i_forget_14]

i lost my power steering too in that past week, took it in yesturday still waiting to here whats wrong

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

sometimes the hose will freeze, and just burst when you transfer (or try to transfer) any fluid through it. hopefully it IS just the hose, and not the pump, or even the rack and pinion itself. You had the right idea of warming up the car before you go, but it probably wasn't enough to thaw out the hose (?)

[jayson_waltz]

^if there is water in the p.s. hose to begin with u already have a problem. it shouldn't freeze at all.
the factory clamps aren't hose clamps they r just the ones that you squeeze and slide over so they don't hold the hose very good. when it gets cold out the pump tries to push cold and thick oil thru the hose and it just blows off. this is very common to happen on any make/model of vehicle when it is cold out. there is always some that come in to get put back together.

not sayin that wat it is, but it would b the cheapest fix.

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

frozen vs thicker cuz it's cold = same difference. it's increased pressure on the hoses. still hoping it was just the hoses coming disconnected...burst hose isn't that bad either.

[TheEdgeofSanity]

UPDATE: my dad and I tore into it and its a bad hose...the metal lines down by the rack and pinion rotted out where it meets the rubber hose and basically is letting the fluid pour out. we don't have the tools at our house (they're all up north) so we took it to a trusted mechanic and I should have it back by friday, for a good chunk of $$ tho because a hose alone is around $100.

[99alerogirl]

You guys don't know what salty roads are...

my car is black...

http://www.aleromod.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3637&d=1201715713

dangit I want a black ho with a stick. i'll trade ya... hahaha

[Midgear]

You guys don't know what salty roads are...

my car is black...

http://www.aleromod.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3637&d=1201715713

almost shit myself lookin at that picture.. i'd be at the car wash DAILY if it was that salty here LOL

[TheEdgeofSanity]

^^thats pretty much what my car looks like right now...

[cherrington17]

almost shit myself lookin at that picture.. i'd be at the car wash DAILY if it was that salty here LOL

if your in an area that salts that/this much... you quickly realize you lost the battle before it started. washing during winter is a waste of time.

[jayson_waltz]

washing during winter is a waste of time.
your paint and body panels don't think so. keep salt off to prevent rust and dulled paint. i would wash my car weekly for sure if it was like that here, but i have a choice of 2 heated shops to do it in

[AftermathAlero]

I love the south! .. no snow or salt. just gets a little cold. max like 25 degrees is the coldest.

Just washed and waxed my car tonight. hehehehe

But yeah.. power steering hose.. I changed mine at 100k miles .. although there was nothing wrong. It was a matter of time before it would leak. Just preventative maintainance. The pressure line, you can get at autozone/orielly/napa. The return line.. is a dealership item only. I changed out both lines before. I think it was last year.

[sk8rsteve2004]

My car looked like that too when I was living up in Iowa for about 2 months. Now I don't have to worry about washing my car every couple of days, since i'm back down here in Texas. I do need to wash her again since its been about 2 weeks since I washed her.

That sucks though about losing the power steering. Its not fun driving a car without it.

[cherrington17]

your paint and body panels don't think so. keep salt off to prevent rust and dulled paint. i would wash my car weekly for sure if it was like that here, but i have a choice of 2 heated shops to do it in

yeah.. i definitely don't have that luxury. and i'd rather let my car rust apart over the course of 10 years, then to get repeated frostbite, from keeping the body nice, only to have the engine die about the same time the body would have anyway....