04 C1500 1/2 Ton; P/S Fluid Disappearing

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Hey guys,

I got an 2004 Chevy C1500 1/2 Ton. The power steering fluid keeps disappearing on me. No leak that i can discern. At least not one bad enough to drip, no stains on driveway, anything like that.

What i DO notice is that the power steering filler neck is dirty as [censored]...like grimey oily residue...almost like the fluid is being pushed up under/over the filler neck cap and leaving oil residue stains all over the cap and filler neck...i'll wipe it down good and clean and 2-4 weeks later its just as dirty again.

Really dont want to service the power steering, nothing wrong with it. fluid just seems to disappear....instead of topping off i may just use my fluid pump and get what i can out, then restore it.

Anyone had an issue like this before? Perhaps with this same GMT800 platform

ETA: I have recently replaced the waterpump and other accessories...intake manifold...etc. i have been all up in and around the front of the engine and would've dead-on noticed something like a leaky P/S pump gasket (if there even is one) or seals weeping or anything like that...the only thing on the front that is even slightly problematic is a very slight weep on the front timing chain cover...over the course of 150,000 miles... cleaned that up when i went to change the water pump and havent had any weeping since.
 
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Is there a gasket on the cap? How does the color of the fluid look? how foamy [if it is] after driving the truck for a while?
 
Are you sure your not overfilling it? White arrow is Full Cold, Red arrow is Full Hot.
I check mine (2500HD but has the same Saginaw PS Pump) in the mourning with the system Cold, It sits right at the Full Cold mark. I have over 300,000 on the original pump with no issues.

If you have never exchanged the PS Fluid.....You need to!! PS Fluid get really hot, Especially in our HOT climate, Yours is a little easier than mine on fluid, I have a HydroBoost & no Cooler.

Amsoil & Royal Purple have synthetic PS Fluid, I've used both, I cant tell the difference, Running Royal Purple right now, Got it off Amazon pretty cheap.

 
Originally Posted By: clinebarger
Amsoil & Royal Purple have synthetic PS Fluid, I've used both, I cant tell the difference, Running Royal Purple right now, Got it off Amazon pretty cheap

Valvoline MaxLife PSF is widely available at a fraction of the cost ($5.99/quart); it replaces their old SynPower product, which was specifically recommended by GM to alleviate noise in these pumps.

I use it myself in Hydroboost units (complete fluid exchange), have found it to work well, and not suffer from degradation in these demanding applications.
 
Does your truck use rack and pinion steering? If it does, move the rack boots out of the way and look for PSF. Use zip ties to reseal the PS rack boots.
 
Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: clinebarger
Amsoil & Royal Purple have synthetic PS Fluid, I've used both, I cant tell the difference, Running Royal Purple right now, Got it off Amazon pretty cheap

Valvoline MaxLife PSF is widely available at a fraction of the cost ($5.99/quart); it replaces their old SynPower product, which was specifically recommended by GM to alleviate noise in these pumps.

I use it myself in Hydroboost units (complete fluid exchange), have found it to work well, and not suffer from degradation in these demanding applications.


Thanks, I may try it next time I exchange the PSF on my truck, The "With Stop Leak" is generally a Red Flag for me.
 
Originally Posted By: clinebarger
Thanks, I may try it next time I exchange the PSF on my truck, The "With Stop Leak" is generally a Red Flag for me.
I'd suggest a different type of "stop leak": ATP AT-205 Reseal. No petroleum distillates. It uses something completely different that doesn't harm old seals by swelling them.

I tried it in the very leaky sled PS rack. Haven't added fluid in a month. I'm still amazed.....
 
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
It uses something completely different that doesn't harm old seals by swelling them.

"will not over-swell or breakdown seals"
http://atpautomotive.com/featured/re-seal

Notice the difference; they don't say it doesn't swell, just that it won't over-swell. As well, there's no secret as to the composition of this stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-(2-Ethoxyethoxy)ethanol

If you want some fun reading on the subject, do a Google search on putting a small amount of glycol-based brake fluid in PSF to mitigate leaks.

Originally Posted By: clinebarger
Thanks, I may try it next time I exchange the PSF on my truck, The "With Stop Leak" is generally a Red Flag for me.

I understand the knee-jerk reaction, and if this were one of the many additives on the market, I'd agree. However, it's a fully-formulated (complete) fluid from a well-known producer that's listed as meeting GM/Ford/Chrysler requirements, and states that it will not clog or foam (I've yet to encounter either).
 
Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
It uses something completely different that doesn't harm old seals by swelling them.

"will not over-swell or breakdown seals"
http://atpautomotive.com/featured/re-seal

Notice the difference; they don't say it doesn't swell, just that it won't over-swell. As well, there's no secret as to the composition of this stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-(2-Ethoxyethoxy)ethanol

If you want some fun reading on the subject, do a Google search on putting a small amount of glycol-based brake fluid in PSF to mitigate leaks.

You're nit-picking...again. I read all about it like 2-1/2 months ago. It's now been in my PS system for over a month. It doesn't ruin seals by overswelling them the way petroleum-based products do. Finally, I never claimed it was a secret. I just couldn't remember the name of the key ingredient.

Read about it: Been there. Done that. Works great. Moving on.....
 
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