jimbotron

I'm looking to unload my '96 ES300 at some point this year or next. I'm not driving it much, but I figured it had a few more months in it at the very least. I'd taken it to a mechanic for a checkup last month, and aside from a few small leaks, it seemed fine.

A week ago I noticed this power steering return hose was cracking all over the place, and seems to be sweating. It's right below the big upper radiator hose. Not sure whether I missed this a month ago or if it just started cracking recently. From looking at parts diagrams, power steering fluid powers the hydraulic radiator fan motor farther upstream, then there are a series of return hoses that carry that fluid away from the fan motor, towards a PS fluid cooler. This hose is part of that return system, so it's a low-pressure hose.

Is the car dangerous to drive like this? I was planning on driving it at freeway speeds maybe another 10-20 times, but is that a bad idea? Should I suck it up and pay for the repair? Any idea how much the labor on this would be? The parts themselves seem really cheap.

LeX2K

If that hose fails you'll lose power steering and the engine will overheat. That part is about $20 and a five minute job to replace.

jimbotron

Thanks. Yeah I figured that's what would happen. I guess I meant to ask how urgent the fix is. Can I get another 500 miles out of the car, or does that hose look like it could blow any second?

LeX2K

Can't predict when it will go out, usually these things fail at the worst possible time.