LSnewb

My ls400 has been leaking a pretty decent amount of ps fluid and the shop I took it to determined that the leak is coming from the pump since it was wet and now are telling me to replace the pump and hoses which they quoted me about $1100 even tho they didnt pinpoint the exact place it was leaking from... Im hesitant to replace everything bc im a full time student so I dont have that much money to throw at it rn and ive read it can be as simple as just replacing an O-ring or valve but theyre saying I should still replace the entire pump and hoses even if it is just that. Is it worth trying to pinpoint the exact part thats leaking and just fixing that or do I need to replace the pump and hoses all together like theyre saying? And should I try using a leak sealant in the meantime? Any advice is appreciated thank you.

400fanboy

What year is your 400? The main issue is that the pump will leak and conveniently onto the alternator, frying it and leaving you without power.

The other thing is that the PS pump requires transmission fluid, not power steering fluid. A common mistake is to put the wrong fluid in and this will cause the pump to rapidly grenade itself and leak everywhere.

As for what's wrong with your pump... Without being there we really don't know. If I had to guess, if they're unable to determine the location of the leak from the PS pump, I would be willing to bet the wrong fluid was filled at some point. I believe the symptom of that is "leak from everywhere". Putting leak sealant is a bandaid and won't buy you much time. At best that stuff is a "get me home\to the auto shop so I don't need a tow".

This info should give you the keywords to search and do your own research on the next steps. Best of luck!

bradland

First and foremost, basically EVERY LS400 ever made eventually develops PS issues.
What year is your car? Early LS models are designed with the PS reservoir mounted directly to the pump itself while later, 98-00, have the reservoir raised several inches and connected to the pump by a hose. Both designs leak but not always from the same place.
1- the pump itself develops leaks from aging internal o-rings (rebuild kits are available)
- steer clear of remanufactured pumps from various parts stores they are not the solution unless you want to do the job again and again...
2- Air Control Valve (ACV) mounted to the bottom of the pump. Again the result of small internal o-ring leakage but this will leak PS fluid into the intake manifold via vacuum hose. This causes white exhaust smoke at startup and little to no fluid evident on the pump itself. *Not uncommon for 1 and 2 to exist simultaneously.
3- On later models, 98-00, the hose between the reservoir and pump becomes hard and brittle. Any engine movement, caused by bad motor mounts, will tweak this hose and compromise the seal on both ends. In this case there will be fluid evident externally around the pump but not necessarily coming from the pump itself.
The shortest path to success here is a genuine Toyota pump. No it's not cheap but you will eventually spend more time and money in the long run if it's not done properly the first time.

AT3618

I am having the similar problem with my SC430. I don't know where the fluid is leaking from, but it the pump is all wet and the generator is wet too. I am going to clean up everything and replace the reservoir hoses first since it is the highest points of the system and the hoses are much cheaper than the pump. The hoses are hardened over the years and they needs to be replaced anyway. If this doesn't stop the leak, then go down one level which is the pump. Good luck.

sayow

Just echoing the above comments. The worst offenders were the 91-97 where the PS was directly above the alternator so not long after your PS leaks, your alternator burns out so get it fixed ASAP. I have had several Gen 1 400s and EVERY 95-97 has had a leaking PS pump (via the high pressure line) while my 98 that i have had for almost a decade now, has not leaked. I attribute that to the design as well as using ATF fluid (something I only learned about when I got the 98).

Good luck to you.

BNastee

You have some options depending on your repair skills.

Leak might be coming from the low pressure hoses with normal hose clamps. They are comparably cheap and easy to replace.
Leak might be coming from some of the simple-to-replace o rings in the pump but you have to remove the pump from the engine.
Leak might be coming from the high pressure lines. Little more expensive and little tougher to replace.
Leak might be coming from the hard-to-replace o rings in the pump.

Losiracer2

That's exactly what happened when I did my mounts last November, broke both hoses due to them being super brittle, Its high time to replace 20+ year old rubber hoses now anyway. I went with some universal hoses for the pump reservoir supply and return but molded ones would've made the fitment much better. just took a lot of modification to make it work right.

LSnewb

Power steering pump is leaking fluid and pepboys quoted me a rebuilt pump without a reservoir or traction control for $300. Just wondering if thats a decent price for one of these and if thats the best option for someone on a low budget. Also I was kind of confused when he said it didnt include traction control as I’ve never heard of that before can someone explain how that works?

LeX2K

Rockauto has them for substantially less.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...ring+pump,7380

The parts counter person saw a tag that said traction control etc. which applies to other parts like brake master cylinder not the PS pump. If you buy from Rockauto enter 2E78699B8A3F1F where it says how did you hear about us? you'll get 5% off.

LSnewb

Thanks for the response! Are the pumps on there OEM or aftermarket ones?

LSnewb

Need a new ps pump in my 97 ls400 and pepboys quoted me $300 for a rebuilt one without a reservoir as im on a tight budget. Just wondering if thats the best option for someone whose not that mechanically inclined and what the consensus is on oem vs aftermarket and new vs rebuilt pumps?

Almasy

​​​​​​First of all thanks for the response. I am very aware of the power steering leaking onto the alternator, terrible design for this engine . I did have to rebuild my alternator a year or so ago but haven't had an issue . I do know my power steering was leaking like crazy so it's just time to replace some things. I'm just hoping I didn't damage too much .