ATF in my power steering

[thstone]

Originally Posted by snotrag

Is it likely that the ATF has caused seals in the pump or res to fail and hence the leak?

Its pretty common for the power steering reservoir to leak so its hard to know if the fluid caused the leak. Replacing the fluid may or may not stop the leak, but its probably worth a try.

Originally Posted by snotrag

...is there an easy return line I can whip off in order to fully purge the system?

There are two power steering line couplers (one for high pressure supply line and one for the low pressure return line) under the car on the drivers side that separate the rear power steering lines from the front power steering lines. This is probably the easiest place to open up the system to drain fluid.

The other place is on the steering rack itself, which is fairly easy to get to with the left front wheel removed.

Getting to the lines at the power steering pump is a bit of a PITA in my experience.