Power Steering Rack Boots Damp

Just fact checking here.

So: Was at the dealer getting my oil changed yesterday (I know) and the paperwork summary has this entry:
"Note: power steering rack boots are damp: Will need a new steering rack in the future." Sounds pretty drastic. Maybe it's from the oil they spilled when they removed the filter. I don't know too much about power steering racks except they are expensive.

There are no leaks anywhere on the engine. I thought they might have been talking about the CV joint boots, and checked them when I got home: Except for a barely noticeable shine of oil at the very edge of one boot by the clamp, they are dry.

I assume the rack boots are not under any pressure and are basically just dust covers? Is this just "scare-the-customer-revenue-generation" going on here? When I get a nice day I'll drop the belly pan and take a closer look but I thought I'd ask for some input here first.

Thanks in advance!

2014 V6 4x4 128k

 

Without any inspection my bet is on a dealership "scare tactic".

 

Not a scare tactic, you most likely need a new rack soon.


I had to do mine last year and we did another members a few months ago. Seals go bad. Rust is a bitch

 

I bet 90% of all 2nd gen rack inner boots are probably damp. Mine were and still are. Doesn't have anything to do with external leaks anywhere on the engine or anything else, its from fluid blowing by the inner seals. How long it will take to kill itself nobody knows, just run it and do fluid flushes to keep it around potentially longer. Hard wheeling will accelerate it. Learn to live with it, then fix it when it croaks.

 

should be able to look at the boots really easy. Just turn fully one direction and poke your head in the wheel well.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.

I'll be doing the turkey-baster f&f before the real cold sets in. What is the second-best fluid for a change change after Toyota OEM?

 

Any dex 3 atf is fine, even a gas station dex 3 will work. Just one qt will do ya.

Most racks will sweat forever before they really need replacing.

Usually I sell them once the boot actually wet, but if its sweat, I just give heads up.

 

So is the "sweat" I see in the pics just vapor accumulating or fluid actually permeating through the rubber? This is the first time I have even seen or encountered this.... In my experience with boots on anything, are usually dry, or have trace lubricant deposits near the edge at the clamps, or splits and a are a complete mess throwing the grease everywhere.

 

Pics are worth 1000 words.


Grab 2 quarts of Valvoline MAXLIFE Atf and flush the system and call it good. Its literally the easiest and cleanest fluid change you can do on the tacoma.

 

Follow-up: I cranked the wheel to full lock left and right to check the steering rack boots: except for a light coating of regular road grime that came off with my finger (not oily) they are dry: same appearance as all of the CV boots, drive shaft boot, wiring harnesses and connectors, etc. Not even any Fluid Film on them.

Gotta say I'm a little disappointed with the dealer.

(Side note: The "pics" I mentioned previous were in another thread someone pointed me to. They clearly showed a slight damp accumulation on them unlike the boots on my truck which do not) (yet)

Thanks to all for the feedback and info!

 

I worked with a guy that would poke a hole in the boot and let it leak out, customer had no choice after.

I only did it once to a customer that was watching, they were arguing with me and consented to it. (it was right full)

Oops.

 

Faye Hadley has a video where she talks about the common leaks on a Tacoma and she addresses the damp power steering boot issue. See 6:54 where it starts. Upshot is, it’s common, but no need to bother doing anything about it until there’s actual drips on the ground or you need to top off more than seldomly. My rack has this on the passenger side, I cleaned it off and it took two years to be noticeable again.

 

mine dripped for more than a year, added a cup a month or so

then when the steering shaft ujoints got bad, i replaced both and new hoses since the flared fitting on rack was rusted to the pipe

 

FYI/Follow-up: They were dry when I originally posted this, and they still are: No dampness, no drips, no fluid level drops. 138k mies

 

Glad to hear it

 

Thanks!

I haven't been back to that dealer, and passed along a heads-up to a few folks I know that own a Toyota. The most puzzling thing was that I had just recently had them change the gear oil in the two diffs and the transfer case and they never mentioned it. It cost them lost revenue for the transmission fluid, spark plugs, coolant and serpentine belt work.

(I eventually did the power-steering fluid myself. )