Power steering wining and some smoking.

Tiny
MISSYALICIA
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
  • V8
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 165,000 MILES
My 99 Lincoln Continental has been making wining sounds when I turn the steering wheel. I've had frothy steering fluid. I drained out the fluid in the reservoir and put new in and it was really quiet for a few days. Today it was wining again so I put more in and drove around some, then it started sounding really bad and I went home and checked it and there was no fluid in the reservoir and there was smoke coming from between the engine and the wall of the engine compartment. Any suggestions for what I should look at to see what's happening?
Thursday, April 21st, 2011 AT 12:59 AM

12 Replies

Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Find the leak and fix it then bleed the power steering pump and see what happens
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Thursday, April 21st, 2011 AT 1:08 AM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,761 POSTS
The smoke is the fluid leaking onto the hot exhaust.
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Thursday, April 21st, 2011 AT 1:21 AM
Tiny
MISSYALICIA
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Do you know where on the engine picture I could find the power steering pump?
Image (Click to make bigger)
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Thursday, April 21st, 2011 AT 1:29 AM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,761 POSTS
Follow the hose from the reservoir to the pump. Your leak isn't necessarily coming from the pump though. The lines and rack can leak also.
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Thursday, April 21st, 2011 AT 1:32 AM
Tiny
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Ok, so there the leak is coming from what looks like a boot on the passenger side front wheel. Would you be able to offer any more direction to what I should be looking for within that area?
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Thursday, April 21st, 2011 AT 6:42 PM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,761 POSTS
If it is a boot around the tie rod end, then that would be a bad rack and pinion and the whole unit will have to be replace and the car aligned.
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Thursday, April 21st, 2011 AT 10:23 PM
Tiny
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  • MEMBER
  • 10 POSTS
I'm going to replace my rack & pinion, strut rod bushings in the lower control arms and the sway bar links in the front and rear. I found the rack & pinion. I also found what I am guessing is the right parts for the bushings and sway bar links; however, I'd like someone to confirm that I am looking at the right parts and will the parts listed below be all I need to replace the suspension components listed above?

Lower control arm strut bushings - http://www.jcwhitney.com/strut-rod-bushing/p2022280.jcwx

Left Bar Sway Link (Will this work for front & back?) - http://www.amazon.com/Moog-K8734-Sway-Bar-Link/dp/B000C544TG/ref=au_pf_ss_6?ie=UTF8&Model=Continental|704&n=15684181&s=automotive&Make=Lincoln|55&Year=1999|1999&carId=002

Right Bar Sway Link (Again, will this work for front and back?) - http://www.amazon.com/Moog-K8735-Sway-Bar-Link/dp/B000C5454K/ref=au_pf_ss_5?ie=UTF8&Model=Continental|704&n=15684181&s=automotive&Make=Lincoln|55&Year=1999|1999&carId=002
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Sunday, April 24th, 2011 AT 9:09 PM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
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I seriously doubt the same links will work in both front and rear. The rear is likely a different part number.
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Sunday, April 24th, 2011 AT 9:17 PM
Tiny
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That's what I thought, but I am having a hard time finding any site that specifies front and rear.
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Sunday, April 24th, 2011 AT 9:22 PM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
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Why are you messing around online at all. If you just hit the local auto parts stores, you won't have to worry about returning them if necessary.
Also, I just verified that rears are different.
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Sunday, April 24th, 2011 AT 9:29 PM
Tiny
MISSYALICIA
  • MEMBER
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Thank you. I'm a computer geek and I can usually find parts online for nearly 1/4th of the price of the local auto parts store.
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Sunday, April 24th, 2011 AT 9:57 PM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
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I am too but I don't buy auto parts online unless they are not available elsewhere.
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Sunday, April 24th, 2011 AT 10:01 PM

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