another leak

[jcvollmuth]

my mom recently called to tell me that my car is leaking on the floor again. i kind of expected this would happen considering the car is only driven once every few weeks. my mom thinks its power steering fluid but she cant tell if it might be motor oil. It would make sense that it's power steering fluid considering all the issues i've had with power steering leaks in the past, but i'm a bit concerned that it may be motor oil. Before i left I had my oil changed to 10-w40 synthetic, before that i was using 10-w30 synthetic. Is it possible that not driving the car for a while and letting all the oil settle would cause a damp gasket to start a small leak? Or maybe it is the steering fluid. when i replaced the reservoir gasket, I just replaced the o-ring, i didn't put any sealant around it, but it still stopped the leak(or so i think). If it is the steering leak, is there some sort of sealant i should use when i fix it again? this will be the 3rd time i've repaired the steering fluid leak, so i'm obviously doing something wrong if its happening again. And its always leaking from the same spot(where the reservoir connects to the hose that leads to the pump). I get home friday, so i will know for sure then, but in the mean time i am just worrying about my car. Sorry if this is slightly unclear, i'm just a bit paranoid at the thought of my car leaking. I told my mom not to drive it until i got home.

[lcmlee]

Could be any of the possible items in your list. Best to go home and check it out.

[W140 Heavy]

Find out what it is before getting worried.

my car "marks its territory"...er uh leaks, too. Not enough to notice at the oil change interval. I got a quote for about $1,200 to fix it. I can buy a lot of oil for $1,200. All my MB have leaked a little....its how you know they're still living.

[jcvollmuth]

Originally Posted by W140 Heavy

Find out what it is before getting worried.

my car "marks its territory"...er uh leaks, too. Not enough to notice at the oil change interval. I got a quote for about $1,200 to fix it. I can buy a lot of oil for $1,200. All my MB have leaked a little....its how you know they're still living.

Haha, well said. I'm usually not picky, but when my parents are taking care of my car its a different story(usually not the kindest to their cars). My car has its little kinks that only i have learned to remedy. I have to explain to people who need to borrow it.

"after you start it, wait till the rpms drop to before you start driving"
"when you reverse, dont accelerate, just let it idle backwards"
"if the temp gauge goes over 100, or the oil pressure goes to zero, pull over and turn it off"
"dont accelerate near 2000rpm until the transmission warms up and shifts out 2nd"
"dont kick the pedal down"
"roll the front window up slowly so you don't damage the regulator more"
"dont **** with the rearview mirror"

I could go on, but i feel like im ranting to myself to make myself feel better oh well, ill be home friday and my mind will finally be at ease. hopefully its just another power steering leak, and i can use some sealant this time.

[lcmlee]

yeah, my W140 drips oil too. Maybe 1/4 cup of oil per year.

[bluerooster]

Mine used to leak power steering fluid. untill I found the leak, when I changed the pump. (SLS pump) Found that one of the screws that hold the resevoir was loose as a goose and was seeping from the screw hole.
Same gasket, same screws (just properly tightened), and no more leaks.
At 128k miles, it might use a tablespoon full of oil between changes.