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About a month ago, coming down a logging road in the mountains, without driving roughly, I had a blinking red ACE light appear and the chiming to go with it. All drove normal but i pulled over and restart the 2000 discovery. No more light. All fine for a couple more weeks. Didnt think to check fluid at that time, was unaware of the ACE system and its components.
I then got around to checking for oddities under the hood after driving and hearing my steering "strain" when dead-left or dead-right while parking. Power steering fluid level fine, ACE level low. So i topped it up with power steering fluid. I have noticed it is dripping ever slightly from the front of the ACE valve block. This will be the next project if it is indeed the main culprit. I see no leaks elsewhere.
The ACE level in the reservoir continues to drop below the low line after driving for a while but upon being shut off, it returns between the min and max lines. Do i have an air issue going on? Ive read about driving in figure 8's.
Just wondering if i can continue to drive daily errands in my small town with topping the system up before getting the car in the garage?
Leak is probably the result of the steel line degrading the aluminum valve block. If you feel comfortable, you can install this yourself, not hard, just cutting ACE lines with a tubing cutter and installing the new ACE Block rebuilt beautifully by this company:
I purchased it about 18 months ago, installed it and it works great. My symptoms were the same as yours. You can keep adding fluid temporarily, but a new block is what is needed. If you are not comfortable with the install, any competent shop can do it as well.
Ive I’ll to attach a pic displaying where I’m leaking. There appears to be a little, flimsy collar that has worked itself loose from the base of the one pipe and its “clip”, I’m guessing this collar acts as some sort of gasket?
just curious if I could “re-gasket” this pipe, if it would solve my woes.
still unsure as to why the fluid level drops and returns (as mentioned, this leak isn’t leaking like a sieve).
Varying ACE fluid levels.
