Hi,

I had a problem with my '01 ML320 powersteering fluid lines and I'm wondering if it any pump damage occurred. I'm in the northeast, not far from Boston where we've had some extreme cold lately. I started my car one morning and let it warm up for out 15-20 minutes. Jumped in and pulled out of my driveway only to realize there was no power steering. I pulled back into the driveway and took a look under the hood to find the power steering cooling line, running to the radiator, had slipped off the connection on the radiator and leaked all/most of the fluid. I got the problem all taken care of by the local Dealer. He said he's seen this happen several times in extreme cold.

What I'm wondering is if the pump has been damaged or it's life shortened? It could be the hose popped off when I first started the engine and ran empty (or almost) for the 15-20 minutes, and then I turned the wheel to get out of/into the driveway.

Now, if I turn the steering wheel all the way to the stops I can hear the pump - not sure if it's louder now, or just my imagination.

Has anyone seen this?

Thanks much

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dac