Hello All,
I understand that the 2014 GLK string rack is "electronic" or "electronically activated" but I'm unclear about the inner workings of it. Is it a servo system? Sealed system with fluid and pump internally? Or ???
The reason I ask is that a a small / medium "oil" stain appeared under my formally ALWAYS dry car while in the garage. The spot, irregular 4"-6", dry-ish but obviously fluid dropped stain. There was also some residue under the car.
It was on the edge of the engine under cover at the drivers side adjacent to the front wheel, dirty but clear-ish, faint oder and slight bitter taste. I moved the car out onto the apron and a bit more appeared on the concrete. However now nothing fresh, just residue. It does not appear to be coolant, oil or Trans fluid.
The pan / brace/ shield under the steering rack is oily but I did spill oil at the filter area last service. I cleaned that up as best I could and it has been months and nothing under the car, until this.
When I drove the car back into the garage I did not get any sense of a steering issue however I was not thinking along these lines until after I dropped the cover this afternoon. There have been no codes thrown on either short move of the car.

Any Thoughts, Diagnosis tips or Advice is obviously welcome.

Thanks,
Pacificman

 

On my 13 I bought fluid to flush the power steering . My mechanic could not find a way to drain or fill it. I believe it’s sealed . If it doesn’t leak any more is it empty ? Maybe there is a way to fill and maintain it , I didn’t look into it and don’t know .

 

I could be "slow" because of my age, but can you clarify what "last service" means? Engine oil?

And "what" filter area? (our oil filter is up top)

 

The last time I serviced the car, oil change. I spilled oil while removing the filter and gravity caused it to run down below, the oily area adjacent to the steering rack.

 

… slightly bitter taste…
Please tell me you didn’t.
Moving on — There are no hydraulic components in the GLK electrically assisted steering. The assist motor drives the rack via a belt. There are some semi-solid lubricants used on the mechanism in very small amounts.
Here is a description intended for independent shops that’s easy to understand by DIYers:
https://automotivetechinfo.com/2017/...ered-steering/

 

Thanks for the link, Odd Piggy

 

Thank You for the information.
I too taste my vehicle's fluids for diagnosis purposes.

 

Not to get too far off the original topic: Maybe I know too much about what’s in some of that stuff?
FYI — Antifreeze, which is by nature sweet tasting and extremely nephrotoxic, now usually has denatonium added to it to make it unpalatable. The taste is bitter.

 

Have you read the label on a bottle of root beer? Apparently using real sassafras root is illegal but there's no harm in a little propylene glycol.

Duh gubmint sez: Mmmmm goooood!

 

AFAIK most automotive antifreeze is still ethylene glycol based. The propylene glycol is “mo betta.” I didn’t check to see if MB switched formulas when going from the blue to the pink. The anti foam agents, anti oxidants, and pH buffers are still there.

Pacificman was done at #4.

 

Right, I'm just saying "don't worry about it, a little won't kill ya." I knowz cuz duh gubmint works for me, not corporations. I'd be worried if duh gubmint was putting corporate profits ahead of my safety.

 

Propylene glycol is one of the two main ingredients in all vaping liquids. VG/PG in various ratios. My wife vapes 70/30. VG is vegetable glycerine. They are considered to be non-toxic to humans.