u/bmh7279

I have a 2003 lexus gx470 and.... im at a loss. Im not a master mechanic, but i know a little... done some basic work on cars before, watch a lot of informational videos like chrisfix and whatnot... but this one is really frustrating me.

I bought the car from a shitty buy here pay here place. Cheap, 300k miles, but ran sturdy. I knew it had a powersteering issue thanks to the whine and needing to refill the fluid every now and again. After 6 months of owning it, its gotten worse. MUCH worse. I gotta fill it several times a day now. Whats baffling me is... iv no idea where its going! Never any puddles, just empty tanks and a whine that seems to appear miles after filling the fluid back up. I have a rough estimate that the steering rack is bad, both rubber boots are off the main body and its moist like a small leak. But never enough to justify the excess i need to put into it. And what makes my brain hurt more, the smoke thats coming from the exaust that seems to correlate with the power steering fill level.

It doesnt burn oil. Im a couple hundred milesfrom my next change and its still at full and actually looms remarkableclean for a 300k mile car, antifreeze is perfect, and as far as i know, power steering is a seperate system. But, i fill the power steering, i get more grey exaust smoke, no puddles of steering fluid, but when its low, i get less smoke. Am i crazy? Am i wrong? Is it coincidence? I know... 'take it to a shop, have it looked at'... easier said than done for me. My financial situation is less than ideal, hence why im driving a 300k mile car from a buy here pay here place.

Only logical conclusion i can thin of is... maybe the bum power steering is causing strain on the engine somehow? And its accentuating an exaust valve leak? Anyway, id like to have a direction to look. I might be able to do it myself over a weekend, i have fone some radiator work, alternators, and some obscure random mechanical issues. So, im not completely inept, and given my financial situation, id prob go to a pull apart place to get by for now depending on the issue/part. Plus, a weird issue like this, id imagine is a blank check to any dishonest mechanic.

First off, im a first time rv owner. Bought a used 2013 forest river v cross 'the vibe' model vcf823vds5 fifth wheel. Naturally, given the sub 10k price, its got problems. So far its been minor, such as the ac leaking inside, which was fixed by climbing up on the roof and cleaning the drain pan. But now im having some major plumbing issues. Black tank is constantly reading 2/3 full, even after draining it till its barely a trickle, and the grey tank leaks as soon as i open the valve to empty it. Which i find weird given the black tank doeant seem to leak when opened, but im guessing its a faulty valve or a leak just at the pipe.

Either way, i currently have the underbelly half off, which is an absolute mess of seemingly cobbled together duct tape and improvised aluminum cross strips and a makeshift wooden beam looped between the back bumper and through a couple cross members. Unfortunately the valves seem to be by the axle, and the pipes are spray foamed to the underbelly material.

So, what im asking, given the information, any ideas what to look for? Busted pipe? Loose fitting? Stupidious owniserous? Also, this is kinda my home, was homeless for over a year and the guy i bought it from just dropped it off so its not level, but its on the todo list. Id imagine the way its leaning (away from the drain) isnt helping, but for it to be constantly stuck at 2/3rd full is a bit perplexing.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

May your toast always land butter side up if/when you drop it

Hope i got the number right, my phone is a pos