How difficult is it to diagnose a power steering leak on a 2000 Chevy malibu

Power steering high pressure hose blew , take it to a qualified repair shop.

ck. p.s hoses 4 leakage fill pump have someone turn wheel back & forth look 4 leak

Hello, this can caused by several thing, the power steering pump may be leaking, the stering gear leaking, or one of the power steering hoses. you will need to make a visual inpection of these parts and see if you see fluid leaking out. the teo most common areas are, the power steering pressure hose and the steering gear mounted under the vehicle on the frame

First with the engine off check the power steering fluid and fill to the fill line deepening on weather the engine is hot or cold, the power steering reservoir will have a line for each. Check the serpentine belt as well. Make sure it is not slipping, cracked or otherwise defective. Check the pressure hoses on the pump for leaks.Your rack and pinion unit could be going or have a leak as well. Do you have any red fluid on the ground? That may be an indication or a power steering leak somewhere. Let me know if this helps.

how do you know its low then? it's there in the engine compartment, its usually set in a small black plastic box towards the front off most engines because its run by the serpentine belt, so follow the belt on your car it rolls right over the power steering unit. it"ll have a circular knob with small half moon cuts on the outside to make it easier to grip, and right on the top, in yellow writing, it'll say power steering fluid only! Hydraulic fluid or transmission fluid, dont put brake fluid in there..always in a pinch you can pour transmission fluid in. Now if its leaking i highly recommend "Lucas" stop leak power steering fluid, but only to top it off dont poor in the whole bottle at once because this stuff works too good! and could lock up your steering. Everytime its low just top it off again.
can you rate my answer.thank you.

you either blowed a hose, or the rack end seal is leaking. check the hoses to the rack.

Good chance you are just low on steering fluid and a $3 can will take care of your problems. If you are not mechanically inclined find a friend or co-worker who can check the fluid for you. If the fluid is not the problem (but 95% chance it is) then there really isn't a way to estimate the cost until the cause is diagnosed.

This can be VERY expensive I would first contact GM customer assitance the phone number should be in your owners manual.Maybe depending on your milage they will split the cost with you.I worked 20 plus years for GM and they helped alot my customers.

Best suggestion I can make is make sure the power steering fluid is in the full range (either hot if you've been driving more than 20 miles, or cold if the engine has been off). Always check the fluid with the engine off. If the fluid smells burnt, have a mechanic check the power steering pump for damage. Also check around the area for any leaks.

Another thing to look at is the wiring and fuses for the power steering and speedometer. Try to follow them to see if there's any bare, rubbing, broken, or loose wires. Electrical systems are a pain to diagnose specifically, and it may be better to have a mechanic look at it for you but fuses are easy to check.

I took my car into the dealership on friday 02-13-09 only to find out my steering column needs to be replaced the motor is shorting out for the power steering ~ certain models of malibu's 2005 yr if your vin falls between 5F100001 - 5F250216 call Chevrolet they have a Technical Service Bulletin # 07126 - SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT - LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST - 7 yrs or 70,000 miles regardless of ownership - they will cover the cost of the repair ~ Chevrolet 1-800-630-2438 or
1-800-833-2438 - They saved me from having to pay out of pocket !!!