Have no power-steering but P-S fluid level is good. Found lg spring on ground underneath & clear or very light pink fluid. Possibly watered down P-S fluid? It's a 98 Ford Explorer, 4.0 EFI Limited Edition. Think it's likely the P-S pump. Can I drive it .5 miles to garage without causing more damage?

Hi Mr.Downs.
Are you sure is only leaking when the vehicle gets warm? On checking the coolant level when the engine is cold and before starting is in a correct level?
Is it possible to be any drain pipe either if you do have air conditioning and running the air con then water comes out from that pipe and might you do have any dirt by the vaporator and gets the orange color.
Also do check for your power steering fluid,if there is any leakage
from the steering rack if it is close to that pipe and confusing you ?

Does kind of buzz at an idle and it whine when you try to turn? You could be low on power steering fluid. Sometimes people put the wrong fluid un it pump instead of power steering fluid which will cause problem because the fluid is too thick.
You could possibly have a pump going out on you.
Jack the car up to get the front wheels off the ground. With the engine off, turn the steering wheel lock to lock. If you feel any binding as you turn you may have a bent steering rack.

Power steering fluid has not been changed in eons, i suggest draining the fluid, refilling with a cheap fresh fluid, then bleed the system by turning the wheels from lock to lock a few times with the cap of the steering fluid master cylinder off, then drain the system again & refill with good quality power steering fluid - it should be pink & smell sweet, - the power steering fluid that is!!

Automobiles: 2006-2007 Ford Five Hundred 2WD & AWD, Montego

If the steering is getting a little hard to turn at low speeds, this would indicate a loss of Power Steering, and the steering is reverting to "Non-Power" steering, just like the days of the Ford Model T or Model A. Loss of power steering is usually caused by low level of PSF (Power Steering Fluid).
So first on my checklist would be checking the PSF level in the reservoir.
Also bleed (air) from PS (Power Steering) pump.

The Ford Five Hundred has front MacPherson struts, so check these for leakage (of the dampening fluid in the strut cylinder), or breakage of their coil springs.
These springs can actually weaken over time, but this is impossible to see - you must "feel" it by bouncing the strut up & down - preferably with your hands on the top of the strut tower in the engine compartment (rather than on the exterior finish).
If the MacPherson struts have weak/broken springs, these components are not separately serviceable, and the strut would have to be replaced as a unit (and preferably both left/right to maintain smooth/even ride).

The Five Hundred also has rear shock absorbers with springs - check for leaks/breakage/weakness here too.

Steering losing responsiveness/wander - checklist
Priority Action Part Type Cause
1 Inspect Rack & Pinion - Center Wear From Internal Fluid Leaking Around The Rack Piston.
2 Inspect Steering Stabilizer Bracket - Loose or Broken Steering Stabilizer Bracket.
3 Inspect Front Lower Control Arm - Front Lower Control Arm loose/missing bolt(s)
4 Inspect Front Lower Ball Joints - Front Lower Ball Joint(s) Worn/Loose
5 Inspect Front Upper Ball Joints -Front Upper Ball Joint(s) Worn/Loose
6 Inspect Tire Pressure - Tire Pressure should be 35 PSI for the Five Hundred and Montego's P225/55R18 OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) tires.

Harsh ride - checklist

1 Inspect Rear Shock/Strut - Shocks/Strut failing/leaking.
2 Inspect Front Shock/Strut - Shocks/Strut failing/leaking.
3 Inspect Coil Spring - Incorrect Coil Spring Selection or Installation.
4 Inspect Coil Spring - Coil Spring broken.

Several places the transmission can leak, pan gasket is most common place with cooler line fittings being next most common.Clean all the fluid off with a can of brake clean you can buy at a parts store.Make sure engine is off first and that the transmission has been topped off so as better to produce a leak.After it is clean crank and let idle on level ground for 30 minutes then shut it off and get a flash light and see if you have a leak and follow it to the source(fluid runs downhill like water)If you have no leak let it set overnight and check in the morning.Good luck!

Power steering.Check the fluid.If it needs some,the fluid bottles are labeled on them which makes of car they can be used on.If the level is fine,it needs to be checked out.There could be a bad solenoid.The fluid container is under the hood and is clearly marked with either steering or power steering.It should be a fairly clear container with a mark on the side to indicate the proper upper and possibly lowest level accepted.Greg

This is caused by a bad wheel bearing. to locate the right wheel jack the front wheels up and check for the wheel being loose, or with car jacked up in the air with front wheel off the ground put it in drive and see if you can listen for the noise, you may be right with the right front but just double check, good luck, hope this is helpful.

im quite sure this will be the power steering fluid leaking, IF the coolant level is staying full. check level of steering fluid its a reddish colour but can become pink when leaking and mixed with water etc. hope this helps

2 ways to check what it is: 1st, check all fluid levels to see what is low. 2nd, if it's clear, it is your a/c condensation vent tube (normal to drip on the ground), green is coolant, red or pink would be trans. fluid, or power steering fluid, tan, or brownish would be oil or brake fluid, blue would be windshield washer fluid. So, check all the above fluid levels to see what is low, then using a white rag or paper towel, dab the ground where the leak is dripping to determine the color. Let me know what you find.

you have a rack and pinion problem