So I was out test driving (3rd drive of a turbo Miata... Holy ****!) when I heard a noise and I lost power steering. I got home and inspected the lines and they were fine.

Before I go any further, I should say I have a radiator for an automatic Miata, with the extra two hoses for the tranny cooler or something. I got it for 30 bucks, what can I say?

Anyways, I get back home with no power steering to see that hte hose I had run from the two tranny coolers was ripped off (And also attached to a plastic bag - must've got caught at some point) and I had coolant all over, so I'm assuming I lost pressure in the coolant system.

Would this be a reason the power steering would just randomly go off? FWIW I haven't even touched the PS system.

 

Short answer, no.... the 2 are unrelated.

Double check to see if you still have a belt going around your PSpump.
Also check PS fluid.

Did you hear belt squeeling???
The coolant being sprayed everywhere might have cause the belt to slip (not likely but possible)

...my 2 cents

 

No belt squeak, just died. I didn't even notice until I got to a lower speed, so I can't say if anything special happened.

They couldn've been separate incidents, and the hose getting ripped off could have been completely unrelated.

Also, with a different question, what could cause a turbo to smoke at the place where the compressor housing goes over the wheel? Mine smokes there, and it doesn't smell like oil and it's white, and it smells horrible.

 

leaking PS onto the turbo would give a nasty smell... check your fluid.

 

PS belt came off (Car was too JDM) and smacked a coolant line.

 

White smoke from turbo area screams coolant to me if it does not smell like oil.

 

Funny enough, the coolant lines aren't hooked up. Turbo is being replaced soon.