Changing Power Steer Fluid

[Koffee-Black]

Hey guys,

Is there a special way to do this?

I took my car to Wakefield, and cooked the powersteering fluid, resulting in hard steering. I tried to drain the can out, what amessy job!. I did this, then put the hose back on, started the car, and move the steering a bit, then drained it again. I did this twice. Steering is much better, but still a bit tight and juttery. Also you can really hear the pump working when I steer.

is there something Im doing wrong?

I found turning the car off moving teh steering wheel from left to right, then starting it again will make it nice like how it was, but then it will get hard again...

[Trent-KE30]

This happened to my brothers MS85 crown i'd say you've cooked something inside the pump..

[beige_bandit]

Did you bleed the system?

Did you run the pump dry?(if you did thats why its noisy!)

To bleed the system you need to go from full lock to full lock , as the system bleeds the resovior level will drop( you need 2nd person to fill it as it drops) once the level stops dropping you know there is no air in the system

Hope this helps

[LeeRoy]

Firstly, are you sure you belt is not slipping as this will also provide hard steering, and pump noise. If that is ok, drain procedure is as follows:
1. Check fluid and ensure it is at correct level - if not fill till it is
2. Start engine (with an idle of 1000rpm max) then go lock to lock 3 or 4 times.
3. Check fluid level again also looking discolouration and cloudy appearance
4. Stop engine and check the fliud hasent risen by more that half a cm.
5. If fliud is aerated or has risen excessively, remove return hose from reservior and plug reservior pipe.
6. Jack car up - use stands too
7. Fill reservior with fluid (again)
8. Start engine with 1000rpm idle max and turn engine off as soon as fluid comes out of hose.
9. Repeat procedure constantly adding clean fluid until clear fluid comes out of return hose.

All the best - LeeRoy

[Koffee-Black]

damn, thats harder than i thought. I didnt bleed it like you suggested.

I think the pump is still ok. Some of the oil that came out was brown (i.e burnt) some of it was red. I had only put new oil in about a month before hand.

[LeeRoy]

To bleed the system you need to go from full lock to full lock , as the system bleeds the resovior level will drop( you need 2nd person to fill it as it drops) once the level stops dropping you know there is no air in the systemHope this helps

But wheres the old fluid going???

[LeeRoy]

damn, thats harder than i thought. I didnt bleed it like you suggested.

I think the pump is still ok. Some of the oil that came out was brown (i.e burnt) some of it was red. I had only put new oil in about a month before hand.

Yeh, i hope for your sake its only the oil. Pretty simple really, pull hose off, top fluid, run car, lock to lock, top fluid. Repeat. Done

[Koffee-Black]

Firstly, are you sure you belt is not slipping as this will also provide hard steering, and pump noise. If that is ok, drain procedure is as follows:
1. Check fluid and ensure it is at correct level - if not fill till it is
2. Start engine (with an idle of 1000rpm max) then go lock to lock 3 or 4 times.
3. Check fluid level again also looking discolouration and cloudy appearance
4. Stop engine and check the fliud hasent risen by more that half a cm.
5. If fliud is aerated or has risen excessively, remove return hose from reservior and plug reservior pipe.
6. Jack car up - use stands too
7. Fill reservior with fluid (again)
8. Start engine with 1000rpm idle max and turn engine off as soon as fluid comes out of hose.
9. Repeat procedure constantly adding clean fluid until clear fluid comes out of return hose.

All the best - LeeRoy

Thanks Leeroy, i will give this a try.

[Koffee-Black]

Yeh, i hope for your sake its only the oil. Pretty simple really, pull hose off, top fluid, run car, lock to lock, top fluid. Repeat. Done

I dont know which one return is. It has 2 hoses going to the can, t he top and bottom. When I pulled the top hose out, fluid started puring out. So puring fluid in will just come straight out??

[LeeRoy]

2 hoses to can. One will suck fluid into pump then into the rack, the other hose should run the other way ending up in the reservior.

The top one sounds right. Throws fluid into top, sucks from bottom.

The one spitting fluid out is the one you need, just keep filling it up and letting fluid drain out till it goes clear. Just block the hold in the reservior from the hose you pulled off so fluid doesnt come out of it. Get me?

- LeeRoy

[Mr Ed]

Good thread!

Im trying Leeroys method tonight.....any idea how much fluid my PS system will hold? Last thing I want to have is my car up on stands at 10pm and not enough fluid. Have 5L or so sitting here...will that easily be enough?

[barned01]

here is a thread on soarer central to do power steering fluid.
it is quite easy to do and you even get to be impressed with the colour the fluid comes out
http://soarercentral.com/sc-forum/me...tml?1098351271
(note i did it on a 1jz soarer)
sir 2j: it should be, i filled up a coke bottles worth of old fluid, had a five litre bottle and i still have some left.

[Mr Ed]

Thanks mate, will check that link out