How often should power steering fluid be changed?

[drag racer]

Valvoline PS Fluid

Try Checker/SChuck's/Kragen (name depends on where you live), they always have here in the Southwest.

 

[BC]

Darren, I asked this same question. I'd not ever done it either. It does make sense to do it though, I mean you change all your other fluids.



Tracy, I bought Valvoline at Auto Zone about 3 days ago. If you have one close by give them a call.



I replaced some of my power steering fluid yesterday. I used a turkey baster to suck out the old fluid. Didn't get much out, and what I got out was black. I refilled, naturally over filling, so fluid went everywhere. I sucked out more until the small dip stick showed power steering fluid to the full line. My guess is that it only needed about 1/4 of a quart, if that.



I'll continue to do this about every 10k or so, it cheap and easy to do.



Hope this helps.



Bill Cook

 

[LSMITH]

I bought the Valvoline Syn power steering fluid at Wal-Mart. I have also seen it at Napa if you want to pay about triple price.

 

[vc]

I got mine at Walmart.

 

[BNH4221]

How about another angle on the PS fluid change. I am about due for a change and I remember reading that a member uncoupled one of the PS lines from the pump to the cooler or something and started the engine. The PS pump then pumped all the fluid out the disconnected hose and into a bucket he had set up.

Is this a decent method or will one be looking at a new PS pump pretty quick?

Just curious...



Steve

 

[EMDDIESEL]

The method you are reffering to works, but ut takes a while to get all the air out of the system, or to "Burp" it so to speak. I just suck the resivior dry, then refill with synthetic, then a week later, do it again, that should pretty much get all the old stuff out. Its compatible with the stock fluid so there is no danger of causing harm to the P/S pump.

 

[JJW_ND]

Any Place online to By Valvoline ??

Can not seem to find the Valvoline Synthetic fluids locally. Anyone run across an online site that offers it?



jjw

 

[JohnE]

I feel power steering fluid, trany fluid, brake fluid, and differential lube falling the same general category. Used to be the manuals rarely required a replacement, but common sense says it is a good idea.



I always equated a power steering system to an auto trany and guess what? <em>My Company's</em> <strike>Our</strike> products share the same reservoir for power steering and auto trany which is filled with Castrol SynTorq. <b>Automotive (including the Dodge P/U)</b> P/S & A/T are NOT the same system so makes sure to use the recommended fluids. I just used the illustration to point out that they are both hydraulic systems and should be treated as such.



I try to change P/S & auto at the same time. I put the front end up on jack stands, pull the return hose loose from the power unit and work the wheels in both direction to get excess juice out. I refill and start the engine with it still on the stands and turn the wheel lock to lock several times to burp air.



I usually do a brake fluid change when the pads are &frac12; down.



How often do you change the fuel filter on your gasser versus your diesel? Mine is the same frequency. Cheap insurance.



***

Personally, I will not use Valvoline products. Too many bad experiences with spun bearings and cooked pumpkins. Get Amsoil or Lucas IMHO

 

[EMDDIESEL]

JohnE write: "Our products share the same reservoir for power steering and auto trany"

are you saying that the power steering resevior is connected to my auto trannie?, i have never heard of a power steering system connected to a Transmission in any way. And Valvoline SEMI SYNTHETIC power steering fluid IS approved for use in our trucks.

 

[LandShark]

I change my PS fluid every 100,000 miles using the Valvoline fluid. I suck out what I can, refill, run engine for a few minutes while cycling the steering wheel and then repeat 2 more times. This takes just under 1 quart.



One thing I noticed with the Valvoline: The filler cap stays dry now. With the OEM fluid the pump would spit up a few drops of fluid a couple of times a year. Don't know why. Maybe the semi-synthetic Valvoline doesn't foam up as much?



Does anyone have a suction gun they can recommend?

 

[EMDDIESEL]

Go to a truck supply and buy a suction gun made by Lincoln, they make grease guns too, they are top of the line, heavy duty, about 20-30 bucks, all metal

 

[illflem]

Unless you think you're going to be using it a lot a suction gun is a waste of money, mine has been sitting on the shelf for at least 5 years. Buy a turkey baster for 99¢, at that price you can just throw it away rather than hassling with cleaning it out.

 

[JohnE]

I boofed an earlier posting and EMDDiesel caught it. THANKS



Our DODGE P/U (as all automotive systems) use completely separate transmission and power steering systems.



I work at an OEM and our P/S, fan drive, and auto trany systems use the same fluid from a common reservoir, but still have separate pumps.



Hope I didn't cause any problems



John

 

[SteveH]

I saw on TV several years ago where a lady and her husband artificially inseminated his wife using the turkey baster but this is another first - to suck out the power steering fluid. I actually bought one today and changed out some rather brownish old fluid. I was only able to suck out exactly 2 oz because the baster hit bottom. Is this about all you can get at one time?

 

[Sky]

yea i got about 2. 5 out so its close. I think im going to buy a syphon thingee from wallmart my baster dripped and stuff all over the place. I think they are like 5 bucks.

 

[BC]

This is a follow up:



Just got back from the Smoky Mountains. I replaced the power steering fluid before I left using a turkey baster. I checked the level daily while I was gone. All looked good.



Today I'll do it again. Someone suggested when replacing the power steering fluid to use a baster, and then a week later do it again. This way you replace most of the old fluid. Made sense to me.



Bill Cook

 

[Cooker]

2 ounces?



Doesn't the PS system hold 2 pints or 16 ounces? Please correct me if I'm wrong.



If the turkey baster method only changes 2 ounces I'll be jacking the truck up to flush the system.



-Ryan

 

[SteveH]

Originally posted by Cooker

2 ounces?



Doesn't the PS system hold 2 pints or 16 ounces? Please correct me if I'm wrong.



If the turkey baster method only changes 2 ounces I'll be jacking the truck up to flush the system.



-Ryan

I really don't know how much the steering unit holds. The manual doesn't tell either. The 2 oz that I got out seemed rather puny to me and you're right, you'd have to change it out 10 or so times to do any good if it holds 20 ounces. The solution to pollution is dilution, and it would take a long while to dilute this down with new juice. Anybody know how much the unit holds?

 

[1tuffram]

according to my service manual the ps system holds 1. 3L (2. 7 pts). I don't know how many oz this works out to be. A qt bottle holds a little less than a liter, so I'm going to aprroximate the ps system hold around 1. 5 qts.



I used the suction gun method and was able to remove a little over 12 oz from the ps reservoir. I found initailly I too could not get but a few oz's out of the part of the reservoir where the dip stick gets the fluid level reading. After I removed this small amount I noticed an "opening/hole" in the bottom of this part of the reservoir. I removed the hard plastic tube from my suction gun and put small piece of 3/8 fuel line on (something more flexible) and was able to put it down the hole, deeper into ps pump and remove an additional 10oz or so of ps fluid. If I was able to fit a smaller hose on my suction gun I may have been able to get further down to get more fluid out. The 3/8" hose only went in a few inches and then hit something and I was unable to "fish" it around the obstruction.



I then filled the reservoir with 13 oz of the Valvoline ps fluid. Only thing not mentioned in earlier posts about this was getting air in the system. When I started my truck the steering wheel would not turn, thought I done messed it up and should have left well enough alone. After a few minutes of fast idling all was back to normal.

 

[SteveH]

Its impossible to even see into the res after the lid is off the ps pump. Maybe I can fish it around blind and find that hole. Thanks for the info, my next days off I'll be out there again and try that.

Where can the Lincoln suction gun be found?