Power steering fluid is critical for car and truck operation. It allows for easy steering and turning of your vehicle.
By keeping the power steering fluid fresh and at the proper level, the hoses, valves, pistons, and power steering pump will continue to function correctly. If you do not maintain the proper level and flush and replace your vehicle’s power steering fluid when needed, you will gradually ruin your power steering pump.
What is Power Steering Fluid?
Power steering fluid is a hydraulic fluid that enables the operation of a power steering system. Fluid is pressurized in such a way that it reduces the effort needed to turn the steering wheel, while also keeping the working components of the power-steering system lubricated and in good condition.
Power-steering fluid is a hydraulic fluid in vehicles with power steering, and serves the same purpose in your vehicle’s steering system as in other systems; however, power-steering fluid is necessary for effective steering operation.
On most vehicles, however, due to the fact that power-steering fluid is not a common maintenance task, it is generally up to the owner of a vehicle to decide if and when to replace it.
While some manufacturers may advise changing power-steering fluid at regular intervals, it is always best to refer to your owner’s manual.
What Is Power Steering?
Power steering uses power from the vehicle’s engine to assist in turning the wheels of the vehicle. A power steering system is designed to give the driver more control and better handling of the vehicle.
A power steering system can either be hydraulic or electric. A hydraulic system uses hydraulic pressure created by fluid to help turn the wheels of the car.
An electric power steering system uses an electric motor and a variety of sensors to know how much force a driver is putting on the steering wheel, and then works out how much assistance should be provided to the driver from the power steering system.
What Does Power Steering Fluid Do?
Power steering fluid is the hydraulic fluid in the steering system that links the steering wheel to the front wheels and reduces the effort required to turn the wheels.
Power steering fluid also lubricates the moving parts of the steering system, prevents foaming, and protects against corrosion in the power steering gear and pump for optimal vehicle operation.
What is the Colour of Power Steering Fluid? The power steering fluid colour varies between Red, Amber, Pink, Light, or Clear. If your power steering fluid is Dark Brown or Foamy, it’s time to change it.
Where Can I Find My Power Steering Fluid? The power steering fluid reservoir is located under the hood and typically on the passenger side of the vehicle. Although it is sometimes located on the driver’s side of the vehicle, it is usually a white or yellow container with a black cap that states “power steering” or “steering fluid”.
What Are the Types of Power Steering Fluid?
Check your manual for compatible power steering fluids for your car.
- Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) is typically acceptable for power steering systems.
- Most newer cars have synthetic power steering fluids, which are specially made for particular models or types of steering systems.
- Mineral-based fluids (non-synthetic) may also be acceptable if your vehicle specifies ATF.
Important: Choosing the wrong type of fluid will harm the vehicle and result in improper steering.
What Are Power Steering Fluid Specification Standards?
Power steering specification standards set requirements for fluid characteristics such as viscosity, additives, detergents, etc., to ensure that each power steering fluid is compatible with vehicles on which they are used.
Standardization organizations establish the power steering fluid specification standards. For example, the German Institute for Standardization established the DIN 51 524T3 standard, while the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) established ISO 7308 as its standard.
While specific vehicles typically require the use of a power steering fluid that meets both DIN 51 524T3 and ISO 7308, there may be other manufacturers of power steering fluid standards, such as Japanese automakers.
How to check the power steering fluid?
Checking your power steering fluid regularly includes three items:
- Level of fluid in the reservoir
- Clarity or colour
- Checking for leaks in this area
When checking the levels, most reservoirs will either have markings on the side to show how full they are or will include a dipstick that fits inside the cap of the reservoir. Dipsticks are used to determine the fluid level, just like an engine oil dipstick.
- Take out the dipstick from the can
- Clean off the dipstick and see where the max and min markings are
- Put the dipstick back into the fluid and take it out to check where the fluid comes up to
- If it is at or below the min level put more fluid into the can until it reaches the max level
- If the fluid is still at a reasonable level just put the cap back on, and check again in a few months
Verify the power steering fluid’s color and clarity – Like other vehicle fluids, you should be mindful of contamination of the fluid. The contamination will decrease how well the power steering will perform and may cause the steering to stop working entirely. The most common form of contamination is oxidation, which results in a darker colour, which also decreases the effectiveness of the power steering fluid. Regardless of how it becomes contaminated, once you notice it, be prepared to replace the entire system.
What is the normal colour of power steering fluid? The normal colour will depend upon the steering fluid specified by the manufacturer of your vehicle. Typical colour will be some shade of red.
Verifying whether you have a power steering fluid leak – The worst-case scenario is you fill up your power-steering fluid only to have it leak out from under your vehicle while it is parked or being driven. If this is happening, it is typically easy to see the fluid’s path on the ground when you move your vehicle.
If you place a piece of white Sheeting underneath your vehicle, it will be easy to identify which fluid is leaking from your vehicle. If you see a red colour, it is your power steering fluid, and you should contact a professional for assistance immediately.
When to Change Power Steering Fluid?
Flushing the power steering fluid every 2 years or every 50,000 miles (whichever comes first) is the general recommendation.
Some sources say the recommended schedule to replace the power steering fluid is anywhere from 75,000 to 100,000 miles, while others say every 2 years, regardless of mileage. There are no hard and fast rules about how often to change the power steering fluid; in fact, every car manufacturer has different guidelines for how often to change it.
Fortunately, there is probably no completely wrong (or right) answer to the question of how frequently to change the power steering fluid. The best compromise appears to be to change it either every 2 years or every 75,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Your power steering pump operates on the basis of hydraulic pressure and can generate up to 1,600 lb of pressure, so it’s a bad idea to go too long without changing it. Over time, as the fluid degrades, it collects dirt and debris, causing it to create significantly greater amounts of friction than when new.
This can lead to an increase in wear and tear on both the pump and the rack seals, resulting in greatly increased repair costs if the seals fail.
How To Change Power Steering Fluid?
Step 1: Lift your vehicle.
To lift your vehicle’s front end and place it securely on jack stands, follow these steps.
Step 2: Empty the power steering fluid reservoir.
You should now locate your power steering fluid reservoir, which is typically located close to the power steering pump. You should remove the reservoir’s cap and, using a turkey baster, draw out all of the fluid that you can. This is done similarly to an eyedropper.
Step 3: Remove the return hose and flush the system.
Next, you should locate your power steering fluid return hose, which consists of two hoses that go from the power steering pump to the steering gear assembly. Locate the hose that has removable clamps, and use pliers to loosen those clamps.
Make sure you have an oil drain pan positioned directly beneath where the return hose attaches. Loosen the clamp and disconnect the return hose. Prepare for a small mess, as some of the fluid in the return hose may leak out when you disconnect it. The less fluid you removed from the reservoir in Step 2, the more fluid you will be adding from this point on.
Before reconnecting the return hose, turn the steering wheel from left to right several times to expel any of the remaining old fluid in the system. Continue turning the wheel until no more fluid is expelled.
Step 4: Flush the system with fresh fluid
Disconnect the return line hose from your reservoir and roughly half fill the reservoir with power steering fluid. After that, start your car in order to force the new fluid through the power steering system and ensuring all the contaminants in your system are flushed out the bottom of the system.
Again, your best practice is to turn your steering wheel left and right while the fluid is being drained from your steering system. As you are doing this, be sure to monitor your power steering fluid reservoir to ensure you do not run out of fluid before you were able to perform an enough flushing of your power steering fluid.
When the fluid being drained out of the power steering system looks like the new fluid being added, you can assume that your power steering system has been completely flushed out. Shut your car off.
Step 5: Reconnect the return line hose.
Re-connect the return hose to the fitting on the power steering reservoir and use pliers to replace the clamp onto the hose so it does not become loose.
Step 6: Refill to the “Full” mark.
Fill the power steering reservoir until the level rises to the “Full” mark with power steering fluid; put the cap back on, and run your vehicle for about 10 seconds. After you turn off the engine, remove the cap and add more fluid to ensure that it is full again.
Step 7: Check for leaks.
Start your vehicle and allow it to run while inspecting underneath the vehicle for any signs of leaking power steering fluid. Also look to see where the return hose connected to the power steering reservoir to drain the system. Do not mistake any spilled power steering fluid from the initial drain for any leaking fluid.
Again, rotate the steering wheel full right and left in order to push new power steering fluid into the system and continue monitoring and adding fluid to the power steering reservoir until it continues to be full.
Step 8: Lower the car and take a test drive
To restore the drain pan, remove the drain pan from beneath the car, remove the stands holding the car up, and return it to the ground. Turn the wheel all the way to the left and all the way to the right to make sure no resistance comes from the wheels.
If everything feels right, you can test drive the car on the road. If everything feels good, you’re finished.
If you feel like the steering is not right, check your power steering fluid level by looking at the fluid level in your hood.
If the fluid is full, you could be having an air pocket issue, or you may have had air pockets in your system before, and the air pocket has gone away after driving. If the fluid is full but you still feel there is a problem, take your car to a mechanic.