does power steering fluid need to be changed?

[The motor guy]

Does power steering fluid need to be changed? I changed mine on my dodge ram 2500 around 60,000 miles and I'm pretty sure I never changed it again until today at 217,000. Sucked out the reservoir with a turkey baster, only got 10oz out of it. I usuall do this like 3 times over a 2 week period of driving, like I did last time at 60k. Anyways, with 150,000 miles on the fluid, it looked fine. It was still red looking at it through the baster, but black once I put it in the glass measuring cup, forgot what you call those. I suspect it still mixed with a little bit of used diesel oil making it darker than it should have been even though I wiped it out good with paper towels, ran out of parts cleaner.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

No, you usually don't have to change power steering fluid

 

[The motor guy]

No, you usually don't have to change power steering fluid

Oh so i'm wasting my time? I always figured it was one of those neglected fluids that would make the ps pump run forever if you actually changed the fluid occassionally.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Oh so i'm wasting my time? I always figured it was one of those neglected fluids that would make the ps pump run forever if you actually changed the fluid occassionally.

Correct. However, some older cars leak PS fluid, so having a bottle on hand may still help.

And if you ever work on the steering system (replacing a hose or the pump, for example), you may need to replace lost fluid.

 

[ctechbob]

I'm sure lots of cars go to the grave with their factory fluid. Most of us here probably border 'obsessive' with their maintenance, even then I'd say the majority are of the 'suck and fill ' persuasion. I know I am. Just don't like having cruddy fluid in there and as easy as it is to do, it is an every 60k or so thing for me. On my honda cars, I'll take the reservoir off and clean it, but it is super easy to do. If it were something else more difficult, I wouldn't bother and just D&F.

 

[DemoFly]

Power steering fluid is hygroscopic. Some power steering systems use ATF which isn't very hygroscopic.

My jeep uses actual power steering fluid, and I flushed it at 160k and the difference in steering feel was very noticeable, especially on center.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I do - same way as you - with a turkey baster. The OEM's say you should actually "flush" it but I am not even sure how to do that - maybe remove a hose. The reason you do it is a) its full of particles and has no filter, and b) a loss of viscosity. Too low viscosity can cause the pump to eventually wear out.

Having said that, I Imagine most vehicles go to the wrecking yard with their original fluid.

 

[The motor guy]

I do - same way as you - with a turkey baster. The OEM's say you should actually "flush" it but I am not even sure how to do that - maybe remove a hose. The reason you do it is a) its full of particles and has no filter, and b) a loss of viscosity. Too low viscosity can cause the pump to eventually wear out.

Having said that, I Imagine most vehicles go to the wrecking yard with their original fluid.

I've been chasing a whining noise, the fluid was barely on the dipstick, but i don't think it's the power steering. I still reached 4" or so to get to the bottom of the reservoir.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I've been chasing a whining noise, the fluid was barely on the dipstick, but i don't think it's the power steering. I still reached 4" or so to get to the bottom of the reservoir.

Are you using an auto stethoscope? They work well for me offten.

You can also disconnect the serpentine belt and start the vehicle up very briefly and see if the whine goes away. If it does then you have narrowed it down at least.

 

[The motor guy]

I know on my truck the power steering cooler is at the bottom, so if you took a line off you would be emptying the cooler and the reservoir.

 

[The motor guy]

Are you using an auto stethoscope? They work well for me offten.

You can also disconnect the serpentine belt and start the vehicle up very briefly and see if the whine goes away. If it does then you have narrowed it down at least.

No you have to rev it up to hear it. Was trying to prop something under the accelerator, but didn't have any luck. I just remembered I have a big asphalt rock I use to hold the gate open that probably weighs enough to hold it at a reasonable level. I'll give it a try tomorrow.

 

[Brian123]

Does power steering fluid need to be changed? I changed mine on my dodge ram 2500 around 60,000 miles and I'm pretty sure I never changed it again until today at 217,000. Sucked out the reservoir with a turkey baster, only got 10oz out of it. I usuall do this like 3 times over a 2 week period of driving, like I did last time at 60k. Anyways, with 150,000 miles on the fluid, it looked fine. It was still red looking at it through the baster, but black once I put it in the glass measuring cup, forgot what you call those. I suspect it still mixed with a little bit of used diesel oil making it darker than it should have been even though I wiped it out good with paper towels, ran out of parts cleaner.

Wow, your post brings back memories of my parents 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, my Dad brought the car into the dealer to get a water pump put on in like July of 2008, and I asked him in September of 2008 how everything went, he said they checked all of the fluids. They did this test thing where they would take a sample and show the customer. He said everything looked fine except the Power steering fluid.

The fluid looked very dark and I was not about to try and flush the fluid out or take off a power steering line to flush the old stuff out. I ended up buying 5 quarts of power steering fluid and doing the turkey baster thing. I would drive around the block and come back and suck some fluid out. It was fairly clear by the 4th quart, but I still went to 5 quarts.

The fluid was maybe 10 or 15 bucks whereas back then the dealer wanted like $125.00

 

[The motor guy]

Wow, your post brings back memories of my parents 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, my Dad brought the car into the dealer to get a water pump put on in like July of 2008, and I asked him in September of 2008 how everything went, he said they checked all of the fluids. They did this test thing where they would take a sample and show the customer. He said everything looked fine except the Power steering fluid.

The fluid looked very dark and I was not about to try and flush the fluid out or take off a power steering line to flush the old stuff out. I ended up buying 5 quarts of power steering fluid and doing the turkey baster thing. I would drive around the block and come back and suck some fluid out. It was fairly clear by the 4th quart, but I still went to 5 quarts.

The fluid was maybe 10 or 15 bucks whereas back then the dealer wanted like $125.00

Well by the fourth quart I'm sure the nosey neighbor is walking over to help out by that point lol

 

[Passport1]

PS hoses deteriorate like coolant hoses. The debris contaminates the fluid and over time can cause a steering rack to leak or wear out. Like so many have said, 'oil is cheap, engines are $$'. Substitute steering rack for engine and this aphorism is still true. BTW, I changed out the ATF in my son's Suzuki Grand Vitara using the method of unhooking the return line to the reservoir and filling it with clean fluid while the engine running. I works but I made a proper oleaginous mess on my driveway.

 

[Lubener]

If the owner's manual doesn't specify P.S. fluid replacement, then the answer is no.

 

[Brian123]

Well by the fourth quart I'm sure the nosey neighbor is walking over to help out by that point lol

Actually, my neighbors only talk to me when they need something. LOL

 

[The motor guy]

If the owner's manual doesn't specify P.S. fluid replacement, then the answer is no.

They also suggest 120k mile transmission fluid changes uh huh....

 

[BHopkins]

PS hoses deteriorate like coolant hoses. The debris contaminates the fluid and over time can cause a steering rack to leak or wear out. Like so many have said, 'oil is cheap, engines are $$'. Substitute steering rack for engine and this aphorism is still true. BTW, I changed out the ATF in my son's Suzuki Grand Vitara using the method of unhooking the return line to the reservoir and filling it with clean fluid while the engine running. I works but I made a proper oleaginous mess on my driveway.

Agreed. As so many here have said, the majority of cars go to the boneyard with the original p/s fluid. They also go to the boneyard with leaking steering racks, and leave behind stains in the driveway or garage. Or squealing steering racks. A quart of ATF or p/s fluid every few years is a lot cheaper than swapping a steering rack.

They also suggest lifetime CVT fluid changes uh huh....

Hope you don't mind me changing this.

 

[BHopkins]

If the owner's manual doesn't specify P.S. fluid replacement, then the answer is no.

Yea, right. Because BITOG members are all about doing no more and no less maintenance, than called out in the Owner's Manual.

 

[Tomioka]

Wait till you find out that power steering fluid filters need to be changed out too!