GM Power Steering Fluid???

8

87z52

Joined
Mar 31, 2003
Messages
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Location
Eagan, MN
This is probably a silly question but what are the differences in power steering fluids? I notice that there seems to be two different GM part numbers for fluid, 1050017 and 1052884. My
'87 Corvette factory service manual specifies the 1052884 or equivalent. The owner's manual specifies 1050017. What's the difference between the two? I fixed a minor leak on the '87s reservoir but need to top it off. I'm not sure what's in it now.

The Chevy dealer tells me that they're probably just two different size containers of the same fluid. What they use now is a "cold-weather" fluid that, if I want to use, I need to flush out the old stuff first.

Anybody?
 
You are correct there are two different kinds of fluid. The regular and the cold-weather fluid which has a different additive package to do deal with cold climates and prevent leaks among other things. Vehicles assembled in Canada are supposed to be filled with the cold weather psf from the factory though.
 
Don't know if you guys ever got this figured out, but the 1050017 is a quart sized container, and 1052884 is 16 oz (pint) , same "amber colored, light bodied mineral based" oil. Just different sizes.
 
I drive a late 80's GM car. Since it has about 150k on the clock and still is on the original PS pump, last time I flushed and refilled the PS fluid, I just used a 50/50 mix of Valvoline Synpower and Valvoline Maxlife PS fluids for the final refills. I flushed the system initially with the cheap generic PS fluid that Napa sells, then flushed that out with the Valvoline mix. Anyway, it works just fine and is quiet, no leaks.
 
FWIW I use Carquest generic power steering fluid in my 2002 Cavalier and 2001 Dodge pickup truck and change with a turkey baster every year or so. Seems to work fine but I'm not in a cold climate.
cheers.gif
 
LOL I thought I was the only one who turkey basted out PS fluid...thank god im not the only one
smile.gif
Anyways, whenever my power steering fludi looked funky enough or when I got noise or unusual steering feeling, I that the good ol' turkey baster to my 2002 Envoy's PS reservoir and do a good draining and refill with Valvoline SynPower Synthetic Power Steering Fluid. Ta **** with that GM stuff. Actually, IMO, it works better with the Valvoline synthetic stuff in there. No probs yet and 68k miles.
 
I like to get all the old crap fluid out, so I remove the oil return hose off the PS pump, and let it drain into a catch pan under the car. I start the engine for about 5 seconds and shut it off. Refill the reservoir with fresh fluid and repeat, until the stuff coming out is clear. I also do this with the front tires off the ground, and I turn the wheel lock to lock a couple times to get all the old stuff out of the system. Once the system is flushed using the cheap generic fluid, I switch to the Valvoline stuff, and do a couple fills and drains, and by then I've gotten the system basically refilled with the good stuff. Let it sit overnight and check the fluid level again the next day, since it sometimes gets full of bubbles and you have to let those come out of the liquid to get the fluid level correct.
 
yeah I know... my Chevy is Canadian. For some reason, GM also recommends flushing it entirely before cahnging to the cold spec. fluid. Probably they are not compatible.

1052884 _ PS fluid 16 oz. _ (GM spec. 9985010)
1050017 _ PS fluid 32 oz. _ (GM spec. 9985010)

12345866 _ Cold Climate PS fluid 16 oz.
12345867 _ Cold Climate PS fluid 32 oz.
 
Can ATF be used in a GM rack and pinion system? The PSF in my 2005 chevy trailblazer looks/smells like motor oil. Just trying to figure out what can be used in it.

Thanks
Joel
 
I didn't think that ATF could be used in GM's R&P system.

Personally, I just started using Valvoline SynPower and it has done wonders for my '00 Grand Am GT. I went 100K with the factory fill. I've done 3-4 turkey baster refills since then and now the steering is silky smooth.
 
JTK
DO NOT use ATF in any GM R&P!! Any cheap ps fluid will be better. As most folks on this site practice, drains and refills with syn PS fluid will pay off in the long run.

Trembo
You should really disable ignition (pull coil wire, etc.) and drain with starter motor only. even a few seconds can cause permanent whine to develop. Same is true when refilling and working air bubles out of completely empty PS system.

Bob
 
There's no need to turn the engine over at all. Just turn the steering wheel lock to lock and the PS system will pump itself out. Go lock to lock twice and refill the resevoir, repeat until the fluid coming out is clean. This way you don't ingest air into the system and have to listen to your pump whine the rest of the day.

I have several GM vehichles and stick with the GM fluid. Change it every 100,000km.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brons2:
ATF and PS used to be the same thing with different labeling...honda excepted.
Click to expand...
Not GM accepted....as far as I know.

Stick with a PS fluid like Valvoline Synpower.
 
I never saw a PS fluid from an oil brand with the GM specs on it... It needs to be the GM brand. How's that in the US?

I have a liter of GM psf made by Adam-Opel. It says it is suitable for the Getrag auto trannies as well. It is green, very watery when compatred to ATF, you need to shake before pouring and it smells bad. It is slippery to the fingers like new synthetics. But spec. doesn't match with mine. I couldn't find any info on the net for those. Any harm if I use it on an American GM?
 
mshu7 said:
quote:
Originally posted by Brons2:
ATF and PS used to be the same thing with different labeling...honda excepted.
Click to expand...
Not GM accepted....as far as I know.

Stick with a PS fluid like Valvoline Synpower.
Click to expand...
From the early 1960s, both GM and Chrysler had application-specific power steering fluids. Yes, it goes back that far! They were clear and a bit waxy looking. It was common practice in the service station industry to use atf to top-off a power steering system, BUT if the leak was not fixed or attended to, the system was soon full of red atf. The fluid viscosity characteristics might be similar, but it is the additive package that is different. Every used car I've bought that had a red tint to the power steering fluid, it usually ended up with a leak, hose seep (through the rubber!), or a later failed hose. The Chry and GM systems that only had psf in them lasted well past 100K miles with NO leak/seep/hose issues.

Apparently the rubber spec for power steering systems, back then, did not tolerate a full dose of atf for any length of time? GM had a specific part number for bulk lengths of power steering hose, too.

I found this old thread while researching the part number changes of the GM 1050017 fluid. Some GM TSBs seemed to recommend the use of the Valvoline Synthetic psf to address rack noise in the 1990s rack and pinion units, but I also believe the particular Valvoline fluid was later discontinued? That was back when rack and pinion power steering system flushes seemed to cure most of the noise issues, by observation.

IF the system has any rubber o-rings in it, they need to be spec'd for the fluid they'll seal, too. Generic o-rings stand a good chance of leaking if they are not spec'd that way, by observation.

In more recent times, I've used Valvoline MaxLife psf, GM-compatible. Unfortunately, it's red, but I at least know what it is designed for.

Just my experiences,
CBODY67
 
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