Power steering fluid for cold weather

[JetSnake]

My wife has a 06 Uplander and in temps colder then 10F, you can hear the power steering pump cavitate and the steering is stiff for a few miles till it warms up. Is there a better power steering fluid I could use for cold weather?

I would also like to change the oil in my floor jack so I can use it in colder weather. I wonder what I should put in it?

 

[GMorg]

I have an 05 SV6, the Pontiac sister vehicle to the uplander. Can you describe the sound the sound you are hearing?

 

[JetSnake]

It sounds like an 80's Ford power steering pump, the typical wine. Maybe cavitating wouldn't be the best to describe.

 

[SteveD2]

I ran Valvoline Synpower with good results in cold weather, but I don't know if it is compatible with what your system runs...

steved

 

[Auto-Union]

VSPPSF says good for colder conditions on the bottle. 7cSt and a VI of 95...I dunno, how does that compare to Dex?

 

[brianl703]

The Dexron/Mercon fluids I've looked at have VIs around 180 or so. I found one Mercon V that has a VI of 200 (think it was a Conoco product).

 

[johnnyo4]

I have a Chevy Silverado with the Saginaw PS pump. Thet are notorious for stiff steering when cold. I moved to Minesota and when in the minus degree temps the steering was impossible until it warmed up. I flushed with the Royal Purple synthetic PS fluid. The improvement was tremendous! It now steers below 0 degrees. I was only able to find the Royal Purple full synthetic PS fluid in my area. That was @ a NAMPA store. I would imagine any fully synthetic PS fluid would have the same results. When I was looking on the Web the only fully synthetic PS fluids I could find were distributed by Royal Purple, Amsoil and Redline.

I stuck with synthetic PS fluid vs synthetic ATF, because the owners manual specified PS fluid.

 

[unDummy]

Redline has a synthetic PSF worth a try.
http://www.redlineoil.com/pdf/8.pdf

 

[badbrad358]

Not directly related but quick ? for you guys. I am wanting to change my wife's '99 Altima PSF and the manual calls for Dex III/Mercon. Was wondering if a PSF like the Valvoline Synpower would be good in this app or should I just put in a syn ATF like Mobil 1/Redline/Amsoil? One reason I ask is I had very good results with the Synpower PSF in my old Ranger which called for Mercon, but I trust your guys opinion.

 

[unDummy]

Nissans do well with ATF. A synthetic or blend ATF would be a worthy upgrade.
Other then Pentosin, PSF's are pretty pathetic performance wise.

 

[DragRace]

I just this past weekend flushed out the power steering fluid in my Explorer.I replaced it with Redline power steering fluid,no more whining power steering pump

 

[Volvohead]

Yes, the Pentosin S11 is fairly remarkable as PS fluids go. But absent a complete flush, anything else in the system degrades its costly performance.

Otherwise, where a mineral ATF is already in the system, M1 ATF is a sharp improvement at a reasonable price.

 

[badbrad358]

Quote:

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Yes, the Pentosin S11 is fairly remarkable as PS fluids go. But absent a complete flush, anything else in the system degrades its costly performance.

Otherwise, where a mineral ATF is already in the system, M1 ATF is a sharp improvement at a reasonable price.

---

The M1 ATF is what I am thinking for the Altima. Easily bought at Autozone and fairly reasonable cost. What's the best approach for changing PSF? I've read/heard of several approaches but not sure of your opinions. On my Ranger I just drained and refilled the pump reservoir about 4 times and also ran the engine while turning the wheels (wheels off ground) between each drain and fill and it made a great improvement. Not sure if that's the best approach though?

 

[unDummy]

Its the easiest and very effective. The best approach would to hook the PS to a ATF flush machine. Not feasible!

Several siphon/refills is plenty. Then, siphon/refill once or twice a year to keep the fluid fresh and all will be well!

 

[Auto-Union]

Disconnect the resevior out hose and cap the res w/tinfoil. Disconnect the ignition. Insert a funel into the hose and fill with new fluid as you crank it. Drain res and do it again until it flows clear.

 

[Volvohead]

If the vehicle is more than a few years old, I prefer to not disconnect PS system lines unless I have replacement materials ON HAND. Otherwise, problems can and sometimes do arise with the lines and connections. A leaky system is a PITA.

Unless the system is genuinely contaminated, or you're converting over to a very different fluid, the multiple baster method will get enough fresh fluid into the system to accomplish the task.

 

[bfg9k]

I used Royal Purple ATF on my old Subaru, which used Dexron III for the power steering. Even in single digit temps the steering was easy, with little difference between startup and fully warmed-up.

 

[Benzadmiral]

If you have a Topsider or other vacuum fluid-sucker, you can use that to drain your power steering reservoir. I just did it three times over a week, to get as much of the old fluid out/diluted as I could.

The fluid recommended in my manual for the MB was thinner (though it smelled like male cat spray -- blech!) than the STP or other PS fluids I've used in the past. No idea how it would perform at low temps; we haven't really had any.

 

[badbrad358]

Well guys I changed the Altima PSF this weekend with M1 ATF and the steering is not much different (it wasn't bad before) but the fluid no longer smells burnt.

A quick tip on what I did to change this. I put a 3/8" tubing tee in the return line where I could pinch off the return line entering the reservoir which caused the fluid entering from the rack to be forced out the drain hose from the tee. I simply jacked the wheels up and ran the steering back and forth while keeping the reservoir topped with new fluid. The valving in the rack makes the fluid release each direction while pulling new through the pump and reservoir. I was able to do this and watch for the old dark fluid to turn into new and then remove the pinch from the line and purge all of that old fluid out. I ended up putting about a whole quart of new fluid in which means I got most out as the capacity is listed at one qt. BTW, the tee was temporary obviously and I simply hooked the rubber line back up to the metal line with the hose clamp and all seems to be well.