Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
 ·Comcast
| [Help] Burned power steering fluid
I got my oil changed yesterday and the tech noticed that my power steering fluid was burned. It was brownish/black instead of red and had a definite burned smell to it. He wanted $70 to flush it. I figured I could do it myself so here's what I did.
I bought two quarts of fluid. Then I proceeded to suck as much fluid out of the reservoir as possible using a siphon. Next I added fresh fluid and with the front wheels jacked up off the floor I started the engine and moved the wheel from end to end several times. I did this flushing process 4 times and the fluid looks much better now.
Is my power steering about to die? I have no operational issues with it and would never have known about the problem if the tech hadn't checked the fluid condition. What would cause it to get burned in the first place? My vehicle is high mileage (160,000 miles) but most of those are highway miles, not stop and go city driving.
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mattmag
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-04-09
NW Illinois
clubs:
·Mediacom
|
Make? Model? Year?
If the fluid has NEVER been changed in 160k miles, then it deserved to be dark and stinky. Not a big deal, fluid ages over time and after being squeezed through a pump for all that time it will smell.
On the other side, you probably didn't do a very thorough job flushing it out that way, but it's better than nothing. Maybe repeat it again in a few weeks.
If you have no other issues, then there you go---no issues, no problems. Don't let the need of fluid maintenance make you think it's going to die on you, however there *is* a chance you may start having some leak issues since it has likely never been done before.
The addition of fresh fluid can sometimes give enough of a cleaning effect that some gunk previously plugging up a leak will now be removed. But again, that's just a small chance. |
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Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
·Comcast
| said by mattmag  :Make? Model? Year? It's a 2002 Ford Explorer. I'm going to be getting a new vehicle soon but was planning on keeping the Explorer as a winter vehicle since it's 4WD.
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Calling an illegal alien an undocumented worker is like calling a crack dealer an unlicensed pharmacist. |
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Rifleman
Premium
join:2004-02-09
p1a
clubs: | I'tll be black and smell burned within another 10000kms. I used to change it with every oil change. I had a windstar. |
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fixrman
join:2003-02-10
Hatboro, PA
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Vonage
1 edit | reply to Jim Gurd
Flushing the fluid at that mileage may have undesirable results down the road vis a vis pump failure. The black coloration is likely due to hose breakdown in combination with bits of the vanes or gears inside the pump; I forget what type of pump it has, whether a vane type or gerotor.
That new fluid will also help to wash away any varnish inside the pump that was helping to keep things in a close(r) tolerance. Don't be surprised at a failure in the future. It won't go all at once.
See, power steering fluid is a lot like transmission fluid, and in some cases is transmission fluid. Both are excellent cleaners. If you don't believe me, wash your hands with it next time you have done a greasy, dirty car job and see if it doesn't do a damn good job getting the caked-on grime off.
Anyway, with that mileage the hoses and pump have already served well. |
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Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
·Comcast
| said by fixrman :See, power steering fluid is a lot like transmission fluid, and in some cases is transmission fluid. Yep. The manual calls for Mercon ATF in the power steering pump so that's what I bought. It's quite a bit cheaper per quart than "power steering" fluid. I learned that trick in high school auto shop.
I'm just going to hope for the best. Very soon it will no longer be driven daily so it shouldn't be that big of a deal.
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Calling an illegal alien an undocumented worker is like calling a crack dealer an unlicensed pharmacist. |
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