P/S Fluid recommendation for 04 Xterra

[saberz]

Hi all,

I have an 04 Xterra which I've been bringing up to maintenance since buying it used back in March. Currently the X has ATF DexIII/MercIII fluid in the P/S per the Nissan Manual.

I have been using a Turkey baster and removing/adding DexIII(Castrol ATF) to the P/S reservoir and lately its been whining slightly.

In any case I made sure all clamps and hoses were tight on the power steering but feel that maybe I should switch the P/S ATF to synthetic?

The only synthetic ATF I found was Mobil 1 Dex VI which states it can be used in Power Steering systems that recommend DexIII. Would this be safe to use? Should I start using regular power steering fluid(basically a full swap of fluids).

Initially when I changed the power steering fluid it was a dark dark red fluid and now its the normal ATF red color so would synthetic help any better in terms of the whining and operating of the P/S system?

 

[tig1]

I've used M1 ATF in my PS pumps ever since they first came out with the synt. PS fluid and have not had a PS pump fail yet.

 

[saberz]

Would be ok to say buy 2 quarts of it, and just keep swapping fluid in and out during a week or two? conventional to synthetic gradually should take out a good amount of the old stuff.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: Anies
Would be ok to say buy 2 quarts of it, and just keep swapping fluid in and out during a week or two? conventional to synthetic gradually should take out a good amount of the old stuff.


Should work fine. Let us fnow if the noise abates. I draw out with a turkey baster the fluid that is in the PS pump at every OC. That has worked well for me over the years.

 

[Johnny248]

just flush the power steering, with it running keep sucking out fluid and adding new until the new is circulating all through.

 

[Boomer]

I use the M-1 ATF in my Frontier PS unit per dealers instructions with NO problems.

 

[saberz]

Ok, yeah the way I was doing it was basically turkey baster all the old out of the resovoir, add the new, close the cap and turn the truck on turning the wheel etc a bunch of times and repeating or changing it during the coarse of the week.

I'll just open cap it and swap fluids until i feel its done and then just swap it out during the week and then go on the OCI routine.