Power Steering Fluid changed 2001 Taurus (Nasty)

[ZZman]

I was doing some other work on the car my daughter drives and I looked at the P.S fluid and it was brown like chocolate milk! The car has 126,000 miles on it and I don't think the fluid has ever been changed. So I got my suction pump that looks like a big metal syringe and has a long thin tube, and sucked out the old fluid and added new fluid. I then let the car run and cranked the wheel back and forth from far left to far right a few times. I then sucked that fluid out and added more and did the same thing again. I did this 3 times.

The fluid is still not "clean" but it is better and has a red tint now.

 

[demarpaint]

I've done the same thing over a period of about 2 weeks. I ended up using about 5 qts of PS fluid to get it looking like new. I'd rather pump the fluid out than disconnect a line for fear of creating a leak or a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[wander2039]

Did that to a few Taurus's at work. The boss thought it was odd that the power steering got quiet all of the sudden.. never did tell him why.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
Did that to a few Taurus's at work. The boss thought it was odd that the power steering got quiet all of the sudden.. never did tell him why.


Amazing how that works isn't it? Fords of that vintage do tend to blacken the PSF horribly around the 4yr/50Kmi mark. I know this was the case with the 1998 Ranger and 2001 Winny in our family. Fresh PSF = nice and quiet.

Joel

 

[rshunter]

I've had supposed "experts" tell me that there was no point in flushing PS fluid, unless there were visible metal fragments in it. That it wouldn't quiet squealing or improve system life. "If it's squealing, the system is either low or has an issue that a fluid flush won't fix." Yeah, right!!! Funny how it's always worked for me, as well as the others I've recommended to do the same.

I didn't bother to ask their opinion about "lifetime" transmission fluid. I've got a distinct feeling they were big advocates of the stuff...

 

[mechtech2]

PS fluid can get HOT.
Very hot.
And it therefore pukes.
So you did a good thing.
Repeat theh process in a week or so.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Full exchange and a Magnefine filter.

 

[oilboy123]

A lot of experts know less than someone with common sense.

I flush mine with Amsoil ATF and it holds up very well. Ford power steering with dino fluid = flush fairly often.

 

[ZZman]

Well today I did my 2003 Camry and my 2000 Sebring convertible. The fluid in them was not nearly as bad as the Taurus. The fluid was light brown in color like new motor oil.

 

[The Critic]

I drained and refilled the power steering reservoir on my Saturn seven times over the course of two weeks. The fluid became slightly cleaner, but I was unable to discern any differences in the feel of the power steering. (The steering worked fine and without noises before and after fluid change)

So, my conclusion is that the fluid change was probably a waste of time and money, at least for my car. YMMV.

 

[mechtech2]

critic - The obvious point that you are missing is that by changing the fluid, you will KEEP the system working properly longer!
This is not a fix, and is not primarily meant to fix problems or noises.
So the vast majority of people who try this will not notice anything. It is below their threshold f realization.

If you move into a new home and put up a 'Beware of Dog' sign, how many intruders are not going to attempt a home invasion?

 

[ZZman]

I would think that changing it like changing your oil, coolant etc...at regular intervals does let the equipment last longer and operate at peak efficiency for that time period.

 

[Drew2000]

Mobil 1 ATF, a return-line Magnefine, = a long lived (and quiet) power steering system.

 

[ziggy]

Why not pull the return line to the PS box? I have a 95 neon, and have read, this si the best way to do it..yuo need to jam a small conatiner of course under the PS unit, disconnect the return line, and wiggle wheel back n forth, till its empty, then refill, repeat as a flush until clean, then put return line back on, and refill. The side effect to doing this is, as ive read, you may hear ro feel a vibrating whiney noise for a few days, its the PS system re pressuring. Ive never done thihs, but want too.
And obviously, the other method is , turkey baster in the PS box, suck out as much as possible, refill, trun sterring wheel back n forth, ecte ct, untiil the liquid is clear.

 

[mechtech2]

Why not start yanking lines? It's messy - and certain fittings are tough to get at or get on/off, and you may cause leaks.
The turkey baster is so much nicer for maintenance, but it is a bit wasteful. Thankfully, PS systems don't hold much.

 

[ZZman]

That is why I did mine with a suction pump. I didn't want to climb under the car and hassle with it or risk breaking something or getting a leak. It was not perfect but I did get some new fluid in there to replenish the additives and lubrication properties. I also upped the fluid to a Syn fluid.

 

[artificialist]

My understanding is that Fords made the PSF dirtier because of materials used in the seals and hoses.

I'm not sure if that is true or not, but Fords certainly darken their fluid more quickly than almost everything else.

My friends with Fords flush their systems with Mercon V, which might be a more durable P/S fluid than the Type F or Mercon their cars originally called for.

 

[mstrjon32]

I flushed out the system in my old 1997 Monte Carlo by disconnecting the return-side line and placing it into an empty container. I then connected the pump-side to a container full of new fluid, and ran the car, turning the wheel back and forth until I had exchanged a full gallon of fluid. The fluid that was in the return tank was nasty.

I only bothered with this process because I needed to change the P/S pump anyway (had a leaking seal), but I suppose it was worth doing.

 

[Kestas]

That is the recommended flush procedure any time major work is done on the power steering system. Be glad that you did nothing less.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Originally Posted By: rshunter
I've had supposed "experts" tell me that there was no point in flushing PS fluid, unless there were visible metal fragments in it. That it wouldn't quiet squealing or improve system life. "If it's squealing, the system is either low or has an issue that a fluid flush won't fix." Yeah, right!!! Funny how it's always worked for me, as well as the others I've recommended to do the same.

I didn't bother to ask their opinion about "lifetime" transmission fluid. I've got a distinct feeling they were big advocates of the stuff...


That's pretty funny! A lot of so called "experts" told me I was wasting my time and money by changing power steering fluid, brake fluid, transfer case and differential fluids. According to them, such fluids do not change for the "life" of the vehicle.