Power Steering Fluid questions.....

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Does PSF flow through the system like oil does or does it just fill up tubes and hoses and distribute pressure like brake fluid?

I was wanting to extract PSF from the reservoir and top it back off with fresh fluid but I wasn't sure if this new fluid would actually be making its way through the power steering system.

Can anyone clarify for me?
 
Neither is exactly correct, as stated. But it is closer to a flow through type.
If you 'turkey baster' the reservoir empty you can fill it and it will mix very quickly with the remaining fluid.
Do this a number of times and you will have a virtual flush with new clean fluid.
 
It will flow through the system and mix. I always try to disconnect the return hose and flush out the fluid.

I just worked on a car that is a pain to take the hoses off. So I am just doing replacement of the reservoir fluid a bunch of times. I will then replace it with syn fluid at some point.

It's the next best thing to flushing.
 
The PS unit is your basic hydraulic unit with a pump (high and low pressure lines) a cylinder and a valve mechanism (steering wheel) and a reservoir.

Most reservoirs and two hoses going in. If you extract all fluid from the reservoir and refill then drive for a few minutes turning wheel fully side to side, then repeat maybe 3 times you will have almost all new fluid.
 
My Caravan appears to only have one hose going to the reservoir. How does this fluid circulate?
 
Not familiar with Caravan reservoirs but you might possibly have a remote rservoir. The high pressure line will come out from the PS pump. Fliud flows out thru the high pressure line, goes thru the steering rack and comes back thru the low pressure line to the pump.
 
It's probably just an accumulator, like an overflow reservoir. Conventional pumps have the reservoir built in with the pump.
 
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