Why do i have to change the power steering fluid?

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Friend brought up a point, i said that to fix the ford power steering noise you have to change the fluid, he said that is a stupid thing and should not have to be done and that i am making excuses for a badly designed PS pump, to him a PS pump should work, and NOT make noise, ford pumps work but make a moaning noise.

My question is, do you really have to change out the fluid ever, or is it just a way to keep a ford pump clean?
 
Yeah you should change it; it shears down. Ford has a particular whine that they must have trademarked 50 years ago.
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The fluid picks up water/metal/rubber contamination from the atmosphere and from the normal wear in the PS system. Changing it brings in fresh, non-contaminated fluid.

Some pumps are pickier about old, wear-item-containing fluid than others. Maybe Ford just has a very picky pump?
 
Originally Posted By: sciphi
The fluid picks up water/metal/rubber contamination from the atmosphere and from the normal wear in the PS system. Changing it brings in fresh, non-contaminated fluid.

Some pumps are pickier about old, wear-item-containing fluid than others. Maybe Ford just has a very picky pump?


+1

This plus the actual fluid shears also.. making it thinner.
 
The PS pump creates the hydraulics for the PS system. Fresh fluid, better hydraulics, less work by the pump. Depending on the year of the vehicle, you likely have a steering rack with gears. Changing the fluid helps lubrication and cleans the rack. Seals are also an issue. Using a fluid like maxlife helps there. The noise? Could be the pump, could also be the pulley bearings gone dry. Changing the PS fluid at the reservoir every now and then is very simple to do. I drain and fill it every so often with maxlife Dex/Merc ATF when it starts getting dark.
 
PSF does 'wear out' - in this case it absorbs moisture, gets loaded with particulate matter from the rack/lines/seals/pump, the fluid shears, additives get depleted and all of this takes place in a typically unfiltered system.

Suctioning & refilling the reservoir every couple oil changes or once a year keeps the PSF fresh, additives replenished, viscosity & performance closer to new and is far easier than a full drain & refill.

As I've said on TDIClub and to other VW owners - going through a tin of CHF11S every 3 years is much cheaper & easier than a rack replacement when one of the high pressure crush washers blows out. All the cars I've seen that happen to are still running the factory fill.
 
IMHO, any fluid on any vehicle will eventually "wear out" or absorb water. Fluids in my opinion whether it be brake, power steering, clutch, motor oil, coolant, differential or transmission fluid will eventually go bad.

You can try upgrading to a good stout synthetic PS fluid or Type F fluid (if that's what your Ford's PS system requires) if you truly don't want to touch it again.
 
Originally Posted By: Stephen_G
Friend brought up a point, i said that to fix the ford power steering noise you have to change the fluid, he said that is a stupid thing and should not have to be done and that i am making excuses for a badly designed PS pump, to him a PS pump should work, and NOT make noise, ford pumps work but make a moaning noise.

My question is, do you really have to change out the fluid ever, or is it just a way to keep a ford pump clean?



How good would you work if you didn't change your body fluids daily?
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Yeah you should change it; it shears down. Ford has a particular whine that they must have trademarked 50 years ago.
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crackmeup2.gif


you can change the fluid. It might make it a little quieter but it'll probably still whine. It's just an annoyance. They work a long time like that.
 
Originally Posted By: Stephen_G
Friend brought up a point, i said that to fix the ford power steering noise you have to change the fluid, he said that is a stupid thing and should not have to be done and that i am making excuses for a badly designed PS pump, to him a PS pump should work, and NOT make noise, ford pumps work but make a moaning noise.

My question is, do you really have to change out the fluid ever, or is it just a way to keep a ford pump clean?


His "point" isn't a very good one. Is he upset about having to change the oil too?
 
if you think you have to flush the system, do NOT use solvent, kerosene, gasoline, or any thing thin, under power or turned by hand. DO use oil. i saw a power steering pump frieze up solid, when kerosene was put in the pump under power.
 
an other thing i saw. my son had a honda, accord. the PS pump was acting like it had air in it. well it was getting air in the pump. but the way it got in was strange, the air was being sucked IN TO the pump through the shaft seal. i know thats strange, i have worked on lots of hydraulic systems and NEVER seen air get puled IN TO a pump through a seal. it got worse the more you turned the steering wheel.
 
Originally Posted By: morris
if you think you have to flush the system, do NOT use solvent, kerosene, gasoline, or any thing thin, under power or turned by hand. DO use oil. i saw a power steering pump frieze up solid, when kerosene was put in the pump under power.


The procedure to flush it is to basicaly disconnect the cooler, have the pump suck fresh fluid through it, keep it filled while the old crud comes out
 
Ford has been using ATF in their PS systems for years. The whooping that PS puts on ATF isn't the equal of what a trans does to ATF, but it's still a harsh environment. I can't think of a PS pump that I've replaced that didn't have thin, dark, smelly fluid in it. I've always changed the fuid in my PS pumps going back to the '70s and I've personally never had a pump go bad, or even be noisy.

As mentioned, pulling the return line is the preferred method of draining, if you have access and the pump nipple is low on the pump. It isn't always low enough to help much.

Whatever method is used, change the fluid often enough to keep the fluid healthy.

Keith
 
Well at least it seams that cars and trucks do not have the problem that the steering system for a jumbo jet has when the fluid gets old.

Remember the one about the rudder that turned fully the wrong way because of old fluid?
 
I have seen GM vehicles have bad seals on the steering system, and the fluid is always dark black on those leaky steerings.

It seams that if you change the fluid every 30K miles or so, you do have a much better chance of not having the steering system leak.

Have you priced a new steering box lately. New can go for something like $1200, rebuilt for something like $350
 
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Far from a "GM only" problem!

Nowadays with everybody using a rack it's super easy to just disconnect a hose while you change the oil.
 
I have done 2 power steering changes since MAY 2010 when I got my Mustang. The first change I switched, what was probably the factory fill at 35k, to Amsoil ATF. I could tell a difference in the ease of moving the steering wheel. Great stuff
 
Additionally, Ford uses hydroboost systems in diesel trucks. These systems do not use power steering fluid, but ATF. Just like the ATF in your transmission, it too brakes down.
 
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