Noise after power steering fluid change

[mycnam]

I have a 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT with 155k miles. I flushed the power steering fluid with MaxLife power steering fluid. The fluid changed are very dark/black in color. Not long after that the car has been making noises sometimes when turning slowly. I actually didn't remember if the noise exists before the fluid change.

What I used:

It's like a metal rubbing/stretching sound. Like "pop-pop-pop". I could feel the vibration from the steering wheel when I turn the steering wheel slowly. After I raise the car on jack stands it does not make noise. It does not happen all the time, and happens both turning left or right. I have checked the CV joints and ball joints, they both look okay, and the wheels do not have free play when the car is raised.

Did I use the wrong fluid? The maintenance manual calls for Mitsubishi Power Steering Fluid. In the club3g forum they said it is Dexron III ATF. Or may be the fluid change revealed a problem already in power steering? Should I change it back to an ATF like Castrol multi-import? Just $10 of ATF fluid to check before I send it to a mechanic (or not, this car is less than $2k on KBB now).

 

[The Critic]

Try doing more lock-to-lock turns with the car at idle. There may be some trapped air inside of the system. Consult the factory service manual for any model-specific bleeding procedures.

 

[mycnam]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Try doing more lock-to-lock turns with the car at idle. There may be some trapped air inside of the system. Consult the factory service manual for any model-specific bleeding procedures.


Thanks, that's what I was doing after I first noticed the noise: bleeding. According to the factory service manual a few lock-to-lock turns should bleed it. But the noise still returns from time to time.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I replaced the original fluid in my E430 with Maxlife PSF a while ago by siphoned-refilled reservoir several times, it made noise on either steering direction left or right after engine warmed up. The steering was/is quiet with Maxlife PSF.

 

[bvance554]

Metal rubbing and a pop-pop-pop sound doesn't sound like a hydraulic issue to me. I don't know. Plus you say you aren't sure if it was there before or not, so it could have been and you just paid more attention after you changed it?

 

[brianm_14]

Sounds like you had some exhausted, dirty fluid in there. The new ATF may still e cleaning things up. Based on some similar experiences, I'd do the something along these lines:
1. Change the fluid in the reservoir a couple of times over several days. Use a bulb baster, and " burp" it each time. On several cars, I have seen improvement and cessation of noise with this sort of "progressive flushing". I think some of the junk takes a while to flush out. I have experimented with putting a small magnet in the power steering fluid reservoir, and found it attracted particles (fine stuff like you might see on a tranny pan magnet) fora few days after a single flush.
2. Or pull out some fluid and add a bottle of Lubegard power steering additive. Just a few bucks on Amazon. I'd still want to do suggestion #1 first. This additive should ensure the new ATF acts like the OEM fluid.
3. You could first try a bottle of Lubegard power steering flush before any of the above. It is just a mix of detergents and dispersants.
4. Otherwise, replace the fluid withMobil 1 synthetic ATF. Do it over a few days as above. If you can get it to where it is 90% Mobil 1ATF, you might find as I did, that everything settles down.. This is pretty much what I have done for years; the Lubegard is something I've tried more recently, and it seems to work. Can't say if any one is"best".

Your mileage may -will!- vary from mine. But the above suggestions are some examples of the successful flying I've done by the seat of my pants. Good luck.

 

[mycnam]

Originally Posted By: bvance554
Metal rubbing and a pop-pop-pop sound doesn't sound like a hydraulic issue to me. I don't know. Plus you say you aren't sure if it was there before or not, so it could have been and you just paid more attention after you changed it?


The car did make a bit of noise before I changed the fluid, but it's more like brake noise when cold starting.

My noise is a bit like this, about 0:17 seconds for the lower pitch sound, not the higher pitch one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kj2SngSpxs

Since I don't want to dump too much money in this car now, I am thinking whether switching to ATF instead of ML PS fluid will solve it, partly.

 

[mycnam]

Originally Posted By: brianm_14
Sounds like you had some exhausted, dirty fluid in there. The new ATF may still e cleaning things up. Based on some similar experiences, I'd do the something along these lines:
1. Change the fluid in the reservoir a couple of times over several days. Use a bulb baster, and " burp" it each time. On several cars, I have seen improvement and cessation of noise with this sort of "progressive flushing". I think some of the junk takes a while to flush out. I have experimented with putting a small magnet in the power steering fluid reservoir, and found it attracted particles (fine stuff like you might see on a tranny pan magnet) fora few days after a single flush.
2. Or pull out some fluid and add a bottle of Lubegard power steering additive. Just a few bucks on Amazon. I'd still want to do suggestion #1 first. This additive should ensure the new ATF acts like the OEM fluid.
3. You could first try a bottle of Lubegard power steering flush before any of the above. It is just a mix of detergents and dispersants.
4. Otherwise, replace the fluid withMobil 1 synthetic ATF. Do it over a few days as above. If you can get it to where it is 90% Mobil 1ATF, you might find as I did, that everything settles down.. This is pretty much what I have done for years; the Lubegard is something I've tried more recently, and it seems to work. Can't say if any one is"best".

Your mileage may -will!- vary from mine. But the above suggestions are some examples of the successful flying I've done by the seat of my pants. Good luck.


I actually changed my fluid by unplugging the return hose on the reservoir and rotating the steering wheel without starting the engine. I pushed 2-qt of MaxLife PS fluid through, and it went out almost clear, but after starting the car, the fluid turned brown. I guess there are a lot of old fluid in the pump not flushed out.

I may try the Lubegard additive then, after I change it to ATF. I use Castrol multi-import ATF for my transmission, so I wonder this is good for PS too.

 

[JethroBodine]

I usually replace the PS fluid slowly over time. One drain fill every 20,000 miles. Then it really never gets dirty. I do follow the factory recommended fluid spec though.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: mycnam
It's like a metal rubbing/stretching sound. Like "pop-pop-pop". I could feel the vibration from the steering wheel when I turn the steering wheel slowly. After I raise the car on jack stands it does not make noise. It does not happen all the time, and happens both turning left or right.


This sounds to me not like a power steering fluid problem (good job on changing it) but more like a strut mount bearing has gone bad and you're hearing the mount bind up, then pop free, then bind up, then pop free as you turn the wheels. You won't hear the noise with the front end raise since the strut won't be contacting the bearing or mount.

Have someone else turn the wheels lock-to-lock while you watch the tops of the front struts. Dollars to doughnuts you'll see them binding up, then popping free at the same time you hear the noise. Some spray lubricant can buy you a bit of time until you can replace the strut mounts & bearings.

 

[jrustles]

Is the belt slipping under hydraulic load? Did oil get on part of it?

 

[mycnam]

Originally Posted By: scurvy
Originally Posted By: mycnam
It's like a metal rubbing/stretching sound. Like "pop-pop-pop". I could feel the vibration from the steering wheel when I turn the steering wheel slowly. After I raise the car on jack stands it does not make noise. It does not happen all the time, and happens both turning left or right.


This sounds to me not like a power steering fluid problem (good job on changing it) but more like a strut mount bearing has gone bad and you're hearing the mount bind up, then pop free, then bind up, then pop free as you turn the wheels. You won't hear the noise with the front end raise since the strut won't be contacting the bearing or mount.

Have someone else turn the wheels lock-to-lock while you watch the tops of the front struts. Dollars to doughnuts you'll see them binding up, then popping free at the same time you hear the noise. Some spray lubricant can buy you a bit of time until you can replace the strut mounts & bearings.


Thanks. If this is the case then the problem just coincidentally happened after I changed the fluid.

The front struts and strut mounts were changed three years ago, and I only put 20k miles on it. I will check them and use WD-40 to lubricate around.

The problem is just intermittent, it's hard to reproduce it while stopped but I will try.

 

[mycnam]

Originally Posted By: jrustles
Is the belt slipping under hydraulic load? Did oil get on part of it?


I don't think so. Although there is a tiny amount of high pitch belt noise when cold starting (it's old!), it went away after 10 seconds or so. Not sure which belt.

 

[mycnam]

I called Valvoline, they said I should be using ATF instead of PS fluid. I will change them out this weekend to see what happens. Is it still a good idea to use Lubegard?

 

[BearZDefect]

Originally Posted By: mycnam
...
The front struts and strut mounts were changed three years ago, and I only put 20k miles on it. I will check them and use WD-40 to lubricate around.
...

The strut mount, and the strut mount bearing that scurvy mentioned, are two related but separate parts. I second scurvy's diagnosis. And even if you get WD-40 onto this 'bearing' the effect won't last long.

In my experience, the strut mount bearing is relatively easy to replace. You don't need to deal with the spring. Just remove the entire strut assembly from the vehicle and change the bearing sitting on top of the perch.

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: mycnam
I called Valvoline, they said I should be using ATF instead of PS fluid. I will change them out this weekend to see what happens. Is it still a good idea to use Lubegard?



Change the fluid to the proper spec.

DO NOT USE Lubegard!

If the manufacturer thought that product was a magic potion they would have used it in the factory fill.

 

[mycnam]

I flushed it with 1 quart of Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle ATF. Not a complete flush but the noise is much lower, although sometimes there are still slight vibrations from the steering wheel.

So it's pretty sure a fluid problem. The MaxLife PS fluid has a much higher viscosity than Castrol ATF.

I will run it for a week, if it runs better I will flush 1/2 quart more and add some Lubegard.

 

[JOD]

It sounds like you still have some air in the system. I don't know about your specific car, but on mine it took weeks to get all of the air out of the system, and there was still air in there with the occasional noise (just as you describe). I ended up making a tool with an rubber stopper and a brass nipple and sucked the air out with a vacuum pump. Ford sells a tool for just this purpose. So, it could just be air in the system.

If the car specs Dec/Merc, I'm not sure that PS fluid is going to help things.

 

[mycnam]

The noise is almost all gone now after I flushed it with 1/2 quart of Castrol IMV ATF and 3oz of Lubegard Red.

 

[mycnam]

After 4 months and a few hundred miles, the noise is completely gone!