Flushing your power steering system the right way.

[Bad_dude]

Make sure you only your manufacturer’s recommended brand fluid.

Topic

[college man]

nice video. two problems I saw was. 1st the guy takes the time to change the filter/ reservoir. then pollutes it with the dirty fluid from the system.
2nd then he runs the car while sucking out the old and adding new. your inducing air and making that pump scream. if he would have purged
the old fluid first by disconnecting the return line.then replaced the filter. then topped off the system. that I could live with. C8-)

[Bad_dude]

Quoted From college man:

nice video. two problems I saw was. 1st the guy takes the time to change the filter/ reservoir. then pollutes it with the dirty fluid from the system.
2nd then he runs the car while sucking out the old and adding new. your inducing air and making that pump scream. if he would have purged
the old fluid first by disconnecting the return line.then replaced the filter. then topped off the system. that I could live with. C8-)

Your first point about the filter reservoir, well if you can afford do it that way is better as you don’t have to clean the screen.
Your 2nd point, this is why he repeat the procedure a few times to remove as much old fluid as possible with taking the hose out from the bottom. As for sucking the fluid out while the car is running, if you watch again, after the filter/reservoir change, he pour in new fluid. Since the filter is between the top and bottom of the reservoir, by sucking just the top out that would mean the bottom compartment after the filter still have fluid in it. So it’s not running dry.
I think this method is good if you don’t have a 2nd person to help steering while you pour in the fluid with the car running.

How much of the fluid is in the rack compares to the reservoir? Do you know?

Thanks.

[dreamer2355]

Another easier way to flush your power steering fluid is just to remove the return hose and aim the hose into a bucket. Next have someone start the vehicle and move the steering wheel lock to lock while pouring in the fresh fluid into the reservoir.

Once the fluid exiting the return line is the same color as the fresh fluid, turn the vehicle off, reattach the return hose, top off the fluid then take the vehicle for a drive. Then top off the power steering fluid as necessary.

As for the amount of fluid in the reservoir and the power steering rack, you would have to see if that information is in the FSM.

[college man]

my total capacity is about 2 quarts

[Bad_dude]

I looked at the Helm’s manual and accord to Honda, it does not at all mention anything about adding fluid when removing the old fluids.
1) Disconnect the return hose from the gearbox at the reservoir, and put the end in a suitable container.
2) Start the engine, let it run at idle, and turn the steering wheel from lock-to-lock several times. When the fluid stops running out of the hose, shut off the engine. Discard the fluid.
3) Refit the return hose on the reservoir.
4) Fill the reservoir to the upper level mark.
5) Start the engine and run it at fast idle, then turn the steering from lock-to-lock several times to bleed air from the system.
6) Recheck the fluid level and add some if necessary.
CAUTION: Do not fill the reservoir beyond the upper level mark.

ok. On my reservoir, there are 3 hoses. Two that are side by side and a big one on the bottom to the pump. Which of the 2 side by side is the return hose? The one on the left is coming from the front of the engine. The on on the right is going from the reservoir down toward the firewall, most likely the rack. So the one from the front of the engine is the return hose?
The manual says 1.9Qt is needed.
Thanks.

[dreamer2355]

Quoted From Bad_dude:

I looked at the Helm’s manual and accord to Honda, it does not at all mention anything about adding fluid when removing the old fluids.
1) Disconnect the return hose from the gearbox at the reservoir, and put the end in a suitable container.
2) Start the engine, let it run at idle, and turn the steering wheel from lock-to-lock several times. When the fluid stops running out of the hose, shut off the engine. Discard the fluid.
3) Refit the return hose on the reservoir.
4) Fill the reservoir to the upper level mark.
5) Start the engine and run it at fast idle, then turn the steering from lock-to-lock several times to bleed air from the system.
6) Recheck the fluid level and add some if necessary.
CAUTION: Do not fill the reservoir beyond the upper level mark.

ok. On my reservoir, there are 3 hoses. Two that are side by side and a big one on the bottom to the pump. Which of the 2 side by side is the return hose? The one on the left is coming from the front of the engine. The on on the right is going from the reservoir down toward the firewall, most likely the rack. So the one from the front of the engine is the return hose?
The manual says 1.9Qt is needed.
Thanks.

When you have worked on vehicles for many years as a professional technician or even as a shade tree mechanic, you will learn your own tricks and some short cuts that will work in certain situations. You dont need to do everything by the book to the ‘T’. C8-)

[crandall]

What was interesting about the video is I had just watched it on YouTube the other day as I have a 325i – E46. As he says in the video, this is not the only way to clean the system, but the least invasive.

For the BMW, you can use ATF for the tranny and p/s, which is nice because the red color does help in diagnosing your fluid condition. I am getting ready to flush my system and replace the reservoir (which also contains the p/s filter).

[DieselMan]

p.s. fluid is clear? never heard of that. typically its the same as trans: redish-pink

the reservoir typically has 20% of total fluid

[dreamer2355]

Quoted From DieselMan:

p.s. fluid is clear? never heard of that. typically its the same as trans: redish-pink

the reservoir typically has 20% of total fluid

Alot of manufacturers use clear synthetic type fluid now. One that comes to mind is the VW type power steering fluid.

[Author]

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