steering fluid change

I did a partial fluid change today, I think the fluid is original to the car! The pump has been extra noisy when very cold out and the wife has said there was no power steering a few mornings (below freezing) until there was a little heat in everything...

Used my hand-held vacuum pump to suck the fluid out of the reservoir, sucked out about 2/3 of a quart of fliud



After refilling the reservoir and driving around the block



I really need to replace the hoses and flush the system, maybe in the spring! I'll probably do the suck and refill another time or two. I have a new large hose for the reservoir, the pressure line and a 9C1 return line.

Best to do a complete flush of it,IMO, the first time and get switched to better fluid at the same time.

Just pull off the return line from to the reservoir and put it in a bottle or bucket, with a clamp to hold it because it will jump around.

Have someone start/stop the engine and turn the steering lock to lock repeatedly to pump out fluid while you add more to the reservoir until it is running out clean. Then do the bleeding procedure and top off. Almost is good is to just turn lock to lock (wheels up) slowly with the return line off and keeping the reservoir full.

Partial changes are fine for maintenance once it is clean, just change what is in the reservoir once a year or at oil changes.

I use a turkey baster to suck it out. Then fill and drive it a little then suck it out again

mtrhead79 wrote:

I use a turkey baster to suck it out. Then fill and drive it a little then suck it out again

You are going to have to that many times to get it all cleaned out and you will waste a lot fluid doing it. Doing flush you get it all quickly and pretty much completely. It took about 20 minutes to mine 10 years ago.

Suck the fluid out fill it with new fluid then bleed them while watching the level.