How To Change Power Steering Fluid -EricTheCarGuy
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- I've been asked about doing a video on changing out power steering fluid for some time. I've finally put together this video to answer to that request. It's really not that difficult. Figuring out some of the logistics however can be a challenge, but once you get past that it's a pretty straightforward procedure. Just remember to use the correct fluid on your system. If not, it may not operate properly or damage to the power steering system can result.
Camera: Brian Kast
Useful links
Honda power steering fluid: www.carparts.co...
Related videos.
How To Rebuild a Honda Power Steering Pump 98-02: • Honda Power Steering P...
How To Check Fluids: • Precious Automotive Fl...
How To Change Brake Fluid: • How To Replace Brake ...
How To Change Automatic Transmission Fluid Honda: • How To Change Honda Au...
How To Change Honda Manual Transmission Fluid: • How To Change Honda Ma...
How To Change Automatic Transmission Fluid Full Size GM: • Changing the Transmiss...
Changing Automatic Transmission Fluid 1997 Subaru (Part 1): • Changing Automatic Tra...
Changing Automatic Transmission Fluid 1997 Subaru (Part 2): • Changing Automatic Tra...
Changing Automatic Transmission Fluid 2004 Toyota 4Runner (Part 1): • 2004 Toyota 4Runner Tr...
Changing Automatic Transmission Fluid 2004 Toyota 4Runner (Part 2): • 2004 Toyota 4Runner Tr...
Useful Articles.
Electrical Problems
www.ericthecarg...
Engine overheat
www.ericthecarg...
No start problems
www.ericthecarg...
Idle issues
www.ericthecarg...
Performance issues
www.ericthecarg...
Diagnosing Noises
www.ericthecarg...
Diagnosing Vibrations
www.ericthecarg...
Brake Issues
www.ericthecarg...
Transmission issues
www.ericthecarg...
HVAC problems
www.ericthecarg...
Buying a Used Car
www.ericthecarg...
Leaks
www.ericthecarg...
MPG
ericthecarguy.c...
Discussion about this Video: www.ericthecarg...
ETCG Forum: www.ericthecarg...
Facebook: www.facebook.c...
Twitter: / ericthecarguy
Google+: plus.google.co...
Information on Premium Membership: www.ericthecarg...
Stay Dirty
ETCG
Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy.
At first, I questioned allowing the pump to run dry. Two things changed my mind, however. 1. That's how the dealerships do it. And 2. It's a vein type pump (very durable) and the internal parts still have a small amount of lube on them. Once all the fluid is out, you shut it off. It's not like you're driving to the store with a dry pump. It's no different than starting up your engine after it's been sitting for a week and all the oil has completely drained down to the pan.
at the dealership that i work at we do these flushes all the time. usually we sell it up to customers with a fair amount of kms and now p/s fluid change or when they complain or power steering noise. we use this wynns power steering flush machine, which basically sucks out all the fluid from the reservoir then you add this wynns flush with DEXRON 6 fluid to top up the reservoir , then you turn the steering wheel a bunch of times to make sure the fluid gets circulated through the system, and finally you suck it back out again and repeat till you have used all the flush fluid. after we add this power steering treatment fluid and it definitely does a good job. I've heard of this process completely repairing old racks and pumps to virtually new condition. it's amazing what a bit of fluid will do.
I do this job a bit different. I hook up a line to a drain pain from the return line, just like this, but I use a clear line. Then I drain the reservoir, fill it with fresh fluid, and start turning the wheel lock to lock with the engine off and the front of the car off the ground. This will pump fluid through the system (pump, rack, and all back to the return line) and you'll see when the fluid is fully flushed. Dirty fluid will come out through the clear line, and when it turns clear and new, it's flushed. Reconnect the return line, then bleed the system by turning the wheel lock to lock with the cap off. This way, you don't ever run the pump dry.
yep that's how I do it as well, it's probably the best way since there is no chance of running dry
YES this is how its done correctly! Not letting friggen air in to the system Made me grind my teeth..............
This sounds more logical to me. Also several other videos say not to allow the pump to run without fluid.
Hey man doesn’t the car lock the steering wheel when the car is off. How do u turn it lock to lock with the car off??
HD You turn the key to the run position only. You don’t crank it over or start it.
I've been asked about making this video for a while. It's an often overlooked maintenance item. How To Change Power Steering Fluid -EricTheCarGuy
But how do you change blinker fluid? :)
Odd... He's not wearing his trademark white gloves!
Drain from the return line, turn on engine and turn tyres full left and full right, turn off engine.
Reconnect return pipe, fill up, turn on engine, spin tyres as before, fill up to level. Let bubble.
Am I getting this right?
Tomek Hermsgavordenbroker Check level after complete. Recheck level after a drive.
Thanks bro
It's nice when you have a few Acura and Honda products, to be able to see these maintenance and repair videos from someone who's been a Acura technician.
I have been doing this trade as well for a long time here in Australia and I don't like those type of clamps either, instead of reaching into the bottom of the engine bay why did you just not take hose off resovoir then get a pipe joiner join another pipe to it run that into a bucket and just bung up the resovoir pipe hole with something it is how I did it and it is much easier than having to get your whole arm into the engine
There's an easier way. Just disconnect the hose from the reservoir at the pump, and let it drain into a bucket. Attach another piece of hose to the pump. Fill this hose with fresh fluid and put the end into a gallon jug of fresh fluid. Start the car and quickly (like 5 seconds or less) turn the wheel all the way back and forth, and shut it off. The pump will have sucked about 2 quarts from the jug and you'll have about 2 quarts of dirty fluid in the bucket. Reconnect the original hose and top off the reservoir, and you're done.
I watched the video thinking ETCG would show me this method...except I didn't think of the syphon in the clean fluid trick, I was just going to pour it in as it drained. Now I can do it without having a second person turn tje wheel. Thanks!
N64
What size should the other hose be?
Really
I like your method. Then the system is still full and no air enters the system. Notice at the end of the video how loud the power steering pump was. Turning it lock to lock may not purge the air. May have to vacuum out the air. It would have been good to make sure the end of this video showed how the air was purged from the pump and listen to it quiet down.
A gallon of Power Steering fluid? With expensive car specific (honda) fluid that would be about $50. I think I will just have someone pouring fluid into the reservoir if it gets too low.
Next: how to change out the power steering pump.
Yes I was surprised he ran the engine.
Better to turn it over without starting.
And of course keep topping it up.
I was also surprised he ran the engine but was even more surprised to find that the service manual for the element agrees with Eric! :O
My service manual seems to agree with Eric as well....
Its not like he drove to mexico city with no power steering fluid. Running for 2 mins won’t hurt it.
I want to like this comment, but it has 69 already.
I just changed power steering oil for -01 golf and -98 Passat. I made a adapter to connect vacuum oil extractor to return line and used that to get oil out and turning wheels without starting the engine. Much safer, with this method pump doesn't run dry. Passat has its filter at return line side in reservoir so I use hose to connect vacuum to return line connection and use just little bit fresh oil to clean filter before I remove extractor and fill system with oil.
Hi Eric , That was very good information on how to change power steering fluid.
Useful bit of info:
As stated in the video, please use genuine honda power steering fluid.
I can't stress that enough.
Dextron 3 will ruin your pump, turn it into a noisy whining mess. (as it also ruins honda transmissions).
Know from experience because it stuffed up the steering pump on my mums legend... and greatly shortened the transmissions life too.
Another useful bit of info, you can use fork oil 15 instead of Honda fluid power steering fluid. This stuff works great, and I used it for several years and many thousands of Ks on my prelude. Much cheaper, and works PERFECT!
As for the transmission fluid, nullon or penrite fully synthetic fluid seems to work a treat too.
I usually suck out what I can then add more. Cycle it. Suck it out and repeat the process until the fluid in the system is clear. Takes about 15-20 minutes and you don't have to disconnect anything or run the chance of you getting air in the system.
I do it this way too, but instead of doing in one shot I do it when I arrive home each day until it's clean. This method also works well to change automatic transmission fluid if you're not changing the filter. If the trans has a drain plug it's easy, otherwise a manual pump extractor with a long hose. I've changed brake fluid this way too extracting what I can from the master cylinder reservoir and repeat when the brake fluid in the reservoir looks dirty again.
I do the same things as you guys do. Works good enough!
Jake: How did you determine the 4-5 quarts? If your capacity is 1.5 quarts it would take about 2 to do it yourself
How about not switching the engine on, just turn the wheel lock to lock.?
@@invain143 how would the fluid cycle through if the car isn't running and the p/s pump isn't running
I love how Eric is a Honda guy. I look nowhere else for my auto needs.
Same here
How many bottles did he used ?
This video was very helpful! Recently did it on my Isuzu Trooper. Saved some money on it! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
My car is special. it changed it own power steering fluid all over my car port.
The Shortman leaks huh?
@@xcross8537 ya one of those small hoses that you cant get to in the drive way. Mechanics love those hoses.
I use a large syringe to remove all the old power steering fluid from the reservior and fill it with new fluid. It takes a few times to clear the old fluid out with new fluid. easy diy.
I've done the same except I used a hand operated siphon. I did about 4 or 5 fluid changes, started the engine between changes while turning the steering wheel in both directions with the front wheels jacked up off the floor, and figure I got about 90+% of the old fluid out. Good enough.
Its faster if you suck out the fluid and move the steering while from lock to lock with engine off and suck again. and repeat until no new fluid appears. then fill
Quick question. If someone were to do this, would it be beneficial to lift the front end up to turn the wheels lock to lock? maybe take a little stress off the system, especially if you bleed it almost dry like that.
Jeff Dooley I don't think so. As in this video the fluid ran out pretty quick. I never got the opportunity to turn the wheels and the system was empty.
It wouldn't hurt. For example, I have a 02' Chevy Tahoe. Owners are discouraged from making dry turns (wheels not rolling) as it stresses the poorly designed steering parts (idler, Pitman, etc) on a heavy vehicle. Also, the wider the tire the more stress. At the least, I like to have the wheels parked on corrugated cardboard. The cardboard layers will shear when the wheels are turned lessening the stress and making the steering easier to turn as the power assist fades.
Eddie the Grouch It is good to lift car a little, but if you are lazy there is a trick: you can use small amount of sand under each tire.
Thank you everyone, Going to be replacing a low pressure line on a 04 Montana and figured I am going to bleed the system during the removal, so may as well know all this :)
Move to Canada, do the procedure outside in winter et viola!! free ice lubrication!
Dear Eric, sometimes it would be a good idea to remove the reservoir and spray its interior with a brake cleaner from the opposite side of the fluid flow hole and dry it with compressed air and keep it under the sun for a while, because there is a mesh at the bottom of the reservoir where I have seen in other makes that it became clogged with debris , dirt and cause steering difficulties or pump noises. Just FYI
I'm an engineer. If I were designing a car I would for damn sure make certain that the power steering pump can run dry for quite a while without dying. If my bosses insist on shipping a car with a power steering pump that dies from 10 seconds of running dry, I would quit.
rfmerrill, do you know anything about ballistics engineering?
what kind of engineering?
From my experience with the same Honda power steering systems, if you run the pump dry, or even get a little air in the pump, it will screech terribly. That can’t be a good sound. Turning lock to lock helps clear out the air, but it takes my cars longer than 10 seconds to purge the air.
A much easier method is to suck the reservoir out with a turkey baster and refill with fresh fluid every few oil changes. I know it doesn’t purge the system, but over time it has the same effect.
If you were a great engineer, you would develop a manual rack so you don't have the power system as a point of failure.
People are stupid and they literally take almost zero effort as long as the tires are moving. I've removed the power steering from cars, so the ratio should've made it hell, but it didn't, unless the car was stationary, then you had to use some muscle.
So, engineer a variable rate manual rack that switches ratio at 0-5 mph and you win.
@Jake McCoy is right but I am going to add this along with kuro,I have deemed Physically weak to that degree people should not drive. The sounds like a hazard to have on the road.What will they do when the power steering pump dies and they find themselves behind the wheel⛍☠
I had a mechanic teach me how to do this when I was a teenager and I'll never forget how he called bleeding the air out of the system.... Burping the system lol.
Some vehicles need a specific fluid and no universal stuff. My Volkswagen takes Pentosin CHF-202. Febi makes a couple fluids which seem like they may be close enough to substitute for the Pentosin fluid if that one is harder to find. I just can not use ATF in that car because it will cause problems with the seals and power steering pump. I am planning to change my fluid soon. it may take 2 liters of fluid so I bought one already and will buy the other soon. This stuff I use sells for around $20 after sales tax but if I use anything other than that or the Febi Bilstein I can expect leaks and other problems that may even cause the car to become unsafe to drive in extreme cases. The stuff the Volkswagen dealer sells is either Febi Bilstein or Pentosin but rebranded (makes it hard to know which one it is).
What I did on my tacoma was fill with new fluid as I was draining the old. I jacked the front so I could turn the wheel easier. Turned the wheel left to right, right to left. Added fluid and repeated this process until new fluid would come out. That way I didn't have to do any bleeding and no air bubbles in the system.
Great idea for a Honda yearly, cheap preventive maintenance.
Here's a crazy idea, what about putting an inline power steering fluid FILTER on it. The thing is I don't know the specs such as pump pressure and what would be an effective low micron filter without dropping steering pump pressure too much.
Then again for the cost and effort to do all that, it could exceed the cost and effort to just do a flush an extra time or two over the life of the vehicle. Even so, as vehicles become harder and harder to get the steering rack out of, it would be nice if there were a more accessible part we could use to extend the life of such systems.
Using the power steering pump dry...not a good idea
Will be next vid about pomp rebulid
i personally use a turkey baster and pull out as much as i can from the reservoir and then top off with new ps fluid. after a couple hundred miles later, i repeat the process to get as much of the old fluid out. Never put just any ps fluid! put recommended for you car or else it would bubble in the system
yea this is the easiest way lol, it's a lot like how you change automatic transmission fluid in a Honda
that whine it made is exactly why you don't ever run the reservoir or pump empty. you had the right idea when you said have a funnel on the return hose to the reservoir. just fill keep filling it with till clean fluid comes out. if you have to much in the reservoir at the end, siphon some out.
The way I did it recently was to add a plastic tube onto the end of the return line and put a plug in the outlet of the reservoir. Then I started the engine and continued to pour new fluid into the reservoir as the old fluid was pumped out into a container. When the fluid started looking clean, I stopped the draining process, bled out the air, and topped off the level in the reservoir.
You plugged it with... A plug.
Icwatididthar
Thank Erick!!! i made the change of the power stering fluid on my honda Civic and was perfect!!! simple stuff for all non-profesional mechanics!!! You made IT simple!!! Thank again!! From Venezuela!!!
Doesnt it hurt the power steering pump if it runs without fluid? just curious
If you keep driving it that way yes. But for the short period of time during this job, no.
It shouldn't for the short amount of time involved. However, I have ran across pumps that will whine long after the new fluid is in place. It seems once air gets in there it can take a long time to get it out or an old marginal pump may get worse. To play it safe I prefer to siphon out the old fluid from the tank and fill with new before starting the flush. Very little (if any) mixing will take place.
Fill the tank to the top to lessen the chance of running it dry (just like you would with a master cylinder while bleeding brakes). Then top off the tank. You waste a little new fluid that way but it's worth it to me.
Cavitation is a pump killer, but when it's just for changing fluids and/or first startup of a new pump it's fine as long as you get all the air out shortly after.
jerri0401 Yes.
Won't turning the wheels lock to lock with the engine OFF force the old fluid out as well?
To bleed any air from the system , remove reservoir cover put a screen with something to hold it on top, turn rack to rack until it stops spitting up and the system has been flushed of air. Just like an Italian grandmother uses a screen to contain a spitting red sauce for Sunday dinner .
For those doing this on rough concrete, consider putting a piece of cardboard under the tires, the sides of a cereal box will work well, it will put a lot less strain on the system when turning the wheels, and will avoid leaving tire marks on the concrete.
PMitchell106 good idea thank you
What a great idea!
PMitchell106 I suggest 2 pieces of cereal box or cardboard each wheel as when I tried this it was still pretty hard with one layer under each wheel
Ugh I’m screwed. I only by Malt-o-meal bag cereal.....
I wish I saw this earlier. I never had those problems as mentioned, but it would have been easier to put cardboard under the wheels. I only had a oil catch can under the car.
I use a siphon pump to get all the fluid out of the reserve tank on my power steering pump and refill it with fresh Dexron III ATF. I do this about once a year just for peace of mind. With my truck (2008 Silverado 2500HD) the power steering pump also powers the brake booster instead of vacuum.
I do this the same way as Eric except that I jack up the front of the car and do not run the engine, as running the engine even for a few seconds with no power steering fluid can damage or shorten the life of the pump and is not needed. I just pull the return line, put it in a container, jack up the front, turn the key on and turn the wheel lock to lock until it is empty. I do this every 50,000 miles.
Avery Alexander if electric power steering is quite hard to perform lock to lock the steering when the engine is off,..
Electric?!... LOL!
this is the worst way doing it!!!
disconnect hose (engine off) turn side to side and hold for a few seconds at the ends.
do this uintill mostly dry, then connect hose(es) again and fill up (don't start the engine!) swing from side to side and hold at ends, top up again.
start the engine for ~5 second while turning then stop it and top up again.
start engine, turn from side to side several times and hold at ends a few seconds, let idle and check level.
take a test drive and check lavel again.
if it foams up then let it sit a coupple minutes then continue.
power steering pump without oil running will wear the pump very fast.
tullgutten this is the way the Honda factory repair manual tells me to do my odyssey
Usman Nadeem yup. i thought it was odd myself.
yeah this has been Honda procedure since the 90s. it won't wear it out for the short time it's being done. it would be bad if the car was left that way and on for 30 mins. but it's fine for the short interval
Yeah I like your way better without turning the car on. Chrisfix did it like that on his video. Gonna try it on my 2007 2.4l accord!!
You forgot to say that you need to drain the reservoir before you remove the hose or the fluid will drain out into your car engine bay. Don't ask me how I know this.
Almost ever manufacture now recommends vacuum bleeding to remove air from the system. Also some recommend against adding a filter on a system that was not designed for it. It's ok to put brake cleaner on rubber parts?
Hey Eric first of all i like all your videos i learned so much from them
But now i have a problem with my truck its a 99 Ford Ranger 3.0 when I turn the steering wheel it has a bumping feeling to it and you
See it in the front tire is that the power steering pump
When I did mine, I was hesitant to run it dry. My method was to keep pouring new fluid while someone turned the wheel lock to lock (with the front tires raised). Seem to work fine. Timing is everything though. The fluid gets sucked up FAST.
Very informative, Eric. Like you, I had little to know idea if power steering fluid was part of the maintenance process for vehicles. And I certainly can understand that all fluids get old and need attention when the time comes...Thanks again Eric!!
I used a jack getting the front wheels off the ground. blocking the rear wheels. It turned much easier, and not as much wear on tires, garage floor, or driveway.
Those who complain that doing this procedure will damage the pump because it is running "dry:" The pump doesn't run "dry" as we think of dry like causing friction. When we pour oil into the engine doing an oil change we say the bottle is empty, or dry. But notice in the empty bottle -- there is still some oil coating the inside plus in the bottom. It is not "dry" in that sense of the word, nor is it "empty" in that it still contains some, not much, but some oil. Same with the ps pump, it has been "emptied" but it not "dry" because there is always that coating of fluid inside the pump which will not be damaged because it is not run that long after the purge.
Did you hear the difference in the sound of the pump from the first time he ran the engine, when there was fluid in there, to the second time he ran the engine, after running the pump dry. It was incredibly loud the second time around. That sounds like damage to me. I'll stick to the no running the engine method.
Great video Eric! Thank you
Hey great video! I plan on doing this soon. I don't have hoses and plugs and all that. I was on disconnecting the return hose, letting it drain, putting it back on and filling the system. Then letting it run for a while to let all the new fluid circulate through then once again turn the car off and disconnect the return line and let it drain. Reconnect it, fill the whole system, let the car run for a while and top it off. Would this be a good procedure?
It would be nice if you had a camera to get the shot inside the engine compartment. Maybe that inspection camera could find its only real application.
I now have foamy air bubbles that will not go away - air in the system - I love Eric’s videos normally but on this occasion do not agree with him - don’t let the system run dry.
"Eric the cool car guy." Lol. I like Steve McQueen too. Hope one day you get his car from his movies.
Eric, I just performed this procedure on my '08 Subaru Outback. It steers like a dream now. Thanks!
Would it be beneficial to keep a flow of fresh fluid into the system while draining it? Letting it run dry, will that cause damage? Would it also make refilling and purging more time consuming?
I used a plastic bag around (below) any fitting that I’m going to disconnect. No worry about getting fluid on the ground or on any surface in the engine area. Limits any unneeded cleanup. Furthermore, I would never introduce air into a steering system. The MANUAL way.... Remove pump return line off the power steering reservoir. Next block off the return port on the reservoir. This allows you to use the reservoir to supply clean fluid to the pump. I used a short piece of clear plastic hose with one end bent back with a clamp. You can also install a bolt into that hose end. This hose will be installed on the reservoir return connection. The pump return hose is connected via a barb connection to another hose leading into a waste container. It can be done without starting the vehicle. Fill reservoir and turn steering wheel all the way one direction and back the full other way. The call the Block to Block. Do it a couple times. Fill reservoir again. Redo previous step of turning steering wheel full travel again. R to L L to R. You will notice clean fluid will start to push out the old fluid. It removed it all from the steering rack, pump and all system hoses. Keep doing this procedure of topping off of reservoir fluid and turning the steering wheel full travel. Once there is clean fluid noticeable going to waste container- STOP 🛑. Next reinstall the pump return hose to the fluid reservoir. Check fluid level. Start vehicle. Turn wheel block to block. Any air if any will be removed. Recheck reservoir and systems for any leaks. EASY JOB!!!
Eric's procedure is exactly how Honda's factory service manual recommends doing it.
Thank You, now I shall change the power steering fluid for my Chevy Venture minivan.
Thank you!!! my TL was giving me weird noises whenever Id turn the steering wheel.
replaced the fluid and o-ring! MAGICCCC !
i think you can turn the wheels t
lock to lock only if the wheels are suspended in the air so it will cause less stress to your hidraulic system
You should be adding new fluid as you let the old run out and run it until the fluid coming out is clean.. Never let it go dry if you can help it. Get a helper.. It's gonna get messy!
I'm not a mechanic, I'm just a girl who pays attention and knows a little bit and common sense was telling me not to do it his way, but to keep adding new like you just said. Isn't that how they do a transmission flush too?
+jtuno122 yes they do this with transmissions too but on a transmission you have to make absolutely sure the fluid has been changed and taken care of its entire life to do a transmission that way. I don't like doing them that way because it can send metal chunks all through the system and destroy a transmission. I understand why he did his power steering this way.. It was his personal car and it's a Honda and you have to use Honda fluid and Honda fluid costs a lot of money.. And it's a Honda .. It can probably take it...but ordinarily you wouldn't want it to run dry!
Question: I will be getting a new ps pump installed by dealer in 2 days.(warranty work) Should I change fluid out prior to the install?They wanna charge me but I can do the fluid swap myself . But what type of dealership puts old fluid back into and brand new pump?? Crazy right. You know, I think I'm gonna see what type of service dept. I'm dealing with. I'll just let this one play out.
no such thing as "just a girl"....your brain is just as functional as any brain...the question more often or not is whether the person chooses to USE the brain which takes listening with your ears and eyes instead of your ego. Your perspective is spot on...learn to trust it.
We need more honda's videos, Thanks
Great video! My friends RSX rack and pinion has been changed out but it’s using non Honda fluids. if we changed it out and flushed it with oem Honda fluid will the system be okay or is the system contaminated?
Thank you for showing me how to do that. I have a 06 E and have a power steering leak. I was going to start replacing O rings one by one to see if that will stop the leak. Any suggestions on that?
Thank you ERIC The car guy and thank you your video showing us about flushing fluid from Power steering procedure. Once thank again.God Blessed you.
This method runs the pump and rack dry and introduces air bubbles after refilling. Better is to not let the reservoir go empty but keep filling it as it is emptied. Pumping the fluid out just by turning the wheel but without turning the car on is the safest way to go.
that a super video more of this kind of clips will help ..thanks man .
Did this before watching this video, actually ended up doing it this way too lol issue I had is afterwards had issues with air in the system. Let it sit, fought it come kept going lock to lock to try to get the air out, seemed like almost nothing was working. Then decided wth ill take it for a stroll down the road and see what happens, my truck is an 04 f150 crew cab and without power steering its a bear to turn so I was hoping the end result wasnt going to be ending up in a ditch but sure enough after about 5-10 minutes of driving no more issues or whining! I was changing the fluid cause the valves in the rack were sticking causing random losses of power steering. Changing the fluid cleared it up and so far no more issues! So as a tip to anyone (maybe its a ford thing idk) having issues with air in the system afterwards take it up the road for a bit (try to keep it a straight road just incase) if it does well try a slightly curvy road and see if that clears it up, however im not responsible if you put your vehicle into a ditch!
Why does it look so brown and nasty in the reservoir? Wouldn't contaminants in there be a concern? On my car I go back and forth with the steering wheel for a couple of minutes until all the air is bled out. It's a real work out on the arms but if you keep working it you'll eventually get rid of the whine.
There is a strainer on the bottom of the reservoir. Honda says if it is reasonably clean then the whole system is ok. Now if the strainer has a lot of gunk, you should replace the reservoir.
***** Well, if you can get inside and clean the sludge that forms, go ahead. But sometimes the sludge can be near impossible to clean and remove from each hole in the screen. If you change P/S fluid regularly, the screen will never clog and everything should be fine.
I'm too lazy to do all that jiggering with the line. Once a year about May, I run a hose out of the rezza-vwhah of my '99 Tahoe and collect 12 to 15 ounces of "juice" into a gallon bottle, and refill the reservoir. Once a year every year keeps the fluid "young". I do a brake lines flush around that same time and after some arbitrary miles which includes a couple of long distance trips a year, I drain the 3 qts. that the transmission will give up and refill with new stuff. I bought this car at 74,000 miles and now have over 250,500 on it and still with the same master cylinder, brake cylinders and rotors, power steering pump and auto 4spd trans. The alternator has been replaced once and the water pump is still the same one that it came with. I now do the coolant flush every 2 yrs.
***** What is loose in the reservoir should (mostly) drain out with the fluid change. What remains is stuck on and may stay there forever and still you have to remember that it's coming from the hoses or rack seals so getting rid of it all doesn't change that the source producing it is still there.
Certainly if you wish you, like if doing a rack change, you could take the reservoir off, INCLUDING off the pump mechanism, and plug the holes then fill it with a gentle abrasive and degreaser to clean the sludge out, but if it bothers you that much you could instead just get a new/clean reservoir.
It's nice when you have a few Acura and Honda products, to be able to see these maintenance and repair videos from someone who's been a Acura technician.
When I change power steering pump fluid I've followed this same procedure Eric does with a pretty minor change. Instead of running the car I jack the front wheels off the ground and turn the steering rack lock to lock. I've noticed one direction will suck the fluid from the reservoir and turning it the other way will pump it out to the return line. I was always pretty worried I'd burn out the pump and this has allowed me to change all the fluid without running the pump and avoided possible dry running issues. Thoughts?
After viewing many videos and reading hundreds of comments....I believe your method is the best of many as it does not have the possibility of harming the starter and introduces the least amount of air into the system.
Had to order the ATF as local stores did not have the brand I needed...but when it comes in I will be confident in using the method you use. Thanks and Jesus bless.
Is this OK for a 00 Town and Country? I have some whining when from the pump and the fluid has never been changed...148000 miles 3.80L. Great videos....very helpful.
hey Eric I thought power steering pumps shouldn't run empty at no time or it damages the bearing in the pump?
Hi Eric, do you have a video of how to adjust the parking brake lever on 05 acura Tl auto trans? I think its easy but I don`t want to break any part doing it for the first time. Thanks Eric.
I wouldn't run the power steering dry even if it's for such a short period of time. You are showing this procedure for this particular Honda,but with different setups,it might not work just as well. IMO,best is to suck the old fluid out from the reservoir,add clean one and do this procedure until you see clean fluid coming out of the hose. At that point you shut off the car,refill the reservoir and bleed the system.
That's a shocking plug
Hi erick, how did you blew off the air/bubbles? i thougt u will keep the your hose to bleed completly with using little amount of fluid.?
You should jack the car up and only then turn the steering wheel from lock to lock.
That way, you turn the wheels easy, just as you would if the car was running and you absolutely won't hurt the power steering pump or rack.
at least yours in in the front of the engine, whoever thought on the gm 3800 (lesabre, park avenue, etc) to put the fluid bottle on the engine firewall, must not of had a good day as i can't see easily getting fluid into that spot without some sort of strange funnel with really long spout in a rapid fashion to try this method without spillage.
so this is a silly question, I recently replaced a steering pump. bled the system and is nice and quiet. But i hear a humming noise now when i accelerate, any one experience this? i'm ready to replace it again. i vacuum bled the system multiple times. any input would be great.
When to change PS fluid? When it's dark and gross XD Helpful video Eric, I'll definitely flush my PS fluid when I change the lines this coming week.
I just changed my power steering pump on my 1990 toyota pickup do to it leaking but now i cant get it to bleed out the air, steering is really stiff. ive done this repair on it several years ago and didn't have a problem after. so i cleaned out my reservoir filter screen thinking it might be clogged but nothing. Could it be my old pressure line or return line sucking in air? steering is really stiff.
Eric, this is not so clear, for example, why not show on paper what you are actually going to do on the car because we can't tell where or what you are connecting that drain hose to. Being aware as I am I would also state the reason Honda power steering is better than other fluids.
I used PEAK ps fluid and it looks like a 30w oil. Steering is acting sluggish and ps line leaking. I'm replacing the line tomorrow and plan to install a fuel line filter on return line. It will be on until we have another warm day or a month. Didn't feel draining the PS unit dry is the way to go. I have enough trouble with a contaminated system. But, good video as always. I noticed this is an old video. Do you use vacuum to get the air out of system or still old school?
I found at walmart and also amazon this product "Prestone AS267 Power Steering Fluid for Honda Vehicles - 12 oz" the bottle says for Honda/Acura I wanted to know do you think it would be safe if I used this instead? or should I just go ahead and get the "Genuine Honda Fluid"?
This method is good because it drains the pump and lines, not just the reservoir. The reservoir is easy to drain just with a turkey baster but that doesn't get all the power steering fluid.
I am using Honda fluid, but I have issue in the cold extreme cold below 30, I have to wait for the car to run 10 minutes before I can turn the wheels, i think I need to change the fluid after running some trans tune sea foam, and see if the problem solved.
Eric, they have new cool thing to assist with these things, it's called a funnel!
Eric, i'm usually with you on 99 percent of things. But letting the pump run dry, on top of turning the wheel until you have no more power assist? Definitely not with you there- that's asking for trouble.
If you want to keep things in great running condition with as little effort as this procedure, suck the fluid out of the reservoir every 30k miles and replace with new fluid.
Keep making video's, I enjoy them and have learned a thing or two from you- but I had to put my .02 in here... not a video I would recommend to anyone.
i agree. as much of a pain, and expensive i would hesitate to run dry.
Sorry, but you're wrong. The official Honda procedure (the one techs are instructed to do) says to run the engine and turn the wheel until no more fluid is coming out from the return line. They obviously say stop when this happens or pump damage will occur.
someusername121 thanks for the info. i would not have expected this recommendation.
atleast jack the car up before turning the wheel from lock to lock so there no pressure and can easily turn the wheel
Thanks for all
shoudlve put it on jack stands, then turn lock to lock. please you never let us hear it after word
Too involved for me. I'd rather suck the fluid out of the reservoir with a big fat syringe.
At 6:44 the fluid looks foamy. I had that problem (signaled by a loud whining noise at the power steering pump) in my 08 Odyssey until I replaced a little O-ring at the entrance to the power steering pump. When that O-ring goes bad, air gets sucked into the system, as evidenced by the foamy fluid in the reservoir.
I myself would just unhook the return line and feed it into a bucket then have one person turning the wheel while the other slowly adds fresh fluid to the reservoir till I see clean new fluid coming out that way it never runs dry... Like Eric stated, it didn't take long for it to run out, so I wouldn't worry about wasting fluid to do it this way....
You convinced me. Use a baster lol.
Great video. I think I'll have to do this on my 2005 civic. It has 90k miles and there's a very slight grinding noise you sometimes hear. I thought it was maybe the exhaust manifold shielding that was loose, but I'm pretty confident it's the power steering pump.
The steering pump inlet o-ring is notorious for going bad on hondas and grinding when first started. When you have the fluid empty, change the o-ring.
Hello Eric, i have a 2008 Nissan Altima and i had a Power Steering leak from the pressure hose (long hose from left to right that has a sensor connected to it), i replaced that hose but the steering never got smooth, i tried looking inside the resevoir and the oil was just sitting still. does that mean the pump died? and why? all i did was change a hose. the pump was working fine before changing the hose. i just kept putting fluid everytime it got low and now i finally decided to fix the leak. did that really kill the pump? or its something else?
Why not just disconnect the return pipe going into the reservoir, plug the hole then crank into a container until empty, replace pipe and refill.
You lost me when you were talking about return lines and stuff
Return line.. The hose that exits the power steering pump and goes back to the reservoir tank, pull it off the pump and try to plug it up like Eric did with the spark plug.
Then follow rest of procedure.
The return hose is no different then the radiator setup, there will always be a hose that returns the fluid to the reservoir tank.
I used to change my PS fluid on my Civic every 30K. Cheap and easy compared to replacing a pump or a steering rack. The Accord I have has electric PS, so no fluid, hoses or pumps to contend with!
i know this is off topic, but what is your feelings on brake fluid for a honda? do i have to use Honda Brake fluid or can i go and buy prestone DOT 4 brake fluid?
Did this in my Mazda 3 this past weekend. The return line was a pain to get to, had to take off the fender well cover to get to it. I just covered up the belts on the engine with a small piece of cardboard and stuck an old turkey pan under the car. Already had the wheels off for brakes.
way to burn up your pump. I lock to lock repeatedly with engine OFF and car on jackstands. uses the rack as a pump to empty out all the lines. then refill and burp.
Thanks for the vids. My local shop wanted $100 per system plus fluids. This was for power steering, brakes, and clutch. You just saved me a fortune and I'm a little closer to getting those coilovers I wanted. Thanks again!!
Let me know where that shop is (kidding), I'd pay $100 for those three fluid changes nowadays :)
@@josephshultz6726 Exactly! Lol
You couldn't have better timing for this video. My power steering just barely started having problems.
Hey Eric. Love the videos. I have a 2006 Toyota Matrix with about 63k miles. Would age of power sterring fluid also be a factor on when to change it?
Is this the same process for all cars? I have a ls430. And I'd like to know some mechanical diy tricks
Never mind I finally got it one must be more stubborn than the car.