Power Steering Fluid
- Thread starter Big Les
- Start date
ORIGINAL: robwright
I decided to heed my own advice and changed my own power steering fluid after work today. £4 worth of ATF and the difference is quite remarkable!!! []
OK, I need to do mine.
Someone talk me through it again ... I have some ATF in the basement looking for a better home than the tin it was supplied in ...
Oli.
robwright
New member
It's a doddle Oli. Remove the PAS fluid cap and centre undertray (I am presuming like just about all of us you don't have a rear one lol). You will see a 19mm banjo connector on the pump (the lowest one). Remove this this and prepare to catch the fluid. Run the engine and operate lock to lock several times with pipe diconnected to pump all the old fluid out. It will make some strange noises don't worry. Once all fluid is out refit the banjo connector. Refill system with approx 600ml of new ATF. Run engine again and go lock to lock for as many times as it takes to be smooth and no noises. Check and top up level if needed. Once the car has been lowered repeat the lock to lock exercise with weight on the wheels. Check and adjust level again. The fluid will froth up quite a lot in the resevoir. Don't worry it is just bleeding out all the air. Godd luck fella. You won't need it it's a doddle.
Super_Marv
New member
Hi Rob - when you say the difference is remarkable, what kind of difference does it make? Can you feel the difference through the steering wheel?
Super_Marv
New member
Thanks - sounds like a thing worthwhile doing. Was the old fluid which came out cherry coloured? Mine's a dull black, so I'll get it replaced very soon.
Drained off all the manky brown fluid today and then took out the fluid tank and removed all the hoses I could get to. The hoses had been leaking, especially where they connect to the tank. Replaced all the original fittings with new jubilee clips and cleaned all the gunk off the hoses. Filled it back up and after all the strange noises (glad I was warned about them) all was done.
Steering felt much improved and didn't make noise at very low speed anymore, however fluid was now leaking from the banjo bolt even though every other previous leak was now fixed. The banjo bolt was fastened up very tightly to start with so I gave it another half turn to stop the leak. With a sharp snap, the banjo bolt head came clean off and all my nice new fluid began pouring out again
Have left it dripping out into a bucket and will take a look later, am hoping the bolt will come out of the pump easily and won't have stripped the threads. Just my luck as I went for the more expensive Castrol Atf! Whilst fishing about in the bucket of fluid I came across the 2 washers from either side of the banjo bolt that must have come off without me noticing when I bled the fluid, doh!
Luckily Alasdair answered the phone and had a spare bolt and washers, thank for your help, fingers crossed the threads aren't goosed!
Steering felt much improved and didn't make noise at very low speed anymore, however fluid was now leaking from the banjo bolt even though every other previous leak was now fixed. The banjo bolt was fastened up very tightly to start with so I gave it another half turn to stop the leak. With a sharp snap, the banjo bolt head came clean off and all my nice new fluid began pouring out again
Have left it dripping out into a bucket and will take a look later, am hoping the bolt will come out of the pump easily and won't have stripped the threads. Just my luck as I went for the more expensive Castrol Atf! Whilst fishing about in the bucket of fluid I came across the 2 washers from either side of the banjo bolt that must have come off without me noticing when I bled the fluid, doh!
Luckily Alasdair answered the phone and had a spare bolt and washers, thank for your help, fingers crossed the threads aren't goosed!
Praise be for screw extractors, slipped out in 10 secs and the threads are fine. The front washer was on but it was the back one that had falln off without me noticing. Just got to wait for replacement bolt and washers as well as pick some more fluid up and I finish the job properly.
robwright
New member
Yes it is that simple. Like any oil change you will never get rid of all of it. For your S2 it should be the same as my turbo. On the power steering pump there is a drain plug. Or if you prefer undo the bottom of the two banjo bolts (19mm). Run the engine and turn the steering lock to lock several times. Obviously catch any oil that you dump. Refit the banjo bolt. I would advise fitting new copper washers to both banjo bolts the bootom one on the pump (19mm) and the top one on the pump (22mm) at around 50 p each. Refill the resevoir to over the full mark and run the engine once again turning lock to lock several times. Once done top up the resevoir to the correct level. Lower the car and repeat with the steering under load. Top up again as necessary. I also removed the pump cleaned and refurbished it with new seals for around £25 for the kit. The difference in the steering after doing all this was amazing. It is now quiet as a mouse and smooth as a babies!!! []
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trev260764
New member
Cheers!
trev260764
New member
Mmm... Ta! The roof is a bit orangey as well. And the doors. The wings are OK!
trev260764
New member
What fluid am I using, and where from?
Well I changed the power steering fluid on my S2 this weekend. Not a hard job. Did it by removing the bottom banjo (17mm, not 19mm as quoted earlier.)
Old fluid came out. Black and treacle-y. And stunk to high heaven. Pushed the stering around repeatedly and ran the engine briefly to get all the traces of the old fluid out.
New fluid put in (Trev - I used brake fluid, DOT4, I think. New - sealed - bottle of the stuff.) Nice and clean and fine, slight honey colour.
And .... I'm not sure it made any difference at all. Possibly fractionally quieter. Possibly fractionally smoother. Admittedlty I have only driven it 'round town since, so nothing too challenging, but it wasn't a night-and-day improvement. Sorry folks.
Oli.
Old fluid came out. Black and treacle-y. And stunk to high heaven. Pushed the stering around repeatedly and ran the engine briefly to get all the traces of the old fluid out.
New fluid put in (Trev - I used brake fluid, DOT4, I think. New - sealed - bottle of the stuff.) Nice and clean and fine, slight honey colour.
And .... I'm not sure it made any difference at all. Possibly fractionally quieter. Possibly fractionally smoother. Admittedlty I have only driven it 'round town since, so nothing too challenging, but it wasn't a night-and-day improvement. Sorry folks.
Oli.
Feck?
Really?
Bu99er. Ar5e. F3ck.
How p155ing annoying.
Thanks for telling me. I can't change it between now and the weekend, so will pencil it in for Saturday morning. Typical - the weekend when my folks are coming to stay as well!
I hope that having brake fluid in it for a week (not being driven) won't do it any harm. I guess it won't have to.
[]
Oli.
ETA: I guess I'll have to flush it as well eh? Double-f3ck.
Really?
Bu99er. Ar5e. F3ck.
How p155ing annoying.
Thanks for telling me. I can't change it between now and the weekend, so will pencil it in for Saturday morning. Typical - the weekend when my folks are coming to stay as well!
I hope that having brake fluid in it for a week (not being driven) won't do it any harm. I guess it won't have to.
[
]Oli.
ETA: I guess I'll have to flush it as well eh? Double-f3ck.
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