How do I change the power steering fluid in my vehicle?
Okay, so I drive a 2001 Ford Escape XLT 3.0L V6. It was my mom's car for a while then she gave it to me a couple of years ago for my senior year of High School. Right now I'm doing some typical maintenance like changing the oil, the filters, etc. Now, a little over a year ago my power steering pump failed and it was grinding real bad. My dad helped me change the pump but what I didn't realize was that there's specific fluid for each pump so I put the basic fluid you buy from AutoZone and what my vehicle needs is Mercon V Transmission fluid. So for the last year or so it's been grinding so I'd like to try and change the fluid entirely. Once in a while it seems as if the fluid kicks in and my power steering works flawlessly and other times it grinds and sounds like a can opener. I'm wondering if it's too late. The guy at AutoZone said it's never too late and if it is, my pump has a Warranty. Anyways, I've seen some people using the "turkey baster" method simply by using a turkey baster but there are some people that use the turkey baster and disconnect the hoses and there are some people that just use the turkey baster. I won't use the turkey baster but I'm looking at using one of those transfer pumps that they have at AutoZone for $15. Is okay if the Mercon mixes with some of the older fluid?
That needs to be done by a certified auto technician.
Transfer pump only removes a small portion of the fluid in the system. Remove the return hose and drain all the fluid from the reservoir. Then plug the return port on the reservoir where the hose was was attached. Refill the reservoir with the correct fluid. Then place the end of the return hose in a jar or jug. With the engine OFF, turn the steering wheel full left and full right as you continue to refill the reservoir with fresh fluid. Turning the wheel will push out the old fluid into your catch bottle. Fill the reservoir again with fresh fluid and then start the engine for just a few seconds and turn off the engine. That'll force the pump to push fresh fluid into the rack and pinion gear. Refill with more fluid. Start the engine and quickly turn the wheel left. Stop engine and refill. Then start it again and turn the wheel to the right. Stop engine. If the fluid coming out of the return hose is bright red, then you've fully flushed the system. The last step is to apply vacuum to the system to pull out all the air. See this post
To flush the PS fluid you need to remove the return line tot he pump reservoir and put it in a container such as a gallon milk jug. Then have someone start the motor while you keep adding several quarts of PS fluid to flush the lines, pump and rack. Turn the car off when the fluid comes out clean. Hook the return line back up to the reservoir and I would mix one bottle of LUCAS power steering additive to a bottle of power steering fluid and add the mixture to the reservoir. Start the motor with out revving it and keep adding PS fluid until the reservoir is at the full mark. Then you turn the steering wheel back and forth in both directions all the way to purge the air from the system. The LUCAS additive not only quiets the PS pump down but also reconditions the rack seals so they don't harden and start leaking.
It is probably pretty much ruined now, so suck as much out with a turkey baster, then refill with V. Run it while turning the wheel back and forth a bit and do it again. Now most of the fluid will be ATF. See how that works. Or you can do it the complete way as the others have said.
You won't be able to get it all out, and i think it will be fine the way you talk about changing it.
Don't think it will help your pump - - - but I have renewed my ps fluid by the "turkey baster" method. I sucked all I could out of the reservoir, filled, and repeated for 5 days. By then, the fluid was clear and the noise I had disappeared (was 6 year ago and hasn't returned!). But your problem seems worse than the "whine" I had on hard turns.
If you've been running the wrong fluid for a year, changing it now isn't going to help.
Gey
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