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flushing power steering fluid

17K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  T1RKaZz 
#1 ·
anyone have step by step instructions to flush the power steering fluid
 
#2 ·
I think the dealer uses a special tool to suck the fluid through the system.

Personally, what I have done and never had a problem:

Put the front up on jackstands so the front wheels hang in the air (i.e. no resistance to turning the steering wheel) Never start the motor with the PS lines disconnected.

Have something to catch the PS fluid in the reserviour or use a turkey baster to suck it out.

Disconnect the return line to the reserviour and run it to a bucket.

Turn the steering wheel lock to lock, the piston in the PS rack will act like a pump and this will pump the PS fluid out of the system through the return line. You may need to turn the steering wheel quickly as it gets toward the end of the fluid, to get the last of it out.

I had a couple of ounces of fresh fluid to the reservour and repeat to pump it through and flush out the system.

Reconnect the return line, fill up the reservour and turn the steering wheel to pump fresh fluid in and the air out.

Start the motor (be careful of the steering wheel and wheels, very unlikely, but if air is in just the right spot in the PS system, it could hard over and spin the steering wheel with enough force to break your arm). Turn the steering wheel and recheck fluid level.

Make sure to use the right PS fluid, they keep uping the specs on PS fluid, which indicates to me, the PS systems keep getting more demanding on the fluid. Use an earlier spec fluid, it likely will NOT be able to protect the PS system as well as it should.

MS-10838 is the spec for the Commanders PS system. I have yet to find an aftermarket PS fluid that claims to meet this spec, so I went to the dealer and bought it from them.

Lots of bottles in the auto store will say it meets all Chrysler specs for PS fluid, and they haven't updated that label in a dozen years. If it doesn't specifically say it meets or exceeds Chrysler Spec MS-10838, then its NOT the right stuff, don't use it.

I needed 1 qt of fluid, I bought 2 qts, thinking with the flushing, I would use more than 1 qt, I even spilled a lot of fluid and ended up NOT needing to open the 2nd qt.

I don't have the PS driven fan on my Commander, if you do, likely the capacity for the system will be higher.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I think the dealer uses a special tool to suck the fluid through the system.

Personally, what I have done and never had a problem:

Put the front up on jackstands so the front wheels hang in the air...
Good info, Mongo. What would be an advisable flush/fill schedule for the PS? Cheers.
 
#4 ·
Well, the manufacturer will tell you its a lifetime fill.

At the same time, the manufacturer will tell you to only use a fluid that meets their brand new spec, for a much higher quality fluid to withstand the higher temps, pressures and stresses of their new power steering system.

And notice, the sales of rebuilt and new P.S. parts is doing very well.

So I conclude, changing P.S. fluid can be very beneficial, it can't hurt, unless you screw up badly. Pumps and Valves cause an effect called "sheering" on their working fluids, the forces and mechanics of these thing actually "sheer" the molecues of the fluid and breaks them up, once the molecue is sheered its doesn't act the same as it did before. In short, fluid does wear out. And you need a better fluid for the stress's of a more demanding system, logically its sheering the fluid even more, thus the need for the better fluid.

Personally, I do it every 30k-33k miles on my other vehicles, I have never had to replace a single P.S. part, and I most of my vehicles go out to 230k miles before replacement. That might be excessive, 50k miles might be a good figure.

Replacing PS fluid more than once a year would be Excessive IMO. Every other year would probably be good.

My Neon R/T, spec MS5931, the first change at 30k miles, the factory fill came out looking horrible, it looked fungus had started to grow in it. I used Redline Synthetic PS fluid (meets or exceeds MS5931) and every fluid change after that, I could NOT notice any real sign of degradation. My mini-van called for MS9602 (ATF+4) and I could never find any sign of degradation, either factory fill or later fill with aftermarket ATF+4.

My 2010 Commander, I bought it used, it was a rental in upstate NY and shows signs of lots of salt exposure. At 30k mi, I changed the fluid, and it came out black and very cloudy. The fresh MS10838, is as clear as water. I've put 5k mi on it since the change and it still looks clear as water. I can NOT find any aftermarket ps fluid that specifically state it meets or exceeds chrysler spec MS10838, so I use the dealer fluid. Perhaps my Comanders original factory fill fluid was contaminated by all the salt exposure, who knows, but comparing the fluid coming out to the fluid going in, I was glad I changed it.

Basically, that has been my experience, at a 30k interval for changes, there are times I found fluid looking like it was overdue for a change and I have found fluid that looked like it was perfectly fine.
 
#6 ·
Well, the manufacturer will tell you its a lifetime fill.

Personally, I do it every 30k-33k miles on my other vehicles, I have never had to replace a single P.S. part, and I most of my vehicles go out to 230k miles before replacement. That might be excessive, 50k miles might be a good figure.

Replacing PS fluid more than once a year would be Excessive IMO. Every other year would probably be good.
Thanks, Mongo. I looked in my PS reservoir and even syphoned about 2 tablespoons oil fluid out and it looks just a little darker than clear. Large Marge has 65k mi under her belt. I'll keep monitoring the fluid and if it darkens, out it goes.
 
#7 ·
Yea, I saw that TSB and you're right to point it out, but I, like many others in the forum, bought my Jeep used. That TSB, IMP, is written assuming all owners are as dedicated as we are about maintaining their vehicles. Were that the case, yes, I agree with you the TSB 26-001-09 should be followed to the letter. However, I have no idea if the previous owner(s) followed the OEM maintenance schedule or even used the proper fluids (ATF vs. ATF+4 etc.) To be sure that fresh and good quality stuff is in there, I drained and filled the tranny, engine oil, coolant, transfer case and differentials. Only brake and PS fluids remain unchanged. Brakes get done soon, so fresh fluid goes in. That leaves PS fluid and that's why I'm leaning towards changing it. Had I been the first owner I wouldn't be uneasy. Since I'm not, fresh oil and fluids are just cheap insurance and I can sleep better. Cheers.
 
#11 ·
The line that connects to the reservoir is the return line, the reservoir sits atop the pump and plugs right into the intake of the pump, the line connected to the pump is the pressure line. You have to look at it carefully, at first it looks like all one unit, but look close and you'll see there is a metal pump on the bottom and plastic tank (reservoir) on the top, the return line goes to the reservoir, the pressure line comes out the metal pump portion.

I disconnect the return line at the reservoir and run it to a bucket.
 
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