Oops! Dot3 in Power steering res

[Simpleman]

I accidentally put about 4 or 5oz of DOT3 Power steering Fluid in my res. Anyone think this could damage anything in the steering pump or rack?

 

[belvedere]

I wouldn't feel comfortable with it. I'd try to flush out the PS system with ATF. I haven't done this on a Libby, so I can't give you an exact procedure for the flush, but I'm sure someone else can.

 

[kj924]

Wait, did you put power steering fluid in your power steering ? Or did you put Dot 3 Brake Fluid in your Power Steering?

 

[tjkj2002]

Well you will have really foamy PS fluid since brake fluid absorb moisture really good.

 

[belvedere]

Wait, did you put power steering fluid in your power steering ? Or did you put Dot 3 Brake Fluid in your Power Steering?

Good catch, 924. I saw DOT 3 and my mind thought "brake fluid", but you're right, he said PS fluid. If he used PS fluid, I'm sure it won't hurt anything. We'll have to wait for the OP to clarify.

 

[kj924]

Well I had to ask to get some clarity of the situation.

 

[Simpleman]

Sorry. I did mean regular power steering fluid. I did it a couple of months ago and I am now getting a loose drifting feeling in my steering. I was not aware until a couple of weeks ago that ATF+4 was what we use nowadays. I have checked all the ball joints, inner & outer tie rods, and bushings and they all are good. I replaced the rack and pinion bushings as well. Still have that loose feeling. It drifts. When up on jack stands I can take the front tire driver tire and turn it some. Passenger side not so much.

 

[Austen]

So your saying you put power steering fluid in your power steering resevor and thats not what goes there?

 

[belvedere]

So your saying you put power steering fluid in your power steering resevor and thats not what goes there?

ATF+4 is the recommended fluid. I really can't see how the PS fluid could cause the symptom, though.

 

[Austen]

Now i have learned KJs use plus 4 for power steering and i just put power steering fluid in the damn thing. Now i have to do something about it. Not to mention the $3 i wasted on the bottle. Now i have to pump the bad out and replace it. SOB.

 

[Powerslave]

If you want to CYCLE completely, just remove the RETURN line (low pressure hose) from the pump, and pour ATF+4 into the reservoir, while the other fluid is pumping out into something... Then when you see a color consistency FROM the return, STOP. Hook it all back up, restart engine, check leaks, and top off...

You can use this as a guide:

1. Turn off the engine.
2. Jack up the front end and put the car on jack stands.
3. Wrap some plastic around the pulley of the power steering pump and the nearby belt surfaces, as the close proximity of the pump fittings may otherwise result in ATF coming into contact with the belt, and this can cause the belt to slip.
4. Open the reservoir and use a syringe to remove the fluid from the reservoir (have used a spray bottle trigger/pump).
5. Open the banjo fitting on the pump and let the fluid drain out into a pan positioned below it.
6. Turn the ignition key to unlock the steering wheel (but do not start the engine), then rotate the wheel slowly lock to lock a few times to push the old fluid out of the system. When done, the reservoir should be completely empty and no additional fluid should drain from the fitting.
7. Remove the hollow bolt and install new crush washers on the banjo fitting. Note: You need not install new crush washers if you expect to repeat this procedure during this maintenance session to further flush the system. Just make sure you use new crush washers before you button the system up for good.
8. Torque the banjo fitting to to 40Nm or 30 ft*lbs. At least on my car the bumper fairing gets in the way of using a torque wrench with a fixed head. My pivoting head torque wrench was able to do the job, but I had to adjust the torque for the offset. If you don't have a torque wrench, you can just tighten the bolt until you feel the crush washers start to absorb the torque and then STOP. Do not overtorque the fitting.
9. Remove the protective plastic from the accessory belt, being careful not to contaminate the belt in the process.
10. Refill the reservoir using the dipstick minimum and maximum markings as a guideline. Do NOT overfill it. You may notice some large air bubbles come to the surface in the reservoir as you fill it. This is due to the fluid displacing the air in the hoses and is expected.
11. Rotate the wheel slowly lock to lock. As you turn the wheel, the level in the reservoir will drop. Continually add fluid so you don't run it dry, and do this until the level in the reservoir no longer drops. Fill the reservoir to a level between the minimum and maximum marks on the dipstick. Do NOT overfill it.
12. Reinstall the reservoir cap and hand-tighten.
13. Start the engine and rotate the wheel slowly lock to lock. The wheel should be turned at a rate that lock to lock is achieved in about 10 seconds or more. Do this 10 times and then center the wheel and shutdown the engine. Don't hold the wheel against the lock! When you reach the lock immediately reverse direction.
14. Stop the engine, reopen the reservoir, and examine the dipstick. If the level is below the minimum, add fluid to reach the middle of the range indicated on the dipstick.
15. Examine the fluid quality in the reservoir. If you see a lot of small bubbles you have successfully removed some of the air from the system. If the fluid is a normal dark red color and no bubbles are present, and/or the level has not dropped, you may have removed all the air. Even in this case, I recommend you bleed the system twice for safety's sake.
16. Repeat the process from step 11 until the level in the reservoir no longer drops.

 

[Denlevi]

Definitely change out all of the fluid if you have mixed the ATF+4 with anything else.

This happened a couple years ago, someone topped off my wifes PT Cruiser and it cost me a new rack and pinion. They apparently had put a little bit of regular power steering fluid into the reservoir to top it off and it blew out the seals in the power steering system. I highly recommend getting it out of there ASAP!

 

[Austen]

I just went and bought a quart of atf plus 4 to get the resivor drained and refilled. I went to my job to have one of the mechs evac the res and four of them and two service managers said it wont harm anything especialy bc i put so little in.

 

[Dave]

I just went and bought a quart of atf plus 4 to get the resivor drained and refilled. I went to my job to have one of the mechs evac the res and four of them and two service managers said it wont harm anything especialy bc i put so little in.

That is good that nothing is harmed. If it were me I would change it anyway as this would just give me an excuse to do it.

Dave

 

[Austen]

Called the dealer today:
New power steering pump $206 instalation $110
High pressure hose $180
Low pressure hose $92

 

[Dave]

Called the dealer today:
New power steering pump $206 instalation $110
High pressure hose $180
Low pressure hose $92

I vote for changing the fluid.

Dave

 

[Austen]

Im going to use a turkey baseter and slurp the resivore clean and put in a pint of Lucas PS leak stopper and clean the lines to see if it stops leaking.

 

[Dave]

Im going to use a turkey baseter and slurp the resivore clean and put in a pint of Lucas PS leak stopper and clean the lines to see if it stops leaking.

That's worth a shot. The Mopar ATF+4 is $4.89 or so a quart at wallyworld. The t-case and ****** use it too so it wouldn't hurt to have some laying around. Don't know about the leak stopper.

Dave

 

[Austen]

I just used a baster and took out all the fluid from the resivor while engine hot and filled it to the max cold line with lucas power steering stop leak and turned lock to lock about ten times and used the baster again to remove enough to lower it enough to put in the rest of the lucas pint. After work tonight ill check the fluid level and top off with ATF plus four. I wish i didnt put in power steering fluid. But now im happy that the stop leak is in there.

 

[Simpleman]

Well I just flushed everything out a couple of times and will hope for the best. I am beginning to think my sloppy steering is my coil springs. The front is really wobbly when you push it from the side back and forth. Very bouncy. I just put in new rancho struts but the springs are what provide the support so I think I will pick up some OME medium springs.