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Do any of you guys do PSF changes ?
My 2002 W203 C240 has the level right on the minimum for 20c and would like to empty out the fluid and replace it with fresh.
I am not too concerned about flushing etc, just removing all the old fluid and putting more in. CHF11S is correct right?
Do you guys recommend doing it with the engine off whilst removing the fluid whilst turning left to right. Then when topping back up again to turn engine on steer left and right then keep topping up until needed ?
My concern is that there is a 20c and an 80c mark. If the engine has been on for a few minutes should you set it to the 20c or 80c mark ?
I think what I will do is measure how much comes out then put back in the same amount plus a slight bit more
The procedure isn't terribly complex. Just do it with the engine off, and use the 20C marks.
The circuits will flush themselves whenever you turn the steering wheel during normal driving. Replace the reservoir fluid once a week for a month. Good enough.
The circuits will flush themselves whenever you turn the steering wheel during normal driving. Replace the reservoir fluid once a week for a month. Good enough.
I think that process makes sense. It will avoid the requirement to recruit someone to turn the wheels back and forth while you yell at them.
I'm using the process Slammer suggested to change my power steering fluid. Here's a picture of the fluid I extracted on the first day of the process:
Obviously, the fluid is extremely dirty.
I've owned the car almost 7 years and I have not previously changed the fluid. Judging from the color of the fluid I extracted during the first round of the process, no previous owner changed it either.
Here's the device I'm using to extract the fluid: The long tube allows me to extract fluid from the line that is at the bottom of the reservoir.
According to my owner's manual, the entire system holds one liter of fluid. I have bought one liter of fluid, but I don't expect one liter to bring the fluid to the cleanliness level that I want. (A one-liter exchange is likely to remove only half of the dirt.) I am planning to buy a second liter of fluid. A two-liter exchange should reduce the dirt by an additional 50 percent. I will see what it looks like at that stage and make a decision regarding whether to purchase a third liter.
I briefly considered using a procedure that involved removing the return hose and pumping the old fluid out of the system all at one by having an assistant turn the wheels with the car on jack stands. That process would not use as much fluid and could be completed in one session. I decided not to do it that way because I don't like taking anything apart on a 20-year-old car unless it is absolutely necessary.
The fluid I extracted on day two is the container on the left.
The fluid from day two is slightly cleaner than the fluid I extracted on day one, but the difference doesn't show up well in the photo.
I think purchasing a second liter of power steering fluid was a good decision. It will clearly take many extractions to remove a significant amount of the dirt.
I hope that neglecting this job for so long didn't damage any of the power steering components.
Last edited by KevinH2000; 07-25-2024 at 08:19 PM.
Except leakage there is no mechanical issue of the steering rack known. FYI you can buy a full gasket set for the rack to DIY, but it is not a beginners task. I needed air tools just to remove it.
There are 4 high torque bolts holding it in place.
I have started to add fluid from my second liter. Although the fluid I remove has become slightly clearer, the process has been slower than I hoped. I attribute this to the fact that I can only remove between 200 and 250 milliliters of fluid during each session. Since the entire system holds one liter, each extraction is leaving behind between 75 and 80 percent of the contaminants that were in place before the extraction. So, assuming that I am removing 20 percent of the remaining contaminants during each step of the process, the progress has been:
Start - 100 percent contaminants
After first extraction - 80 percent of contaminants remain.
After second extraction - 64 percent of contaminants remain
After third extraction - 51 percent of contaminants remain
After fourth extraction - 40 percent of contaminants remain
After fifth extraction - 32 percent of contaminants remain
My future extractions should result in the following:
Sixth extraction 26 percent of contaminants remain
Seventh extraction 20 percent of contaminants remain
Eighth extraction 16 percent of contaminants remain
Ninth extraction 13 percent of contaminants remain
Tenth extraction 10 percent of contaminants remain
In practice, I have gotten better at snaking the rubber tubing down into the line below the power steering reservoir, and my recent extractions have yielded more fluid. Therefore, the amount of contamination I removed in the first sessions may be less than my analysis suggests. In any event, each additional extraction will be removing less contamination, and I don't think the fluid will become perfectly clear. I am expecting the fluid I remove in the eighth and ninth steps to look much better than what I started with.
Last edited by KevinH2000; 07-28-2024 at 08:32 PM.
I completed by seventh extract/refill cycle. The fluid I extracted on the most recent effort appears to be cleaner. In this photo, I poured a sample of today's extraction on the left. A sample of the material I extracted on the first day is on the right.
Unfortunately, the two samples bled together before I could take the photo. It may not be clear in the photo, but the most recent sample appears to have a slight green tinge. (Green is the color of the fresh fluid.) The first day's extraction is darker brown.
I should have enough clean fluid for two more extract/refill cycles. I think the fluid will be satisfactory at that point.
I recently did my W204 power steering fluid. Used a meat injector to remove the old fluid and fill with new. I started the car and turned the wheel to the left then right a few times, stop the car then re-fill the reservoir. A few times I could see the new fluid in the syringe not yet mixed with the old. Plus I got bored it was taking so long so I ended up just doing it once or twice a day until the liter was done.
Since mine has over 150,000 miles i will probably do it once a year in the spring, suck/fill once a day using a 1 liter tin.
The level was at Max before I started so thats what I left it at. i checked it the next morning when the engine was still cold to double check.
Not entirely clear but it is significantly cleaner than when I started. It is also closer to the green color of the fluid when it comes out of the tin.
I have used two liters of fluid over the course of about 10 days.
Last edited by KevinH2000; 08-02-2024 at 10:35 PM.
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort (What the heck, it gets 38 mpg!)
I've always just used a turkey baster, pull fluid out, put new fluid in every once in a while.
260K miles (almost) and (knock on wood!) No power steering pump failure yet.
I've always just used a turkey baster, pull fluid out, put new fluid in every once in a while.
That is my plan going forward.
It seems like taking things apart on cars of this age can lead to other components requiring repair. All the plastic parts on my car are approaching 20-years old. There is no need to test their resistance to mechanical stress unless it is absolutely necessary. I'd rather spend an extra $28 on a liter of power steering fluid than replace a power steering reservoir. The fluid now seems very clean and perfect can be an enemy of very good.
I'm also not enthusiastic about put the front of the car on jack stands and turning the wheels back and forth.
06-06-2024, 12:41 PM
