Power steering fluid

I use a turkey baster to suck as much as possible out of the reservoir. Refill it and let it run a while, then suck out as much again and refill it. Several of those gets it pretty clean.
That's what I thought. I think I remember seeing Stu remove a line and flush that way but with systems like that as I understand them you run the risk of permanent damage if you run them low or dry.
 
That's what I thought. I think I remember seeing Stu remove a line and flush that way but with systems like that as I understand them you run the risk of permanent damage if you run them low or dry.

I'd be open to trying that method if I had a helper sitting in the driver seat that could shut it down at my call if things started going south, and a good angle and lighting to see clearly down in the reservoir. Just pull the return line off the reservoir, let the pump push out the old while filling the reservoir with new quickly enough that it doesn't go dry. You know you're done when fresh fluid starts coming out of the return hose.
 
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Does anyone know the actual differences of properties in PS fluid and ATF? Searches, for me at least, dont yield good results.
Jeep engineering did a study on the use of ATF vs. power steering fluid once the switch to ATF was made for the 2003 model. It found them to be compatible with each other in the PS system, but that the ATF slightly outperformed the PS fluid.
 
Although your 2005 should have had the power steering system filled with ATF+4 at the factory, there may be no way to tell what is in it now. Your only clue will be the color. ATF will look red or pink on a white paper towel. Power steering fluid won't.

ATF is a common substitute for power steering fluid and is specified by many vehicle manufacturers rather than power steering fluid. Both are hydraulic fluids, but ATF has additives and friction modifiers specifically for automatic transmissions. I can find no reliable literature suggesting that those additives and friction modifiers are harmful in any way to a power steering system. All of the literature suggests that power steering fluid and ATF is compatible and interchangeable.

If I were in your position I would use a turkey baster or something similar to suck as much fluid out of the power steering reservoir as possible and refill with ATF+4. However, I have an automatic transmission and can use the leftover ATF+4 for that. If you have a manual transmission and don't need ATF+4 for any other purpose you can use power steering fluid if you only need a few ounces and power steering fluid comes in a smaller bottle and/or is cheaper in your locale.

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You are responding to a year old post?

My point was simply that if one has a power steering pump that needs a few ounces of lubricant and one doesn't have any other immediate need for a quart bottle of ATF, a smaller bottle of power steering fluid is an option that will cause no harm even if the owners manual specifies ATF.
 
You are responding to a year old post?

My point was simply that if one has a power steering pump that needs a few ounces of lubricant and one doesn't have any other immediate need for a quart bottle of ATF, a smaller bottle of power steering fluid is an option that will cause no harm even if the owners manual specifies ATF.

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