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Stephen Newell

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What would happen if someone was low on power steering fluid and filled the reservoir with automatic transmission fluid. My brother in law was visiting me and asked me to check the fluid in his power steering. I took the dip stick out and it was way overfilled so I got my fluid pump and pumped some of it out only to find out it was red. I asked him what fluid he put in there and he told me. I went ahead and pumped all of the fluid out of the reservoir but I had no way to completely flush the system. I just told him the next time he came over I would pump all the fluid out again and change it.
 
Probably the least problems when used as a substitute. I would change it by removing the return line and running for a few seconds till it pumps air, then fill with correct fluid and run again till air. Then hook up the line and fill run fill run till it stays full. Jim
 
I use automatic tranny fluid in my f150 since I got the truck in January, no problems so far, I gonna try used motor oil next.
 
Don't do that, the base oils are way different, and regular engine oil swells rubber seals and will leak like a sive in a month or so. Plus the used engine oil carries particles and acids that are not good for sensitive control valves. Jim
 
What type vehicle? I have used auto tranny fluid in about everything I have owned. Just changed the power steering in my Camry, and documentation called for tranny fluid.
 
I believe that was all that was use in the older vehicles before they came up with specific power steering fluid.
 
I install p.s.pumps on tractors from GM products and I fill with hyd.fluid. Works great,no leaks.
 
All I've ever ran is Dex III and now Dex VI. People will b!tch at me for the DEX VI, but it's oh so smooth and easy to steer. No more PS whines.
 
I sold Valvoline Oil for 27 years. One school I went to the tec said the worst thing for any mechanical system, is to run dry. Water is better than nothing! My semi power steering calls for 15x40. Doubt it makes that much difference.
 
it may well ruin it enough to total the car and make it un-driveable. Trans fluid is cheap and far better for it!! Jim
 
Apparently Dodge wants you to buy their dealer supplied oil. No idea what it is, it is clear. But ATF would be clear if the red dye were not in it. I remember some European cars years ago that required a special mineral oil, but they were clearly marked as to what to use.

Since it was low, there must be a leak. Is the rack leaking? I doubt that I would spend the extra or be making trips to the dealer if it were leaking, just keep adding ATF. But if I were going to repair the leak, especially if the rack were replaced, that would be the time to flush it and refill with the recommended fluid.
 
I realize this isn't your vehicle and you are coming in after the
fact, but fluids are cheap. Put in the right ones.

Mixing and matching hoping the seals hold up to a different kind
of oil than what they were designed for seems stupid to me.

I can't believe anyone would put there loved ones in a vehicle
that may lose power steering or brakes at any moment just to
save a couple bucks on what fluid they buy.

If it leaks, fix the leak. If you don't care about your family, at
least have a little decency for the other families on the road.

Rant over. Merry Christmas everyone!
 
Not too long after full service gas stations were done away with here in the US my dad walked out of a convenience store and spotted an older lady pouring windshield washer fluid into her power steering reservoir. He tried to stop her but she got cranky with him so he walked away. I always wondered how long her power steering lasted with a windshield washer fluid, oil mix in the system. It's gotta be worse than using the wrong oil.
 
I will add a few facts here......

First, power steering is a simple and basic hydraulic system. The pump is generally a vane type of a high capacity and flow rate. It powers either a hydraulically assisted steering gear or a hydraulically assisted rack and pinion steering gear.

Oil used was originally (in the "old" days) type A automatic transmission oil. The reason for this oil was the lower viscosity as compared to engine oil and anti-foaming characteristics of the ATF. In most cases, and with RARE exception, almost ANY ATF is usable and compatible. More so than engine oil- although there were power steering systems that did use engine oil.

The main reason to stay away from used engine oil is the possibility of introducing particles that could be large enough to cause problems for the spool valve in the steering gear - whether it be a steering box or a rack and pinion. Grit is deadly to a spool valve.

Best way to deal with leaking power steering rack is to add a bit of brake fluid to the system. Brake fluid will SOFTEN UP the seals to allow them to seal more positively without depriving the critical parts of lubrication. Recommend no more than about 1/4 of a cup of brake fluid to be added. I have used this trick for many years on many vehicles with good results.

Now, I am sure that somebody or somebodies will contradict me and say that I am wrong, but I see no harm in using ATF in the power steering.
 
David, I have used low viscosity Hygard for years. Dodge calls for none "red" hydraulic fluid in the steering box on the older Dodge diesels. I was out of regular Power steering fluid and used the Low Viscosity Hygard. The system was actually quieter. So I switched all of the pickups over. That has been over 10 years ago and no problems.
 
"Best way to deal with leaking power steering rack is to add a bit of brake fluid"

"I am sure that somebody or somebodies will contradict me and say that I am wrong"

I guess I'm one of those somebodies.
The best way to deal with leaking seals is to replace the seals.
Replace the mating parts if they're worn to the point of tearing seals.
What dollar amount makes it worth risking lives on a band-aid?
 
Flushing the system is easy. Remove the return line from the PS reservoir and plug the fitting end with a rubber hose with a bolt in it. Place the return line in a suitable container and crank the engine with the ignition disabled. Depending on the vehicle they can be started when doing this, but the pump must not be allowed to run dry.
 
In this case the man is dying of Cancer and it has affected his mind. He just made a mistake by using transmission fluid. Recently he had a shop replace the radiator on the truck and they used orange antifreeze. The same day the transmission fluid was added he also toped off the antifreeze in the radiator and overflow and I suspect he used the green stuff. The fluid in the overflow had a strange appearance to it. It sort of looked like someone added milk to it. Anyway I checked the fluid on his truck when they were about to leave so I didn't have very much time.
 
OK, have you ever rebuilt/resealed a rack and pinion?? I have. First thing is that it takes more time than the thing is worth. Second is that it takes more special tools than you can imagine.

Now, having said that, what does it take to replace a rack?? Some cars, it is not too hard. Other cars, you have to just about disassemble the car. I have seen racks that paid over 6 hours in the warranty book to change.

Next, what does happen when you lose power assist?? At any speed over creeping at a stoplight, not much. Steering gets a bit harder, but certainly not impossible or life threatening. As a matter of fact, Ford introduced variable assist power steering early in the 1990s. It varies from full assist at low speeds to almost no assist at road speeds. Therefore, there is NO RISK OF LIFE involved.

Now, this comes from a group of people that will:
1) put a piece of tape over the warning lights on an instrument panel
2) compromise the safety devices in the fuel system by bypassing things like inertia switches and the like.

But suddenly leaking power steering becomes life threatening??? NOT!!!!!!!
 
Agreed. The last Dodge I owned was leaking power steering fluid out the rack for a while. After it sat for a couple weeks I started it and I could immediately hear the whining power steering pump. Filled the empty reservoir with transmission stop leak - I assume it then made up about 80% of the fluid in the system. Never leaked again. Never worried about it again.
 
(quoted from post at 03:48:11 12/24/15) I've never seen any red power steering fluid before but in this case it was transmission fluid. He said so.
Click to expand...

If you look at the owner's manual, I believe you will see that the recommended fluid is ATF+4 synthetic automatic transmission fluid; the same fluid used in Chrysler product transmissions.

Reminds me when a dummy I know topped off the pump on his plow truck with "hydraulic" brake fluid.
Don't know if he ever did get that mess straightened out!
 
All we used to use was ATF-- worked for the past 50 years with no problems in Gm, Dodge, ford, Allis Chalmers, JD, IHC. Cant remember what other brands of cars and trucks I've owned, oh ya AMC and a couple of others.
 
I gotta go with Royse on this one.

To those who intentionally use other products - you have to buy whatever you put in there, so... why not just buy the recommended stuff???

I don't get it.

You don't even have to go to a car parts store, most convenience stores carry it, so it's not exactly hard to find. Nor is it particularly
expensive. Nor does the system even hold that much to begin with, even if it was expensive.
 
Somewhere in one of my tool boxes collecting dust are all the tools to rebuild GM racks. Wow, remember it was couple a day coming in for no assist on one way. Next to those tools are my CV joint boot clamping tools. My propane bottle with the flow meter for setting lean idle drop mixture . My propane R12 leak finder.
 
Fill it up with transmission stop leak - you might get lucky. If not it will leak out and you can go back to ATF.
 
"NO RISK OF LIFE"

I hope you're never proven wrong.

Ford disagrees. This recall is from May of this year:

"Ford Motor Company issued two new recalls Wednesday
covering nearly 445,000 vehicles after receiving numerous
complaint and incident reports, including at least four
accidents related to loss of power steering"

Granted the power assist involved in this recall is electric
power assist, but the result is the same. Manual steering in a
vehicle designed for power steering.

If it works for you, fine, but I'll fix mine.

Have a Merry Christmas!
 

Yeah... using the wrong type of electricity will foul up the power steering pump. :roll:

Powersteering pumps have used atf since they invented power steering pumps.

atf is a hydaulic oil with additives for orings, anti foaming, and rust inhibitors. And yes, some new ones require synthetic due to higher pressures and that causes higher heat. But still just a synthetic atf. If you used atf, its NOT going to cause any harm other than to the ocd people. In which case their heads will explode.

Never use USED MOTOR oil as the soot and carbon particles will eat up the precision valves.

Reqular motor oil will not destroy the system but does not have the oring conditioners, antifoam and has a very harsh detergent additive that the powersteering system does not need.

1965 and newer Ford tractors use the same fluid for both power steering and transmission fluid. Even earlier sos tractors have did the same. Not a new though here. The red dye was to help you realize it was for hydraulics and not suitable for motor oil or brake fluid
 
(quoted from post at 13:30:56 12/24/15) So what you (actually Ford) are saying is even a working system is suspect to failure, what isn't?
Click to expand...
Absolutely nothing. Any mechanical system is subject to failure.
 
Power steering is a hydraulic system.
Power steering fluid is a hydraulic fluid.
Atf is a hydraulic/ transmission fluid.
It will be fine.
Power steering fluid in a transmission, however......

There's guys with built diesels that run hy-gard in their automatics.
 
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