Tuesday, 8 June 2010

Power Steering fluid change

I originally changed the power steering fluid back in summer 2009, and the fluid came out a very dark red. New power steering fluid, which for my BMW is actually a ATF Dexron III is a transparent red colour. BMW will never renew the fluid at any service and will only top if required. Which is fine for the 1st 100k miles or so, and after that BMW dont' really care if the pump fails, they just get some business to replace it! So if you want the power steering pump and rack to last closer to 200k, then i'd recommend this approx every 15k.


So i decided to change it this weekend again at ~84k, a little OTT as its only been 10-12k since the 1st change. Its not a proper flush, but you can siphon off about 300 mls from the top reservoir, i used a 50ml syringe, and replace what you removed with new fluid, then repalce the cap and turn the steering from lock to lock several times. You then repeat the above process several times, and in effect you are exchanging the fluid for fresher fluid. Of course a drain & flush would be best, but thats a bit of a PITA!

Above ia a pic of some old fluid, and there is still some red colour to it after 12 mths usage, unlike when i did it for the 1st time ever last summer, when it was almost black! I used 1 litre of Castrol ATF TQ Dexron III costing about £6, if its the 1st time you are doing it then perhaps 2 litres would be better.

Heres a link to the DIY i used from Bimmerfest:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214439&highlight=

Ease of DIY: Piece of cake. If you can fill your car with gas, then you can do this no sweat, and prolong the life of your power steering components by at least 50k.
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6 comments:

  1. Anonymous26 June 2012 at 13:19

    What exactly did you have done for the exhaust? Is it just an attachment or some other work done further up?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oz Striker10 September 2012 at 13:38

      Just a muffler/backbox delete. Doesnt effect emissions/smog test

      Delete
    2. Veronica Jett22 May 2013 at 12:42

      There are various online sources to provide you informative details on this topic, but this is one is very helpful
      Auto Body Repair

      Delete
    3. Anonymous24 November 2013 at 00:45

      OZ, Please delete spam comment by Veronica Jett with link pointing to my auto repair website. Thank You !!

      Delete
  2. Jayden William25 September 2017 at 05:58

    Proper level and maintenance of fluid keep your car long laster. It brings a lot of enjoyment on your ride if fluid levels are in a proper well mannered. To reduce any wear and tear condition of the power steering it is necessary to do a regular inspection on that if needed make repair by a car expert. If you want to do fluid change by yourself follow the above mentioned procedure carefully.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anna12 April 2020 at 19:15

    What BMW engine oil do you use?

    A common question is asked by the BMW users. The question is ‘’What BMW engine oil do you use?’’ As you have invested a huge amount to your car, likewise you should use the best BMW engine oil. So, make sure you use them correctly to achieve the best results. The BMW which is a phenomenon of the German Engineering has designed its engine parts using the unique metal alloys with strict tolerance.

    ReplyDelete

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