Replacing the power steering fluid - video about changing the power steering oil

Like any other vehicle system, the hydraulic booster needs timely maintenance. Those people who have ever driven cars without power steering know how much more comfortable and easier it is to drive cars with power steering. Now an electric booster has also appeared, but for now we will talk about the hydraulic system.

So, if you are experiencing the following issues:

the steering wheel becomes harder to turn;
the steering wheel is difficult to keep in one position;
the steering wheel rotates jerkily;
extraneous sounds are heard during rotation, -

so you need to at least check the hydraulic oil level in the power steering reservoir. Of course, the problem may lie in something else, for example, in a breakdown of the power steering pump or in a hose leak, but this is already a difficult case.

Changing hydraulic oil is one of the simplest operations that any motorist should be able to perform, especially since there is nothing particularly complicated about it. True, it is worth noting that it is possible to carry out a partial replacement of the fluid, but it would be better to completely drain the used oil and fill in new one.

The first step is to find the power steering reservoir, usually it is located on the left side in the most visible place, although it may be on your model somewhere in another part of the engine compartment.

Usually the liquid is sucked off with a syringe, however, the reservoir contains only 70-80 percent of the oil, and everything else can be in the system.

Therefore, after all the oil has been removed from the tank, it must be unscrewed from the brackets and disconnected from the tubes. Place some container under the return pipe and turn the steering wheel - all the liquid will drain completely.

To make it easier to turn the steering wheel when the engine is off, it is better to jack up the car. Turn the steering wheel to the extreme right, then to the extreme left, and so on several times until the liquid stops dripping from the tubes. In total, there should be approximately 0.8-1 liter of hydraulic oil in the system.

It is advisable to rinse the tank itself well from all contaminants under running water. After the tank dries, it must be screwed into place and the hoses connected.

After that, pour liquid into the tank to the mark - the tank is made of plastic, so you do not need to look into it, the level will be visible from the side. We added liquid to the level - we sit behind the wheel and, without starting the engine, turn the steering wheel several times all the way to the left and right. After that, the oil level in the tank will drop - that is, the liquid has entered the system.

Power Steering Fluid Replacement - Power Steering Oil Change Video

Repeat this operation several times until the oil remains at the same level. After that, start the engine and turn the steering wheel again. If the level drops again, add fluid again. A drop in level indicates that air is escaping from the system.

When the engine is running, the power steering oil heats up and starts to foam - this is not scary, but you need to choose only the oil that the manufacturer recommends.

That's all - you have successfully replaced the power steering fluid.

However, one should not forget that breakdowns can also occur on the road, while rushing about your business. Even if you are in a hurry, it is still better not to drive with a non-working hydraulic booster - this is fraught with serious problems. If you do not have power steering oil with you, you can use ordinary engine oil. But this is allowed to be done only in the most extreme cases.

You can also fill in automatic transmission oil. But only at the service station be sure to completely flush the entire system and fill in the recommended type of fluid.

It will also not be superfluous to check the condition of the expansion tank itself. If you find cracks and holes on it, then in no case do you need to try to seal or solder them - buy a new tank. From time to time you need to look under the car - if there is a fluid leak, then you need to replace or at least temporarily insulate the power steering hoses.

If everything went well, then the steering wheel will rotate easily even with the engine off.

Video about replacing power steering oil with Renault Logan