Power Steering Fluid Question? (2 Viewers)

[GrouchyTech]

@Boston Mangler It took a while, but I found the thread where there's quite a bit of back and forth on options/opinions/etc.

Power Steering Fluid

14 LC going to be doing my 120k service very soon. Should I do a power steering fluid change? It has never been done. If so, is it okay to use the recommended Toyota ATF Dex II or III and just do the remove / replace of the reservoir, multiple times? I wasn’t sure if mixing fluids was...

forum.ih8mud.com

Get one of these. Harbor freight sells them, too.

Amazon.com

 

[Boston Mangler]

@Boston Mangler It took a while, but I found the thread where there's quite a bit of back and forth on options/opinions/etc.

Power Steering Fluid

14 LC going to be doing my 120k service very soon. Should I do a power steering fluid change? It has never been done. If so, is it okay to use the recommended Toyota ATF Dex II or III and just do the remove / replace of the reservoir, multiple times? I wasn’t sure if mixing fluids was...

forum.ih8mud.com

Thanks

Yeah, that was the thread I found that starting melting my brain about this

 

[Boston Mangler]

Get one of these. Harbor freight sells them, too.

Amazon.com

Yeah, got one, and it works amazingly well for the $

 

[GrouchyTech]

Yeah, got one, and it works amazingly well for the $

I use a few of them at work and the one I use for brake fluid has lasted for over two years now. Good enough for me.

 

[pvchaitanya]

I would strongly recommend against any other brands and colors. For context, When I got my truck at 130k miles, it had golden color Power steering fluid and the powersteering is hard as if I am working out my muscles to turn it.
I drain and refilled it with correct toyota spec ATF/Powersteering fluid and it got better but the problem didnt' go away.
I had to do several drain and refills and use the seafoam transmission flush during drain and refill multiple times to get it all to normal working state where it freely turns.
During this process of several drain and refill and treat with seafoam transmission flush, I kept getting sludgy particles at the bottom of reservoir even after 5 flushes. Until I got them all out, the steering would be hard and make a bit of squeal noise when turned all the way out.

I suspect using wrong fluid may have led to this sludgy heavy steering situation, Im glad that doing several drain-refills and using pump to pull out all the particles fixed the issue. For reference I took it to lexus dealership and he said its all normal and with the spec, nothing they need to do when I was having these heavy steering problems. And the steering would be heavy only at parking lot speeds, and wouldn't have issues at highway speeds.

 

[OregonLC]

That's an interesting observation. I think many feel the 200 has heavy steering, at least those who rotate into other vehicles with overboosted steering, particularly modern domestic full size trucks.

 

[Boston Mangler]

That's an interesting observation. I think many feel the 200 has heavy steering, at least those who rotate into other vehicles with overboosted steering, particularly modern domestic full size trucks.

Agreed on interesting observation

Having owned and driven both my 2010 LC and 2014 Tundra in stock from, the Tundra steering felt noticeably heavier

 

[pvchaitanya]

Agreed on interesting observation

Having owned and driven both my 2010 LC and 2014 Tundra in stock from, the Tundra steering felt noticeably heavier

Lets split up two things. Yes LC/LX Tundra steering are heavier and there is a noticeable difference but the heaviness I am referring to is a bit more than the default. The lexus tech thought it was still within the range of heaviness but when I changed it back to OEM fluid and flushed the gunk, I felt it is a lot better. Hence suggesting to STAY AWAY from after market best synthetic fluids which are still within dextron or whatever the spec is. Just use the toyota fluid and go by your way.

 

[Boston Mangler]

Lets split up two things. Yes LC/LX Tundra steering are heavier and there is a noticeable difference but the heaviness I am referring to is a bit more than the default. The lexus tech thought it was still within the range of heaviness but when I changed it back to OEM fluid and flushed the gunk, I felt it is a lot better. Hence suggesting to STAY AWAY from after market best synthetic fluids which are still within dextron or whatever the spec is. Just use the toyota fluid and go by your way.

Thanks. Yes, that’s the plan. I’m an OEM only guy, whenever possible

 

[pvchaitanya]

Also, I would strongly recommend the electronic fluid pump, it helped me A LOT to get the gunky particles out of the reservoir. Which a hand pump didn't even pull up that I would notice them. The particles are bit big and heavy and on bottom of reservoir and unless I would point the tube in all corners of the reservoir bottom, it wouldn't be pulled up. Until I removed these particles completely in multiple flushes, I didn't see much difference. I did about 7 flushes over period of 3 months. First 2 months just used hand pump and it is still not making a big difference, next flush when I did with electronic pump I started seeing these big particles being pumped out. I had to do 3-4 more flushes back to back to get everything out and from that moment, the steering has been much much better. Haven't done any further flushes for 30k miles since then and its still working well and fluid color is still bright clear pink.
[For every flush, I poured the seafoam transmission flush 1 part to 4 parts oem fluid, I drove the truck a bit and turned wheel end to end multiple times and then drained and refilled]. Was reading that these build up blocks the valves within the powersteering assembly which is why the steering was heavier.

 

[OregonLC]

@pvchaitanya are you using OEM Toyota PS Fluid or the Idemitsu (supposed OE generic)?

 

[gasman4u]

Idemitsu PSF is definitely gold in color.

 

[bloc]

I think what undercuts all of this is what is in the vehicle from the factory is different from they specify in the manual.

Now it is possible that fill is just ATF minus the dye.. but with the knowledge that Toyota doesn’t actually manufacture these fluids, when people can find one that seems to be closer what to Toyota felt was necessary from the factory, there is a logical argument for using it.

Also if anyone has concerns about deposits in the reservoir they just need to replace it. There is a plastic mesh strainer in the bottom that is effectively impossible to clean fully.

 

[gasman4u]

The big brained energy would be to send off a sample of factory fill PSF for a used oil analysis. That could be an interesting read assuming competent lab and uncontaminated sample.

 

[DallasTide]

+1 for Mobil 1 ATF. The HF giant syringe made it an easy job. Except when I spilled ATF all over the engine bay but that was on me.

 

[Boston Mangler]

Got me some OEM fluid and just ordered a new reservoir too after just checking mine and it’s NASTY. Should have done this earlier.

Thanks for all the info