Power steering keeps overflowing! searched.

[drifter808]

The power steering resevoir keeps on overflowing on me. I do not have to much fluid in it cause it shows that it is at the right level on the stick. The weird thing is that it is coming out right from the cap. It has gotten so bad that i dont even have a belt on it now cause it would leak so much. This only started up about 2 weeks ago. I have been running power steering fluid but i am switching to ATF and maybe that will help. This is on a SR if that changes anything?

Any ideas or tips. I searched but no one had the same problem as me.

[aznpoopy]

assuming you're using the stock ka powersteering pump / res etc. it's supposed to be ATF, not power steering fluid.

if you have done any sort of swap make sure you didn't kink those power steering hard lines that run under the car. it's easy to accidentally rest the engine on them while you are trying to hoist in the new motor.

[icantdrift]

I have been running power steering fluid




that would be the problem. that stuff will boil out very quickly.

[drifter808]

It seems that was the problem. I took out all the old fluid, checked for kinks in the lines, and replaced the hosing to the resvoir. It seems that it is holding up. Took it for a test drive and have been turning the wheel back and forth alot and no overflowing. Thanks for the tips and stuff.

[braintumor]

thought I was going crazy when there was ATF in the resovoir:) good to know it was supposed to be there. and the lines get kinked real,real easy, I had to take mine off and re-bend them:(

[go240]

that's odd, i use ps fluid in mine its fine. then again i don't drive my car very much. i guess i'll switch to atf for next season

[drifter808]

Yeah the lines are good cause i had to rebend mine to. But it seems to be working. Im gonna go for a long drive tomorrow and see if it's fixed. I'll post the results.

[kazuo]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but, you can use PS fluid in the PS system w/o any issues, and isn't PS fluid supposed to have a higher boiling point than ATF?

I forget. :P

[drifter808]

Well i drove the car for about an hour strait today and no overflowing. So i guess ATF did the trick. It seems like the boiling point is hotter because with PS fluid it would of been all over the place after and hour of driving.

[mrmephistopheles]

I have been running power steering fluid but i am switching to ATF and maybe that will help. This is on a SR if that changes anything?


This is your problem - Nissans use ATF in their PS system for a reason.

[mrmephistopheles]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but, you can use PS fluid in the PS system w/o any issues, and isn't PS fluid supposed to have a higher boiling point than ATF?

I forget. :P

You're wrong, Art. :fawk:
It might have a higher boiling point, but it's viscosity level is much lower.

[EchoOfSilence]

Fuck, really?

my PS line was blown when i bought my car, i replaced it and I put cheapo Coastal ps fluid in. hasn't fucked up since :confused:

I had no idea it was supposed to be atf. is it that much of an issue?

[mrmephistopheles]

if you're not interested in having PS in the long run, no.
regular PS fluid causes failure in our PS systems.

[kazuo]

How does running PS cause the failure, mr. myhjgdsfjuyegfjksfhuil?

I have always used ATF, but I am curious if the previous owners of the vehicle my PS rack came from, or even the previous owner of my car were using PS fluid instead of ATF...

Just about every part of my PS system came from another car (the rack, the pressure line, the return line).

[mrmephistopheles]

Russ ran it down in this post:
http://www.zilvia.net/f/showpost.php?p=844930&postcount=7
in this thread:
http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=93321&highlight=power+steering+fluid
2 weeks ago

[mrmephistopheles]

there's also this nice post from Rennen in which he details the problems he had with a PS-infested rack
http://www.zilvia.net/f/showpost.php?p=693839&postcount=19
I also replaced my rack with a good junkyard rack ($40) because the previous owner had put PS fluid in there and all the seals were blown, boots torn, everything leaking everywhere, and general badness.

[drifter808]

Im glad i swicthed to ATF cause i would of just kept on running PS fluid but now i know not to. And so far no leaks or overflowing.

[mrmephistopheles]

Im glad i swicthed to ATF cause i would of just kept on running PS fluid but now i know not to. And so far no leaks or overflowing.

http://www.spunoutonline.com/images/cha85-113.jpg

[EchoOfSilence]

damnit.

how do i bleed power steering lines?

oh fuck.... flamesuiton

[mrmephistopheles]

ideally:
have the car on jackstands (so the car is level and front wheels aren't on the ground, turn the engine on and turn the wheel from lock to lock 25 times, checking fluid level periodically.

realistically:
jack up the front end, fill the reservoir, and turn the wheel from lock to lock 25 times.
When done, drop car to ground, top off fluid, and go.

[EchoOfSilence]

ideally:
have the car on jackstands (so the car is level and front wheels aren't on the ground, turn the engine on and turn the wheel from lock to lock 25 times, checking fluid level periodically.

realistically:
jack up the front end, fill the reservoir, and turn the wheel from lock to lock 25 times.
When done, drop car to ground, top off fluid, and go.
hmm, i think i phrased this wrong.

what i meant to ask was "how do i bleed the PS fluid out, in order to fill the system with ATF?"

[kenversusryu]

I think echoofsilence is asking how to flush out the old fluid. I need to know as well.

So none of the power steering fluids contain dexron3? I thought some of them did?

[sciamop]

I just replaced the power steering rack in my 1990 S13. The rack I got from the junkyard had some water in it. It needed to be flushed out.

-- Jack up the front of the car.
-- Put jackstands on the proper points
-- Disconnect one of the hardlines on the steering rack (I removed the one closer to the drivers side)
--- The hard line nut can be heavily rusted. Use a flare nut wrench. IIRC, 12mm.
-- Put a hose around the disconnected hard line
-- Point hose into bucket or drain pan
-- Turn car on
-- Turn steering wheel a few times
-- Monitor PS reservoir level
-- Repeat/Refill as necessary
-- Reconnect hard line. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!
-- Follow Mr. Meph's bleeding instructions