Have any of you ever changed your PAS fluid?

[Welly]

Was thinking recently that I haven't changed the PAS fluid on my car yet it's nearly 9 years old. Then I also thought that I haven't ever changed PAS fluid on any car I've owned either.

Popped round to the new Garage next door after work last night and he said no-one ever asks him to do it either it's almost in there for life. Does anyone have any views on this?

By the way, @ Bailes specifically: what the mechanic did say was he'd just had an 08-plate Mondeo in and the customer had fallen out with his previous Garage because they'd changed the steering rack due to a 'funny noise' in the system - turns out there's a strainer mesh inside the PAS reservoir which gets blocked and restricts flow to the rack (clean the mesh and the noise goes).

[Bailes1992]

Yep I changed my fluid and reservoir recently!
It's a common issue with earlier MK4 Mondeos.
Ford cheaped out on the seals which dissolve and get stuck in the filter inside the reservoir. This then starves the pump and rack.
Only real fix is to replace the rack, pump and reservoir.
Problem is there's not many garages who know about this fault. They change the pump or the rack or maybe both! But they don't replace the reseviour and a few thousand miles down the road it all fails again.

We are pushing ford for a recall but they are in denial about the fault.

I replaced my reseviour and replace the fluid a few weeks back as a bit of preventative maintenance.

[jonny81191]

The only time I'd ever change the PAS fluid would be if the engine were to need to come out. But I'm lazy.

Some manufacturers don't specify a change interval, others suggest as often as every 30k..

[Welly]

How did you change the fluid Bailes? has yours got an electric pump like mine?

[Bailes1992]

Mines mechanical, they changed the hydro electrical systems when they facelifted the Mondeo.

I removed the reseviour and the two pipes between the reseviour and the pump.
There was two pipes between the pump and the rack. I removed one and just undone the other at the pump. I then put a small funnel on the end of the pipe that i'd undone at the pump and slowly poured fresh fluid down it until clear, fresh fluid run out of the rack. I jacked the car up and got the missus to swing the steering back and fore while I was doing it. Then I removed the pipe.
I flushed all the pipes through with a small amount of petrol and made sure that they were all dry inside.
I removed the AUX belt and span the pump while feeding it with fluid until clean fluid run out of it.

I then reffited the hoses, AUX belt and a new reseviour.
I filled the system up with fresh fluid, started the car up and swung the steering back and fore to bleed the system. Then topped up the fluid.

Steering felt good before hand and I didn't think anything was wrong with it. Just thought a bit of preventative maintenance wouldn't hurt. It was silky smooth afterwards!
There was a very faint whine from the pump which disappeared so I think it must have started to get a bit blocked up.
A new rack, pump and reseviour fitted is upwards of £1000 so if I've kept everything going for a few years longer il be a happy bunny!

[steve_earwig]

I flushed all the pipes through with a small amount of petrol...

Ford cheaped out on the seals which dissolve

Umm...

The only time I've ever changed power steering fluid was because my D8 had decided to spunk the old stuff out all over the floor...

I thought it was all fit and forget, just like BMW ATF fluid

[mjb]

I've needed to change it in the coupé, because the pipe split and spewed a light film of it EVERYWHERE. Oh, and in the golf, because the steering rack exploded

I believe my bimmer actually has changing the fluid as part of its service schedule - at 90k or something, but I'm replacing the pump soon, so it'll see new fluid a bit early...

[Bailes1992]

I flushed all the pipes through with a small amount of petrol...

Ford cheaped out on the seals which dissolve

Umm...

Knew you'd mention that!
The seals that fail are in the rack!
Only parts that touched petrol are the pipes and ther were blown dry with a compressor before refitting.

Maybe I should just replace the rack. Would probably cost £500. Cheaper than the £1000 if everything had to be replaced.

[Welly]

I'm worried now because if your Ford has this rack then my "Ford" might have the same thing

[Bailes1992]

I'm worried now because if your Ford has this rack then my "Ford" might have the same thing

It's a Mondeo thing, And all cars with the same floor pan! Ford rectified the issue in 2011 but refuse to issue and recall.


If still replace the fluid. Can't hurt!