ATF vs. Power Steering Fluid

[cicone]

I have an '04 Camry. Toyota tells me they use Power Steering Fluid and not ATF. They said that if you do a complete flush or replace any parts to switch to ATF otherwise it's Power Steering Fluid only. Does anyone know the real truth on this?

Thanks and Happy New Year!

Jay

[gdanaher]

It is largely the same thing with one exception--power steering fluid does not have any requirements to meet a minimum federal quality standard, whereas ATF does. I use ATF for these jobs---the cap on the fluid tank stipulates ATF, and that's good enough for me.

[cicone]

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking about sucking the resevoir dry and adding fluid a few time instead of a complete drain job. In that case, would it matter? or just go with what the cap says and forget about it?

[Donald E. George]

I replace the power steering fluid as you suggets. Dexron ll or lll ATF.

[fishing freak]

i work for a toyota dealership we use atf,, dexron iii ,, because of the high detergent side of it

[gdanaher]

OK, so here is what you do.
1. Jack the front of the car up a bit to get the weight off the tires.
2. Using large syringe or similar, suck the existing fluid out of the reservoir. Fill only partially with ATF.
3. Start car and turn wheel left and right to lock a couple of times.
4. Stop engine.
5. Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4.
6. Repeat until you get the color you are looking for--clean.
7. Fill to mark.

[JohnGD]

Some manufacturers probably use PS fluid because it's cheaper? Dunno.

If the cap says ATF, then use ATF. A synthetic blend or fully synthetic should work better. A good one to use is Walmart's SuperTech Mercon-V ($3.77/qt, suitable for D-III, T-IV). Just siphon and refill 3 times after a short drive should put mostly new ATF in there. I agree, it's easier that way.

[deadrx7conv]

Either your owners manual or the PS reservoir cap have the truth.

Every Toyota that I've owned always used ATF as the psf. I siphon and refill at each oil change. Doesn't take much of a pint if that. And, I always upgrade to a full synthetic ATF. PSF is usually ignored, abused, and unfiltered. A little maintenance prevents rack and pump failures.

Magnafine also has an inline PSF filter that you can splice into the return line.

[Potomac30]

I've got a 2011 Tacoma, but I think the fluid for the power steering is the same. What confused me was that the fluid reservoir cap says POWER STEERING FLUID in big letters, and then in little letters (and in three languages) it states Notice: use the fluid of our specification. By the owner's manual, the fluid of specification is Dex ll or lll. So, my newly enlighted view is that my cap identifies were the power steering fluid goes, but not what fluid to use... What also had me scratching my head was that the factory fill was clear/amber and not red like Dexron ATF. From my internet searches, I have found that Toyota uses undyed Dexron ATF as their factory fill and at other (reliable) sources that Dex ll or lll was the fluid for Toyotas.
The parts guy at the dealership said that they don't stock Toyota psf, when they need any, they just go down to O'Reilly's and get their house brand power steering fluid. So is O'Reilly's power steering fluid really just undyed Dex lll, or is the dealership using the wrong juice? I think that I just confused myself again!

[JohnGD]

The parts guy is wrong. ATF is NOT regular PSF. Toyota carries ATF (Dexron III, T-IV and WS).

[deadrx7conv]

The power steering fluid is ATF. The cap is labeled correctly. That is where you add the ATF for the power steering system.

Most parts guys are promoted from the fast food chains. I never listen to a thing that they say. I won't even listen to a dealer.

[JohnGD]

Just use the *specified fluid*. ATF and the typical PSF are two different classes of fluids. Some steering system don't seem to mind either, but in others seals can leak or pumps can fail.

For example, 84-95 MR2 uses regular power steering fluid, not ATF.