Season doesn't matter. I use a 12 foot long piece of vinyl tubing I get at the local hardware store to suck the old fluid out in one breath. Then i refill, drive the car around the block and repeat 4 more times. Do this procedure every year or two and my Toyota PS systems last the life of the car.

 

Driving the car does nothing. All you need to do is turn the steering wheel left and right. Some jack up the car which is fine. But when bleeding the system I will leave it on the ground so the pump has more pressure

 

[/url]VALVO by kitaflix, on Flickr[/img]

 

As long as the fluids are changed regularly and at the specified time and/or mileage, or even more often if necessary, I really don't think the season matters that much.

 

Like WM. Dowd said, I do my fluids like that every 30k. Never a problem with cars up to 300,000 miles.

Here's a better way than the baster for PS. You can remove some dirty fluid, but you can use the PS rack itself as a pump to flush out all the old fluid pretty easily. Cost $5 for enough tubing and $2.50 for a 3/8" hose barb. Basically this system:

http://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/how-to-change-power-steering-fluid.78646/

Also, I like to add some transtune to the reservoir for a week before flushing. Cleans up system and I could tell a difference both times/vehicles I've done it. I use a synthetic ATF in boths systems; tranny and PS.

Bleeding brakes every two years and swapping fluid is a great idea, too.

 

Like others already said, temperatures are less of a factor than they were, especially if you use the better syn-blend or synthetic fluids out there.

European vehicles have been running on the same fluids all year round for ages, even in the cold northern countries, there are no summer fluids and winter fluids any more.

Maxlife would be an all weather ATF for the transmission and PS system.

 

thanks, but my question was, if i change it in the winter, doesn't the road salt/corrosion reduce the life of my new fluids?

so should i wait until the winter is over and add new fluids/change fluids next spring so the fluids ultimately last longer since they won't be contaminated by winter corrossion for another 1/2 a year? i know the fluids are good in the hot/cold nowadays, but what about fluid breakdown in cold weather vs warm and fluid breakdown in roads with salt vs no
?

i already did a baster power steering fluid change and the fluid is now brown, as you can't change all of it out and i plan to do another one again soon, but what about the brake fluid or transmission fluid?

at 150k miles, should I do a drain and fill for the transmission fluid, which was last serviced at 100k miles?

also, for tires, do you change them after the winter or before the winter? one of my tires is pretty worn, esp. on the outside, i heard that was from underinflation, so would overinflation temporarily solve this issue? would the winter/road salt negatively affect my tire, or is it fine? i heard the heat actually makes things worse, which is why tires don't last as long in the south
also, batteries last longer in the north, according to meijer/autozone charts they had in their store. is this true?

 

thanks, but my question was, if i change it in the winter, doesn't the road salt/corrosion reduce the life of my new fluids?

These systems should be adequately sealed that this is not a concern. Do it based on when needed, not necessarily season. That said, I do what's needed late summer so I have pleasant weather to work in and fresh fluids all winter (our winters are wet but temps are mild, so not a major concern for me anymore). I bleed my brakes in summer so the wetter winter causes less damage; that's the only system that really is affected by outer weather imo.

i already did a baster power steering fluid change and the fluid is now brown, as you can't change all of it out and i plan to do another one again soon, but what about the brake fluid or transmission fluid?

I hate that method as it leaves so much contaminant/wear particles behind. It's easy to do it all at once:

1) disconnect PS return hose and catch fluid that drains. Plug in 3/8" brass hose barb, 10' of 3/8" ID cheap clear tubing, other end in large coffee can on driver's side of car.
2) Jack up car. Turn steering wheel lock-to-lock to act as pump to pump out nasty fluid.
3) Refill as reservoir drops.
4) When clean fluid is seen in tubing, you are done. Zip it up, run and re-check fluid.

$7.50 in parts to make the change kit if you don't have them handy. Use any quality ATF for the PS fluid. I use synthetic ATF on hand from the gallon jugs from my AT changes. If never done, putting a little SeaFoam Transtune (read the label for amount) in the PS system a week before changing is good, especially if you are at 150k.

at 150k miles, should I do a drain and fill for the transmission fluid, which was last serviced at 100k miles?

Sounds good. 30k is my interval, 50 is adequate for most applicaitons. Just drain the pan and refill. You will get 1/3 to 1/2 new fluid in this way. Repeat every 30k to ???. Ditto for coolant. Just drain radiator annually and you won't need to fully flush system ever. BE SURE TO USE APPROPRIATE TYPE COOLANT TO WHAT IS IN THE SYSTEM. Multiple coolant types and engine designs are not compatible, especially on newer Toyotas.

also, for tires, do you change them after the winter or before the winter? one of my tires is pretty worn, esp. on the outside, i heard that was from underinflation, so would overinflation temporarily solve this issue?

Wearing on each side is underinflation. Wearing on one side is an alignment issue. Could be worn suspension component. Need to jack it up, test, and replace before winter.

also, batteries last longer in the north, according to meijer/autozone charts they had in their store. is this true?

In my experience, no. Florida kills batteries maybe as fast as NY, but temperate west coast lasts much longer than cold north. I've lived all over and observed this as others have noted.

 

i can use maxlife for power steering, correct?

 

This is how I change flush the power steering system completely, as described by oro-o.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg9Yjt__KHw&feature=gp-n-y
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/159451-oro-o.html

 

Nice vid. I think I saw that in the past.

 

The power steering system has such a small fluid capacity that there's no need to go through that complicated procedure that involves removing hoses. Just suck the old fluid out of the reservoir, put new fluid in, drive car around the block and repeat 4-5 times and 80% of the fluid will have been changed. There's no need to replace every last bit of old fluid. Ditto in regard to automatic transmission fluid.

What will replacing 100% vs 80% of the fluid do for the longevity of the power steering pump and auto transmission? Answer: Nothing. Also, the factory original power steering fluid is dark colored - the dark color does NOT mean is "dirty and oxidized". So again there's no justification for removing every last big of the old fluid.

 

You are mistaken in a few assumptions:

a) that it's complicated (it's not - it requires a pair of pliers as the only tool)
b) You can get 80% of the fluid out with a baster.
c) repeating an inferior method four times is easier than doing something properly one time.

And lastly, you'll still leave contaminants, metal shavings, etc. in there when it's SOOO easy to do it properly - especially with that vid from Speedkar9 showing it. There IS justification in doing it; just saying there isn't doesn't make it go away.

 

The life of the PS pump and transmission is not extended via replacing 100% vs 80% of the fluid. I drive a 1974 Toyota pickup and it's automatic transmission oil pan has never been removed to clean the magnets and change the filter because those steps are not needed to keep the transmission alive for 50 years. It's transmission is maintained by simply draining and refilling the 3 quarts in the pan via the drain plug in the pan. The power steering pump and rack of my Nov. 1988 built 1989 Corolla have been troublefree for 26 years and 340,000 miles via simply sucking out the oil PS fluid in the reservoir and adding new without "flushing" anything. The radiator of that car is also the original and its cooling system kept troublefree with just partial coolant changes (draining and refilling the radiator only and not the engine block). My 1993 Toyota pickup has been maintained the same manner - troublefree service with just partial fluid changes. Commercial interests (auto shops that sell expensive total fluid replacement services) dupe the public into thinking every last bit of fluid must be changed to avoid component failure and their owners and employees laugh all the way to the bank. Smart owners think back to the 1960's and 70's when shops did not own total fluid replacement machines and cars still lasted 40+ years/500,000 miles via partial fluid changes.

 

If you think you can get to 80% new fluid in a time efficient manner changing 10ozs at a time of a 48 oz. system, it's going to take a LONG time and waste a lot of fluid. My 5th gen has about 10 ozs. I can suck out of the reservoir of a stated 1.5qt. system (if I could in fact suction it out easily).

• My first change would take me to 80% old, 20% new (roughly).
• My second change, 80% of what I take out is old. So I add .80 x 10oz, or 8 ozs. So now I am at 73% old, 37% new.
• 3rd change, I take out 3/4 old - so I add 7.5 ozs new. I am at 25.5 new ozs out of 48, or 53% new.
• 4th change this way, I take out 5 ozs old, 5 ozs new. So I am at 30.5ozs new. Or 63% new.

So 4 changes gets you to about 60% new, not 80%. And it wastes a lot of fluid, makes a real mess, and takes an MCP* of time longer. I'm looking for the upside here but I'm missing it...

But hold on a minute: I CAN'T siphon it out. I have a molded, non-removable reservoir top with a hole in it no wider than the narrow dipstick in my 5th gen. I assume the OP has the same reservoir in his as I do. I imagine I could get creative with a baster, a tube, a step-down neck, another tube, etc. But a normal baster won't have the suction to get more than a cc out at a time like this. Unless you have some monster-mechanical Martha Stewart style system.

I would have no trouble buying a car new in the Pacific Northwest and doing fractional dilution on it for 100's of thousands, PS or AT - it refreshes enough fluid with additives to greatly enhance the life of the fluid. But the OP lives in Michigan and I don't think you appreciate how much weather affects fluids, wear, and condition. I have lived in both climates (now in western WA). It is stunning how well and long cars last here vs. the rust belt/cold north. Also, unless you buy the car new and start doing it from early on, you don't know the prior history and really need to start fresh at some point. 150k is too late to start fractional dilution on a PS system that has never been serviced before (we don't know all details here, but err on the safe side).

The oldest car we have in service is a '66 Dodge convertible. (Dad has some some older tractors we service, though). The dodge is on the original AT and PS systems, only drained and filled. But it's been in Florida and coastal WA it's whole life. Makes a real difference.

*Metric crap ton. An official EU measurement.

 

I used a pump from an empty giant purell jug and replaced the P/S fluid in the reservoir about 10 or so times and it looks perfectly clear and red now. This obsession about getting every last drop is just silly. Even an oil change leaves almost a whole quart in the block. Sure I wasted some fluid that way but its not that expensive.

Let's say I got out 90% of the old fluid. That means I'm at brand new fluid minus 10% service life, equivalent to when the car had 10,000 miles on it (assuming 100K change interval.). Something tells me that's just fine and it is probably better than probably 95% of >100K vehicles on the road now.

 

I just feel like sucking the fluid out with a baster and driving around and repeating 3-5 times consumes much more time than removing the hose and pumping it out by turning the wheel. I have to setup with rags and cleanup after each refill, which will get annoying pretty fast.

If there wasn't a risk in changing all the fluid at once in a transmission, I would gladly have done the coolant line ATF flush instead of multiple drain and fills too.

 

You're right on all counts there. I'm simply saying that the result of doing the siphon/refill a bunch of times is not vastly inferior to a full flush. Sure it'll leave a little old fluid in there and waste some new, but it's still 90% as good as a full flush and will serve it's purpose.

I was in the process of moving when my steering got a little sticky and I suddenly realized that my 2002 was still on factory fluid! I was staying in a hotel for a couple of weeks and just did the pump out/refill every morning and evening for a week in the parking lot. In that circumstance, it was my best option (and we're talking 2-3 minutes each time, not really that big of a deal.) The original clear fluid actually had CHUNKS of black in it. That was not good to see!

 

This thread is getting away from the TITLE/TOPIC....please start a new thread on powersteering fluid if you wish....

 

do you change wheel bearings before or after a winter?
does the road salt affect the wheel bearings?

also, is a nissan rogue, the new one a good car?

 

do you change wheel bearings before or after a winter? does the road salt affect the wheel bearings?

Camry wheel bearings are sealed and permanently lubricated. They sometimes last the life of the car. If one is going bad it will get noisy, especially when cornering.

 

Nissans seem to suck now. NO longer oil change and tire cars the camry is.

Though my camry has had suspension parts changed, probably becasue of rust/bad michigan roads/unpaved/gravel roads

speaking of which, are gravel roads bad?

 

seems like the nissan rogue is a bad car and the CVT is bad. anybody have any info on the nissan and the CVT?

 

Nissan uses Jatco CVTs. All I heard is that they suck big time. In the case of the CVT, I think Honda geared automatics suck less.

I'd use Timken wheel bearings. You may get a Koyo or NSK in the box, which are OEM. Dont' know BAC, so if I had to pick ONLY between BAC or Moog bearings, I'd pick Moog. Otherwise Timken all the way.

 

my local goodyear has BAC bearings
and belle tire has moog bearings
which are better?

the goodyear ones are slighly cheaper (that shop is pretty cheap and they use BG products for car maintenance)

 

if they suck so much, why arne't they recalled/made better and why would people still buy nissans and why would US news rank the rogue as the number 4 compact SUV?

my family member that bought it claimed he did research except he seemed not to relaize that people were talking about the CVTs and he probably only looked at new car data via car and driver, etc.

has jatco fixed the problem?
i heard you're lucky if your nissan cvt lasts 100k, most get replaced way earlier. if such is the case, why would anyone, in their right mind, buy a nissan, and why would some NYC cabs be nissan altimas since the CVT is also on the altima?

 

LOL. Maybe you should ask these questions on a nissan forum?

Most people who buy a new car usually unload it well before 100k miles. IIRC, used Nissan's have lower resale value than comperable vehicles. There might be a reason for that. Personally, I would never own a nissan. I think almost everything they make looks pretty stupid, but that is just personal preference

 

so have the 2015 nissans been fixed in terms of their cvts, or are they still using the same junk jatco cvts?

have the transmission problems been solved?

i saw consumer reports gave the rogue an "average" in reliability, up from the below average, and it seems better than the pathfinder

is the rogue still that bad, or is it "average" or is it like old chryslers?

 

Its a nissan so its bound to have problems. The rogue and altima are basically the same but the rogue may have a different tranny in the 4wd version.Mainly the rear differential goes bad and tranny. The new gen is no different.
mistake after mistake, seems like nissan never learns

 

Pretty much every power transmission technology that has been used in production vehicles has problems--clutches wear out, chains or belts snap, etc. Plus early failures can and do occur even with tried and tested designs.

My reservations about CVTs have more to do with their being still relatively new and unproven, which means it is unclear to what extent an owner can protect his or her investment by cutting maintenance intervals or upgrading to better-quality lubricants.

Nissan also has transmission issues that pre-date CVT rollout. I hear stories about Nissans with conventional clutch automatics that run well until the transmission fails around the 100,000-mile mark. I also owned and put 170,000 miles on a 1986 Maxima, and as one does with a model and generation one really likes, I would look at newspaper ads for other Maximas of similar vintage. There were many at the time, but very few with 200,000 miles without a rebuilt transmission.

My Maxima had 56,000 miles when I got it and was already starting to shift a bit too firmly. I got hold of the FSM, and checked shift timing, only to discover it still met factory specifications. So I fiddled with the shift adjusting cable, deliberately taking it out of spec, and kept test-driving until I was happy with the shift quality. I also did a few ATF drains and fills on very short intervals until most of the old fluid was changed out, and then stuck to a 30,000-mile drain-and-fill interval. I never had to have the transmission repaired before I donated the car at 227,000 miles, though I was starting to see the very beginnings of shift flare.

It is possible my out-of-spec adjustments caused more trouble than they solved, and I was aware of that when I did them, but I figured I was better off loading the engine up a little with shifting a bit on the early side rather than putting up with the repeated shock loads from delayed and harsh upshifts. Of course, this kind of tinkering is now impossible with solenoid actuation controlled by programmed logic.

 

NOTICE: This tread is now locked having gotten OFF TRACK....

Engineer20...please start a new thread when you start a new topic...