Hi, My power steering fluid is low on my 1998 12 valve ram, I have 143,000 miles on it and I was thinking about changing the fluild. What is a good brand of fluid to use? I've heard that you can use + 4 automatic trans fluid in it, as anybody tryed that? Also how is the best way to change the fluid, is there a way you can drain the intire system? any help will be appreicate Thank you
Tom

 

when i changed my fluid, i had to use a suction gun and a container. it was a little messy- but i got the job done. i remember reading a post a long time ago on tdr that actually calculated how many times you would have to drain and refill the reservoir to get different percentages of the old fluid out- but i do not remember the specifics-sorry! my fluid was noticably burnt and contaminated so i just kept doing the suction and refill method until i was confidant that i got the majority out. i first emtied it out- refilled with fresh, started the engine-turned the wheels back and forth . shut her down and kept repeating. i went to the autoparts and bought a " high quality" fluid- but im sure you'll be able to find a good synthetic that 10 times better if you look. have fun and keep plenty of rags and cardboard handy!

 

Do NOT use the ATF it will eat the rubber components in your PS system and cause you headaches.

 

Valvoline Syn-Power is a good replacement fluid to use. It's compatible with the OEM fluid, you need not empty all the old fluid. Stops low temp squeal. One quart will be enough to drain and add enough times till you're close to 100% new fluid.
If you can't find Syn-Power regular old PS fluid with a bottle of LubeGard added at the last flush does a good job also.

 

Take a turkey baster and suck out all that you can,fill up with the new, take return line off and stick in bucket ,raise truck slightly off ground,have someone start and slowly turning steering at the same time have two to three quarts of new ready and add till clean comes from the return and you will have a 100% flush out of the old, I used the valvoline and it stopped all my noise and problems. Goodluck,,Rick

 

The last time I went to the Dodge dealer for PS fluid, they don't carry it any more and said for 99 and up, use ATF. I didn't like it but tried it and haven't had any problems, YET....

 

Yes for 99 and up ATF is good to use, but it has to be ATF+4 only. There was a TSB on this awhile back and it reduces power steering pump noise, etc.

 

thanks for all the imformation, I will give valvoline syn-power a try, seeing it is compatable with the original fluid just in case I can't get all the old fluid out. Thank again, Your a great bunch of guys. Tom

 

sorry for the misinformation Tom - I have heard from a couple of sources NOT to use the ATF.

 

Your not off Evil,, reg atf is not good for the pumps of 98 and below, he has a 98 as for the new atf 4, I would have to read that tsb which states it is ok, The valvoline syn is good stuff as I can attest it stopped all my problems, Goodluck,,,Rick

 

ok.....the synthetic is great in cold climates too....prevents that nasty PS pump howl

 

who carries the valvoline stuff?
I've never seen it on the shelf anywhere.

 

I don't know where you are at, around here in central Oklahoma, there is Oriely's and Auto zone's that carry it. If memory serves I picked up 5 qt's to do the flush I described above,it is the only way I know of to completly remove the old and get the new in. It was a easy job, it just takes two to do it. Goodluck,,,Rick

 

I changed mine over in the course of a year or so at oil changes. The first empty/refill of just the reservoir was all it took to eliminate the cold weather howl. I wasn't concerned at all about flushing all the OEM fluid out since it seemed just fine and used only one quart of Syn-Power total.

 

OK, I hardly ever shop autozone, so I didn't know they had it. I'll have to check next time I'm in the mood to go in there.