hi replaced me rack in me vs just before christmas and since then me power steering fluid turning black, have replaced fluid since then and its gettin blacked and blacker now, what causes this? power steering pump? it wasnt red before i changed rack either it was dirty but not this dirty/black, theres no noises or leacks rack was a recoed good brand from local trusted parts store no dirt got in either, could it be assembly grease from when they recoed the rack? thanks
I'm not sure exactly what cosues it to go black - maybe overheating but then it would smell burnt and usually goes brown - maybe the "O" rings which seal the pump are disintegrating and tiny particles are turning the oil black - maybe the insides of the high pressure hoses from the pump to the rack are disintegrating inside. I've had the hoses from the reservoir to pump go soft as jelly so try squeezing then - especially the return one. What I'd do is suck the contents of the reservoir out with a syringe (save it), take it down till there are just the dregs at the bottom and then suck the last bit up and empty the syringe onto clean white kitchen paper and then try and identify what dregs there are. Maybe they will be big enough (like a pinhead) to ascertain what they are....maybe it will just be a sludge. If you are still stumped, take the jar of black oil and the kitchen paper to the parts shop for identification. Put new Dex3 in....run, repeat, run, repeat. Maybe go for a drive between flushes. Good Luck
Take it to an autotrans repair shop that does power steering as well. Fully flush the power steering system until the fluid is the bright red and clean. Should cost more than $80 to $100. Don't mess around. Its not worth having the vehicle off the road to fix it again. Good to get professional opinion anyway on what is likely to be going on. I suggest get a Magnefine inline power steering filter, they cost around $30-$35, and install after the flush. Some workshops install these anyway as part of the rack change. Some will not warranty the rack unless (an inline filter) one is installed. It doesn't need to be a Magnefine brand. Check and tighten the clamps on the filter line after about 20 hours of driving or so to ensure that there is no weeping or leaks. I prefer to use the genuine power power steering fluid. This process will save u another rack. Please report back for information. Regards VSV6
