Power Steering Fluid Question
 

Hi all, new to the forum. I am trying to help my mom diagnose her 2005 Camry before she brings it to the shop for repair. The mechanic says it needs a new steering rack and that it's leaking power steering fluid. It was leaking a fluid that looked like engine oil (brownish yellow). So we were confused, because the manual says to use ATF (Dexron II or II), which is red, I think?? But the mechanic told her it comes yellow from the factory, so not sure about that or if he was just guessing. Can anyone confirm it originally came red or yellow?

So after finding this out, she took a turkey baster and took some fluid out of the reservoir and the top was yellow, but then after that it was brown. She thinks the mechanic topped it off with regular power steering fluid because it was low. Maybe it originally had red ATF that turned brown, and then they topped it off with yellow?? Or maybe it did already have yellow in it and that turned brown?

Secondly, I am trying to figure out if it will damage the power steering system if you mix the two? She wanted me to help her flush the system a couple times because there is likely some contamination of air/debris from the steering rack leaking. So I was wondering if I should use ATF as stated in the manual, and if it would be bad to use regular power steering fluid? And if it is bad to mix the two, how well do I need to flush the system to get the (potentially) mixed stuff out?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Does the PS reservoir cap reference which fluid to use?

Dexron is red. This fluid can become darker with usage and black if the extreme..

Yellowish brown in color may be normal for whatever brand was used.

Get whatever type fluid is specified. Remove the old fluid from the reservoir and add back the new. Drive car to circulate the fluid or state engine and turn steering wheel from stop to stop. Stop engine and repeat the remove/replacement process until the fluid looks the same as the new fluid. This process is good enough.

If you can look under the car at the power steering rack boots. The boot is at the end of the ends of the side of the tube that holds the rack. Check for PS fluid leakage from the boots. Squeeze boots to determine if there is fluid inside. If the rack is leaking the seal behind the boot is typically the area where this happens.

Also check for PS hose leaks.

How much fluid is leaking out?

Hi, thanks for your response! The cap specifies Dexron AFF.

The mechanic showed my mom where it is leaking from the steering rack boot. The boot is also torn

I am not sure exactly how much is leaking, because I haven’t been over to her house yet to check.

Do you think using a turkey baster is enough to suction the old fluid out? We don’t have one of those little vacuums they use. I know the mechanic is supposed replace it when they do the steering rack, but in case it’s still brown when we get it back, we may do a few extra flushes.

Thanks!

Used the baster method before and its good enough. An issue over time is the oil may cause the baster plastic to degrade. One can buy a low cost hand pump. Looks like the top of a pump hand lotion bottle after being removed from the container but has a hose connected to the nozzle the fluid comes out of.

Ok thanks for the info!