Power steering fluid

So my 06 WRX seems to have an annoying "whine" that comes from the power steering pump when its parked outdoors when its cold out. But the noise goes away after driving a few miles. So, as a first step. I thought I'd change the fluid. After some research, it seems the easiest way is to "suck" what I can out of the reservoir, turn the wheel back and forth, and repeat until the fluid looks clean. Has anyone done this? Does it work?

Also, what fluid would be best to use? Atf dexron 3?

 

No, use power steering fluid.

 

Any recommended brand?

 

Pretty much any off the shelf brand.

 

I thought it was ATF?

 

Woah hold up here!! Do NOT use power steering fluid.

OP you were correct dextron is the factory recommended fluid for power steering. I believe it even says it on the CAP

 

Well then so do I. My LGT does NOT use atf. Sorry.

 

Thanks guys. And thanks Terry, for nothing lol any brand tend to be better then the next? Also, has any one "flushed" there power steering system with the method I mentioned in my first post?

 

+1 on ATF. Should say it right on the Cap. Power steering fluid isn't the worst thing you could put in there, but Dex/Merc ATF is correct (I believe it calls for Dexron III).


I have flushed my power steering system a different way. This was on an older car with the reservoir on the pump...I used about a 2' piece of 1/2" hose. I pulled the little piece of hose off the barb on the return line, and let the reservoir drain into a bucket, then I capped it off. Then I took my longer piece of hose, hooked it to the return line, and put the other end in my bucket. I then filled the reservoir with new fluid, and started the engine. I then went back and forth from checking the reservoir to moving the wheel from one end to the other.

 

Yes I have used the suck rotate wheel and repeat method before. It works fine.

 

Use subaru HP fluid (syn) or dex3

 

Thanks for the input everybody. Its gonna be a fluid change day on Sunday. Tranny, engine, power steering.

 

dont forget rear diff since your doing all the others lol.

 

Did that when I got the car, with the same crap I put in the tranny the first time. But I think the Lucas will be ok in the rear diff.

 

yea its a r160 it takes just about anything.

 

I might swap it out for the some of Royal Purple that's in the tranny now. Less then 5000 miles on it, should have plenty of life left to go in the rear diff.

 

When I had my r160 I ran xtras in both the diff and trans

 

I only got 8 QTS of extra s. Enough for 2 tranny changes and then some. Maybe by the time I do my next tranny change the extra .6 +/- QTS will be enough for the rear diff....

 

Edit fail

 

Why not just put clean stuff in your diff and transmission now? Same stuff = same change intervols = happy and healthier car

you really aren't saving that much money by not doing it.

 

No problem, I'm good at nothing

 

Its a long story. But I changed my fluid 8,000 miles ago when I got the car. To crappy Lucas. Changed it half an oil change ago to not much better Royal Purple, and now I finally got Extra s to put in from Nuke last week. So the royal purple is like new right now. And I hate to just waste it all. I know what ya mean tho.

 

I stand corrected. I just looked and it does indeed take dextron. Must not have that in there though. It is not the ATF color. Must investigate.

 

A little late, but I used Valvoline MaxLife ATF for the powersteering. It is a Dex III and VI compatible fluid, and has a very low pour point (lowest of any ATF I could find), so it really helps for cold weather, and that infamous whine. Don't get the stuff with stop leak in it.

Not sure how it compares to the Subaru branded ATF recommended above.

 

Nice, thanks. So the whine I'm getting is a "normal" issue on our cars?

 

For those of us in the cold weather, yes. Subaru PS pumps tend to be fairly whiny.

 

Good to know. Thought maybe mine had an issue. My GC never had any noises like this tho....

 

Fairly common, yes. My last Saabaru had the whine, my 08 Sti does, but 2nd Saabaru doesn't...go figure. I did some extensive searching on the sti, and I guess the problem resorts to the fact that the fluid reservoir is on the hotter side of the engine, and closer to the exhaust...which fatigues the fluid faster. Leaks are also fairly common. I guess that replacing the o ring on the line on the top of the actual pump helps stop leakage and the whine. I haven't replace my o ring yet...but it's on my to do list.

 

I should add that checking the connections to the reservoir for leaks and replacing with better tubing and hose clamps is helpful also.

 

Also check your belts. How many miles on the current belts? I had some squalling from mine and a belt change fixed it.

 

Guy I bought it from said he changed the belts last summer, and I believe him because they looked pretty new when I bought it in November. "Flushed" or rather diluted the power steering fluid today. Seems to be a bit smoother. Old stuff came out looking like used motor oil, so I'm glad I swapped it out.

 

It does now