After what period of time the fluid in the power steering of the car should be replaced, manufacturers usually do not indicate, but it is necessary to change the oil in the steering, and most often the change is made after 50-60 thousand km of the covered path.

But many drivers do not know what kind of fluid is poured into the power steering, and in this article we will tell you what the power steering is usually filled with on various car models.

The importance of power steering oil

The hydraulic steering system (RU) is designed for comfortable driving and was once only used on trucks. Nowadays, more than half of all passenger cars are equipped with hydraulic power steering, and gradually mechanical steering cars are leaving the market.

Power steering fluid plays an important role, it simultaneously performs several functions at once:

• creates the pressure required to easily turn the steering wheel;
• lubricates all steering parts;
• protects parts of the switchgear from overheating;
• does not allow corrosion in the steering mechanism;
• protects rubbing parts from premature wear.

Often the fluid in power steering is called oil or grease, since it has lubricating properties. To ensure high-quality lubrication of the switchgear parts, additives are added to the fluid, and the oil for steering mechanisms with power steering has its own specific composition; it is not suitable for an engine or mechanical transmission.

It often happens that oil leaks from the steering system, and until the repair is made, it is necessary to add fluid to the power steering tank. Car enthusiasts distinguish oil by color, it is produced with a yellow, red, green tint. Red fluid is Dexron, belongs to the ATF class, it is mainly used in automatic transmissions, less often in some types of power steering. Although all Dextron oils are the same in color, they have a different composition - they can be mineral or synthetic. You should be aware that mineral water should not be mixed with synthetics in any case, since the transmission fluid will curdle and foam when mixed.

You should also know that Dexron is not a brand, but just a type of oil. Dextron is produced by various companies, it can be from manufacturers:

• Mobil;
• Mannol;
• Motul;
• Valvoline;
• Ravenol;
• Liqui Moly.

There are many other ATF companies as well.

The yellow power steering fluid was originally intended for Mercedes cars, and was almost never used on other car models. The fluid poured into the hydraulic booster for Ford, Renault, Opel, Hyundai, Nissan, Audi, Kia, etc., green, is used more often than others, but it is not suitable for automatic transmissions. Oil with a green tint belongs to the PSF class, and the additives in its composition differ from those in ATF.

To understand how transmission fluids differ from oils for power steering, it is enough to study the table of functions of oil for power steering and automatic transmissions.

Before adding oil to the power steering, you should find out what fluid is in the car. Often the content is determined by color, for example, only green or red (pink) liquid is poured into the Ford Focus-2. Having determined the color, the car owner finds out that only two compositions are used on "Focuses":

• WSS-M2C204-A - green tint;
• WSA-M2C195-A - red.

It is undesirable to use something else in the Ford Focus GUR, but you should know that red mineral oils such as Dextron can be mixed with each other in case of emergency.

Green and yellow liquids cannot be mixed; when they are combined, foaming occurs. But if the Mercedes car owner has a desire to replace the yellow grease in the steering system with a green one, it is necessary to flush, and then the power steering will work normally, without any problems. It is allowed to mix "mineral water" Dexron with a yellow mineral liquid, nothing terrible happens. To understand a little what can be mixed and what not, you can look at the compatibility tables of autochemistry of various manufacturers.

Group one. Here are indicated oils that are conditionally replaceable with each other - they are very similar in composition, only produced by different manufacturers. If you approach the issue strictly, these fluids should not be mixed, but the mixing of the compositions will not affect the power steering resource, and the steering system will work properly.

Group two ... In this table, liquids can only be mixed with each other, they are not compatible with other oils. But if you flush the system, they can be used in other power steering.

Group three ... Liquids in this category may only be used if they are approved for use by the vehicle manufacturer. It is impossible to fill in oils of the group if they are not recommended by the manufacturer, but they are interchangeable with each other.

Another important point - "synthetics" are rarely used in hydraulic boosters, the synthetic composition corrodes rubber seals and oil seals. Therefore, such fluids are used provided that their use is permissible by the vehicle manufacturer.

There are a lot of various auto chemical goods on the Russian market, automobile oils for hydraulic boosters are presented in a wide range. Products differ significantly in price, and original formulations are always more expensive. But if a product is sold cheaper, this does not mean at all that it is of poor quality. In many cases, auto chemical goods have a high price just because the company is very well known all over the world, but is it necessary to overpay only for the brand?

You can buy power steering fluid in any store that sells consumables and auto parts for cars; wholesale companies and small outlets also sell oils. By the way, the likelihood of running into a fake is not excluded, so you should purchase the product from trusted organizations with a good reputation that have been working on the market for several years. Most often, power steering fluid is sold in packages with a volume of about 1 liter, and such a container is very convenient, since a power steering of a passenger car generally requires from 600 to 900 ml of oil. To illustrate the order of prices for products in 2017, here are a few examples. The cost of green fluid for power steering:

Here are the approximate prices for some ATF (Dextron) oils:

• ATF 220 Mobil, liter canister - 450-500 rubles;
• XADO ATF, 1 l - 800-850 rubles;
• Divinol ATF Premium, 1 l - 820-870 rubles.

The industry also produces various synthetic fluids, among inexpensive products it is worth noting Total Fluide Lds - the product is used in the hydraulic systems of Citroen cars. This oil is orange in color, has a high viscosity index, has a low pour point and excellent lubricating properties, well protects power steering parts from corrosion. The price of a package for 1 liter is about 500-500 rubles. But it should be remembered that synthetics cannot be mixed with mineral oils.