Power steering fluid.

I have a question on how long power steering should last in you truck. I have a 2017 tacoma and I am at 28117 miles and when the vehicle is hot the power steering level is at the cold line. Does any one know if it could be leaking? I do not see spots ok the ground. I do not know were it's going. It was full at 25000 miles.

 

check and fill if necessary when the engine is cold first thing in the morning, if needed fill to the top of the COLD line

 

I think the maintenance manual has all the fluid check/replace info.

G.

 

What kind of steering fluid are you guys using or should use?

 

I confirmed with the dealer its just atf fluid. Same as our trannys. Different colour but safe. Apparently they put die in one of them before or after factory i forget. But i tripple checked before adding it because of the colour difference

 

I never had to put in the power steering fluid. The dealer does. The manual says to use dextron 2 or 3. Less than 4000 miles and I have to Add power steering fluid seems a little odd to me. Never had to do that in any of my other new vehicles .

 

i use the same stuff i use for the transmission

syn atf max life valvoline

 

Is it normal to add power steering fluid less the 4000 miles?

 

no, i flushed mine for the first time at 70k and it never changed from the cold level

 

Did you have yours brand new did you ever have to add fluid before 70K?

 

Also the To auto part store told me that they don't make dexron 2 or 3. Is this true?

 

They are wrong.

 

Found this article excerpt “... If you find yourself wondering where you power steering fluid has gone, there is only one possibility. You’ve got a leak somewhere in your power steering system. It is not unusual to have a leak in your power steering system to go unnoticed. Your power steering system operates at high pressures so a leak in your system will likely only leak while your vehicle is running and the system is pressurized. Since power steering fluid usually only leaks while your engine is running, the drips can often land on the road or be blown back under the engine of your car not leaving any puddles or spots on your driveway or in your parking spots. Also, the components where a leak is possible are all located very low on your vehicle and can often be over looked when you are checking under your hood. Lastly, dirty power steering fluid can look very similar to dirty engine oil and a power steering fluid leak can easily be mistaken for an engine oil leak.

It is not unusual to develop a power steering fluid leak at the seals in your steering rack or steering gear. The motion of shafts through the seals can cause them to wear out over time. Also, since the seals are located low in the front of your vehicle they are regular exposed to road dirt, sand and salt in the winter making them prone to leaks. Also, the high pressure fluid in you power steering system is carried through a combination of hard metal lines and rubber hoses. The rubber hoses allow the power steering pump to move and flex with your engine as it shifts during acceleration and deceleration and the metal lines allow for cooling of the power steering fluid. Leaks can also form at the union of the soft rubber hose and the hard metal line due to vibrations and flexing of the rubber hose.”

Also recommended option if vehicle in no longer under warranty “...Replacing power steering lines and seals can be a very complicated job. Often they are routed in very difficult to reach areas of your engine bay and can be covered by other components or even the sub frame of the vehicle. Replacing the leaking component can be either a very time consuming project, or a very expensive maintenance item.

The best course of action for disappearing power steering fluid is to add BlueDevil Power Steering Stop Leak to your power steering reservoir next time you top it off. BlueDevil Power Steering Stop Leak is a specially formulated stop leak additive that will revitalize the seals and hoses in your power steering system to seal your leak and restore your power steering system to normal operation. BlueDevil Power Steering Stop Leak does not have any particulates that can clog your system and is safe to stay in your power steering system for the life of your vehicle.”

 

Never added since no leaks

Since you have to add you have leaks, atf doesn't go missing for no reason

 

Mine started to look a little dirty at 25k so have drained/refilled the reservoir a couple of times now until it cleared up. I'll do this every oil change to keep it in good shape and hopefully prevent issues later. Using Redline D4 ATF

 

Add a little and keep an eye on it. Chances are, it was low when you go the truck and nobody caught it on pre delivery inspection. No big deal, your truck will not self destruct.

 

That's what I thought. Thanks going to the dealer and make them fix it. Its under warranty still.

 

this is what I do, just one FYI is to try and drain the resovoir when the engine is COLD before running it cause the fluid expands when the engine is at operating temp so you can get a miss reading on the refill. I had the same thing happen as the OP I would suck out the resovoir when the engine was warm carefully measuring how much I removed and replacing it with the same amount with the engine hot, when the engine cooled down I was low on my measure stick and couldn't figure out why, did a quick GOOGLE search on the subject and found out that the fluid expands when HOT if u remove when HOT and replace the same you will be low when the engine is COLD. drove me crazy cause I was sure there was a leak but I found zero evidence, its been holding consistant since I checked and refilled when COLD

 

Mine seems on the low side too. Even after driving it stays in the cold range. But it’s been like -3 here so hard to tell. Started looking when I saw grime on my motor. Thought it was timing cover but dealer says no oily enough. They added dye but makes me wonder if it’s not the ps pump. Same area. 34k miles.

 

if you see no evidence of leaking I would fill the resovoir to the top of the COLD line first thing before running the truck and then keep monitoring it when the engine is cold