Is it true that my 2006 Ford Taurus requires more frequent steering fluid changes than other cars? Recently, a Valvoline station suggested that this model burns up or darkens the fluid and suggested I change it…
I’ll bet he tells that to all the customers…no matter what they drive.
If it isn’t in your owner’s manual recommended scheduled maintenance, it isn’t necessary.
The only time I change my power steering fluid is when a hose lets go.
What’s next? Changing the air in the tires?
To nitrogen…
I don’t know if it’s a Ford thing, but my 91 Taurus and 98 Windstar both had noisy PS pumps. The Taurus’s pump was replaced under warranty. With the Windstar I got into the habit of changing the PS fluid once a year or when the pump started getting noisier as preventive maintenance.
I use a turkey baster or siphon to remove the fluid from the PS reservior. Then refill with fresh fluid and run the engine for a few minutes to circulate the fresh fluid through the system and repeat until a quart or two of PS fluid has been put into the system. It only costs the price of quart or two of PS fluid.
I had no problems with the power steering in the Windstar for the 8 years I had it.
Ed B.
I’m w/ Ed B. Check your fluid once in a while for color & smell. If it does seem to get really dark & bad smelling, just suck it out yourself once in a while & replace with fresh.
That’s right. I almost forgot about the nitrogen in tires. They put it in some beers too.
My wife’s 2002 ZX2 has very dark PS fluid. I asked a Ford mechanic about it and the response was that Ford’s do that. I will be changing it anyway. My Mercury Grand Marquis has nice red fluid so it must be an outlier.