I am going to change out my power steering fluid in my 2002 Kia Sedona Mini van. I have been able to find out that my van requires PSF III. However I have been to a couple different auto parts stores and not one of them carry power steering fluid that says PSF III on it. What am I missing? Do the bottle not say that or is this type hard to find?
Psf3 has a spec sheet. Mobil 1 syn ATF meets this specs. Easy to find.
PSFIII is a Huyndai/Kia product and seems to have been discontinued.
This is from a Kia bulletin;
PSF-III is not available through Kia Chemicals: Use a high quality power steering fluid like Valvoline® or equivalent, DO NOT use ATF in place of power steering fluid.
Some models use PSF-4 which is available through PDC.
Always use the correct recommended fluids as required!
thanks for the help, didn’t think it would be this hard to get the right power steering fluid…
But parts numbers change once in a while and part catalogs are updated…owner’s manuals are not.
ex;
Dexron became Dexron III became Mercon became Mercon V etc.
My owner’s manual in one of my trucks clearly states to use dexron .
Another said to use Dexron III ( which became Mercon ) in the transfer case…then Mercon became Mercon V and on THAT bottle it clearly staes NOT to use in transfer cases…so now we also have a part number labeled ‘‘transfer case fluid.’’…is that implying the ‘‘transfer case fluid’’ is therefore dexron III/ Mercon ??.------secret ! /;(
So, needing to do this homework has become quite common place…WHICH takes aim at the bullseye of one of my gripes from a while back…;
The idiotic ‘‘secrecy’’ of which fluids are which and therefore which are compatable or intechangeable.
As a 38 year parts man it is STILL, to this day, a massive undertaking to get a clear answer.
Some of the best answers are on the back of the bottles purchased at parts places.
– on the back of a bottle of Castrol Transmax import multi vehicle ( transmission oil ) it says ;
’’ For Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and other imported vehicles.
recommendend for use in vehicles that require ; Honda/Acura ATF-Z1 ( except cvt ), Toyota/Lexus type T, T-III, T-IV, Nissan Infinity Matic-D, Matic-J , BMW LA2634, LT71141, Mitsubishi Diamond SP-II, SP-III, Volvo, all specs.
Also meets requirements of ; ATF+3, ATF-2, ATF+, Ford Mercon , GM Dexron III, H and prior."
-------------and that’s just on ONE bottle.
You can bet the Owner’s manual in ANY of those brands states simply to use only their branded fluid !
Some of the newer ones say ‘‘or equivilant’’ But THERE’S my beef …what the flip is ‘‘EQUIVILANT’’ ??
I took notice of the spec the o.p. said but have not encountered the ‘‘equivilant’’ yet.
ken green, I’m so glad to hear that a professional parts guy even has this trouble. I have been driven crazy over fluid specs myself (including the one about which Dex is also Merc and which is not and what it even means if something says Dex/Merc and all of that…) Well - ok. I’m not saying I’m glad that YOU have trouble. I guess I’m really saying I’m glad its not just my own personal malfunction.