Arctic2
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The fluid used should be green. Brown suggests red has been used for topping up, which isn't ideal as they are completely different fluids.
Best option is to flush it out using several changes, until no brown is seen.
Hi John.
I had chance to do the power steering fluid today and fit the new reservoir, as suggested flushed system through with about 1.5ltrs before final top up.
started by jacking up the FL added axle stands so the wheels where just a couple of inches of the ground.
Placed a cover over the front of the car, put all the tools including the new pot on the engine cover.
The next step was to remove the old reservoir of it's bracket, easy to do just pulls up.
Put the drain bottle i was using for the old fluid in it's place, so it was easy to suck out the old fluid as i progressed through the change over.
Sucked out all the fluid in the old pot even going into the out let pipe a little, so i had no leaks if possible when joining the new pot to the outlet connection.
It took at least 3 syringe pulls to drain it out.
even then there was a little in the bottom that is when i change the tube on the syringe for a thinner one so it went down the outlet into the hose a little.
With the thinner tube i got the rest out including some out of the hose.
Here you can see the pot is now completely empty.
A bit blurred but i next lowered the clamp clip from the old pot down the hose, using the clamp clip tool i have, pliers would do the same.
Next step was to connect the new reservoir to the outlet hose, and also use it's yellow stop on the old pot.
Make sure the hose is pushed up to the stops on the pot, and the yellow cap it pushed fully home also, you now have the old pot and the new pot next to each other, the new one being a little higher.
I then topped up the new reservoir pot, ready to pull thorough the system into the old pot, here i was helped by my good wife turning the steering from full lock to lock, the ignition needs to be on but the engine not started.
The steering turned and filled the old pot the fluid was removed.
This was repeated a few times until i could see nice fresh green fluid was being sucked out of the old pot.
All the time not allowing the new pot to completely empty.
Now you have to make sure the new pot has the fluid removed just so it's inside the hose, this is because you have to swap out the old pot for the new one.
first remove the empty old pot from the inlet hose this is a press clip and pull down joint, no photos sorry but you will see how it fits, all the time make sure you have a cloth under the pot.
Now with the old pot out of the way pull the cap off the new pot to the inlet and joining it to the hose making sure you here a distinct clipping home of the connection.
Top up the new reservoir between the minimum & maximum mark, clear all the draining bottle syringe and tools out of the engine bay, remove any rags etc sit the reservoir back onto the bracket, start the car and watch the pot for any fluid drop, or air bubbles, top up to max when cold.
If all is ok then tidy up, have a coffee get washed up yourself, then take the car for a run, when you get back check the reservoir for leaks and the amount in the pot.
Check the fixing connections.
keep your eye on it for the next couple of days.