DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

elite7, I asked that the drama from the other recently closed thread not spill over in future threads and you're taking this one back down that path.

Lets drop the tranny fluid discussion and back on topic to the OP's PS fluid please.

Playdrv4me

Anyhow, yes I would appreciate if someone could post up a nice clear tutorial of how best to do the "quick change" method on the PS fluid. I don't care if it isn't a full flush but a nice tutorial on the best tools to use would be great. Maybe also the fluid you used. I would love to do this within the next couple of days but don't want to sit there for an hour with a turkey baster siphoning fluid if there's something inexpensive and faster.

The condition of the PS fluid is a very clear indicator of why not to wait on these things. My car has 100k and the fluid doesn't even look as bad as this one does at 52. It's grey and filthy but not quite "separated" yet. Plus my pump is already making a little bit of noise when the car idles higher at startup and I can feel a little resistance. Such fail from Lexus (and ALL mfr's touting these "extended interval" fluids) on these -obvious- maintenance items.

abs

If you use the Turkey Baster method or a siphon to suck the fluid out of the reservoir without disconnecting any lines down at the power steering rack, you won't need to go through a bleed routine. The procedure that calls for moving the wheel back and forth after starting the engine is only for when lines have been disconnected allowing air into the system.

The easy way to do this is to find a turkey baster at your grocery store, get one with a narrow tube so it fits in the hole in the reservoir, and use it to suck out the fluid in the reservoir and deposit into an empty 1 quart oil container (or similar). Then, refill the reservoir to the cold/low mark with new fluid. Drive the car or run the engine a bit, let the new fluid circulate then repeat the process. Do this a few times, perhaps over the course of a few days or weeks until the fluid coming out looks like the fluid going in. I'd say that if you can do this for at least 1 full quart of new fluid, you'll be in pretty good shape. I just did this 3x and only went through about 2/3 of a quart in the process. Also, the fluid required, per the FSM, is either Dexron II or Dexron III fluid, not Toyota Type IV or Toyota WS. For a little more money, you could use a high performance synthetic fluid like the Mobil1 Dexron III fluid I just used in mine.

I'm attaching a a few .pdf files from the FSM that may help answer some of your questions.

Andrew

sojah

iTrader: (1)

thanks for the info ^ ^ ^ i shall use this method in the future.

Playdrv4me

Thank you!

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

I do this a little differently. I've used this procedure with my Supra a couple of times and it's very simple, doesn't froth up the fluid, and even makes it simpler to do a full exchange. You can completely drain the system (I disconnected the reservoir entirely and disconnected the hose at the cooler end underneath, then just rotated the steering wheel back and forth with the wheels off the ground to fully drain the system). Reconnect all the hoses. Then with the front wheels still off the ground fill the reservoir, DO NOT START THE ENGINE, and work the steering wheel back and forth while keeping the fluid at the full cold mark. It will pump fluid through the system without turning it into mousse. When you've done this about 20 times full lock to full lock, make sure the level is good, put the car on the ground, start the engine, and work the steering full lock to full lock again. This will raise the temperature AND it will purge any small air bubbles. Shut off the engine and check level again against full hot, adjust, and you're good for another 50k or so. At least this is true with the Supra. Not sure if the LS is harder on its fluid than the Dawg.

I used Red Line's Power Steering fluid, but Mobil 1 Dex III is excellent stuff too and a lot easier to find.

abs

This is probably a little more thorough, but also seems a little more involved. A good option for sure, especially if one wants to get everything out in one pass and have a chance to wash out their reservoir. I've also read about inline filters (Magnafine?) being used on the return to the reservoir to help capture any metal filings and filter the fluid.

Andrew

Jabberwock

On my Highlander I just disconnected the lower reservoir hose and allowed the fluid from the reservoir to drain into a plastic cup. Then reconnected hose and refilled - did this 5 min process a few times over the course of a couple of weeks until the fluid stayed clean.

Haven't had to do it on the LS yet - fluid is still nice and clean at 25 k miles. Looking at the reservoir on the LS, may not be as easy access to lower hoses, I don't know if it would be hard to remove one of the lower hoses without making a spill, so I'd probably just use the turkey baster method to suck out fluid from the top of the reservoir or I could use a small manual hand pump I have to drain reservoir. Lots of relatively simple ways to do this.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

If you're going to go small volume, like a turkey baster, do yourself a big favor - go to a feed store where they sell animal veterinary supplies and get an irrigation syringe. The big ones here are 140cc. Turkey basters make a huge mess and they love to drip and drool. Irrigation syringes don't do either of these. They also make it possible to back fill your brakes by injecting brake fluid from the caliper to the master cylinder, then just leave the syringe connected and hanging above the caliper to bleed - easy way to be sure you get the bubbles out especially if it's initial fill.

V8_Fan

A conventional turkey baster is too fat to get more than 1/2" into the resevoir. I went to ACE Hardware (auto section) and got a device that looks like a turkey baster (for filling old-style batteries w/ water), but the tube is only like 1/4" in diameter. It easily fits in the resevoir, plus you can move it around to the corners to suck all the old fluid out.

First lay out paper towels or rags around the resevoir to prevent drips from hitting the paint or engine. Use a small PET bottle (like one of those 8oz or 12oz water bottles, emptied and dried out) and hold it close to the resevoir hole. With the ACE Hardware device, you should be able to siphon out everything in 2-3 squeezes...should take like 1min max. Then refill with dextron II/II ATF. I use Redline D4 (can use Redline ATF for dextron II/III, but D4 is thicker). Drive the car around the block, then repeat. The PS fluid goes down into the rack, but after a repeating a few times, you can get most of the old fluid out.

The PS fluid on my LX when I bought it at 48K mi (also CPO) was black and had a burnt smell. IMHO, the OEM Toyota and honda PS fluids are too thick and can't handle the heat. The fluid on my honda would get thick enough that the PS would groan on cold mornings due to thick fluid. The synthetic ATF is far superior. If you live where it's hot, get a thicker ATF like the D4. If it's cold, the normal synthetic ATF for dextron II/III should be sufficient.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

D4 isn't thicker, it's thinner. Base oil is 7 weight. They also have the maximum allowable seal swell in D4 so your seals are going to swell up tight - this might be good, and it might not. It was very bad in my Getrag 233 (Toyota V-160) as it made a DU bushing responsible for holding the centering piston too tight and caused the shifter to not center when cold.

http://mkiv.com/techarticles/getrag/...ne/getrag.html

I would definitely never use D4 for power steering. If it swells the o-rings behind the teflon seals and makes the steering tight, you'll have to rebuild the rack to make it right.

Battery fillers do drip. Irrigation syringes don't, and they're really cheap. You can stick any clear plastic hose on an irrigation syringe - I buy it at Lowes by the foot for pennies.

Stu

lubuxracer, I am sold .... that is my solution.
I will have one tomorrow - thanks !

Lust4Lexus

Thanks Abs.

From what I have learned, the type IV is a dexron based oil and has replaced the other other oils once recomended. it is basically the same oil, but with better properties, for what it's worth. For example you can use type IV in a unit that calls for Dex III, but not vice versa. Today, on my goose chase for ATF, the auto parts store did not even carry Dexron III! Also, the local toyota parts department only carried the WS or type IV fluid. I'm pretty sure that the type IV is fine for the PS unit.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/mai...nny-fluid.html

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

Where are you? Dex III is the single most available ATF made. Usually way easier to find than T-IV or WS. Most gas stations along any interstate will even have bottles of Dex III on the shelf. Dex II is hard to get, but Dex III? Wow.

Lust4Lexus

This particular store did not have any. I may have over looked however, being that a lot of the bottles stated GM, which was probably for the Dexron II or III.