Lost power steering. Overheated fluid?

[annoyingrob]

I took my Supra out camping this weekend. There's a long, winding dirt road to get to the camp site, probably 5km or so. I was taking it fairly aggressively, the car was in lower gears (usually 2nd, or 3rd, around 4k rpm), the whole time. About half way down the road, my power steering gave out. once I finally managed to get back on to a normal road, I stopped, turned off the radio and fan, and listened to the motor. When I turned the wheel, all I got was a gurgling noise.

I figured I was low on fluid, so I pulled over, and topped it up. It was almost full, but the fluid was sort of grayish, rather than the red it normally is, I drove home (150km) with no power steering, and parked it. A few hours later, I got in my car, started it, and by the time I got to the end of the street, the power steering started working again.

The pump itself is a new re-man pump I put in like a month ago. I have two PS coolers, but they're just the stock "metal pipe" kind. I run Toyota dexron 3 in my power steering (and hydro fan for that matter), and have never had a problem. Granted, It's not very often that my power steering gets the kind of abuse it was getting this weekend, sliding around a gravel road for an extended period of time.

You think that I just overheated it, and the fluid started to boil? All seems fine now. I think I'm going to put a bigger PS cooler on the car.

 

[jdub]

I would change the fluid and make sure the screen in the reservoir is not clogged up. You can use a rail type cooler advertised for tranny use...PermaCool has some at good prices. Adding a Magnafine filter in the return line to the reservoir is a good idea too.

 

[suprahero]

jdub beat me to it. That's exactly what I was going to say Rob.............

 

[annoyingrob]

sweet. A filter sounds like a good idea. I'll get a tranny cooler, and a filter for it asap.

 

[jdub]

A full synthetic ATF would take the heat better as well...Toyota Dex III is a semi-syn iirc.

 

[IJ.]

Vote 2 on a clogged strainer

Filter and a real cooler can only be a good thing.

 

[Kckazdude]

Would you recommend a synthetic such as Dex V or something like Royal Purple Dex III spec?

 

[jetjock]

Excellent advice all around by people who know what they're talking about, even Jay .

Kck: I recommend Mobil One. The latest Dex V version these days. Not that others are bad but I've had good luck with it in that every PS component on my car remains original. Then again I took all of the advice given above a long time ago.

And before anyone types it: There is no T in Dexron...

 

[jdub]

Red Line D4 or High Temp ATF, RP Max ATF, Amsoil Universal ATF are all excellent choices. Even (gag) Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF would work well, but I am unsure of what it's base stock oil is...last I knew it was a PAO synthetic, but with the way Exxon-Mobil is playing games now and days, don't hold me to it.

Edit: Good info JJ on Mobil 1...thanks!

 

[jetjock]

^ Lol. I hate 'em too Dub but what can I say...they kinda have me over a barrel with the ATF

 

[suprahero]

Excellent advice all around by people who know what they're talking about, even Jay .

That's going to my sig.................:biglaugh:

I'll be changing my fluid next weekend also since I took the time to read all of this great info. Gracias mi amigos.

 

[Orion ZyGarian]

Excellent advice all around by people who know what they're talking about, even Jay .

Kck: I recommend Mobil One. The latest Dex V version these days. Not that others are bad but I've had good luck with it in that every PS component on my car remains original. Then again I took all of the advice given above a long time ago.

And before anyone types it: There is no T in Dexron...

I was unaware that V even existed. I was fairly certain that GM went from IV to VI (GM's VI stuff is only $5 a quart now too IIRC), perhaps because of "newfound discoveries" when making the spec for V. I do know the new Allison tranny requires VI. I'm 70% sure that it has paper (reinforced obviously) synchros that require VI, which is fully synthetic anyways. Do Allisons even have synchros, or am I too getting confused?

 

[Kckazdude]

I could only be remembering the V and leaving out a I somewhere. They say memory is the first thing to go. I was just wanting clarification on the synthetic suggestion. Seems like that word is a catch all these days.

 

[jetjock]

GM may well have done that but I'm staring at a bottle of M1 spec V Mercon. Says also recommended for GM since it's the replacement for Dex III. I've been using it without problem. It's more than $5/quart too

 

[Orion ZyGarian]

Here's back when they announced it. http://www.imakenews.com/lng/e_article000384801.cfm?x=b11,0,w

Ford's equivalent Mercon, according to Amsoil:
http://www.amsoil.com/news/atf_new_specs.aspx

Note that the 6 speed auto that is mentioned, the 6L80, is GM and Ford's joint venture transmission that is now being used in all sorts of non-GM/Ford cars. Transmission world is weird; you see Toyotas with GM trannys (practially half of all BMW autos from the 90s+ were GM Hydramatics) and GM with Aisin trannys (Aisin is owned mostly by Toyota)

I'm trying to find where I found $5/quart for VI from GM. I didnt believe it but someone linked me a place that had it for $4.95 or so

After searching, rumor has it that Walmart has or did have it for $3.30
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/engine-and-drivetrain/131813-dexron-vi-fluid-has-arrived/

Now it may just be "walmart fluid," but it obviously meets the VI spec, so its not some useless shit. Time to ask someone for the MSDS sheet and see what company REALLY makes it. IIRC, their oil is made by Pennzoil

 

[NashMan]

if you are lucky and have wreak 90 to 92 yuo can get the bigger power streeing cooler it's not tube but much better big heat sinks on it i drift my car and hardely ever boil it as in it has yet to happen

 

[annoyingrob]

if you are lucky and have wreak 90 to 92 yuo can get the bigger power streeing cooler it's not tube but much better big heat sinks on it i drift my car and hardely ever boil it as in it has yet to happen

My car is a 91. It already has the larger cooler, in addition to a 2nd one I installed as well. Like was suggested, I'm going to check the screen, and put a bigger cooler and filter in anyways. It's cheap insurance.

 

[NashMan]

yuppers