From: greg@itasoftware.com
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 2:41 PM
To: 928
Subject: [928] steering fluid replacement

Hi all,

I just replaced my steering fluid Saturday and figured I'd write up the procedure for the group as I didn't see it mentioned on any of the tips pages..

I was motivated to do this after my housemate changed the ATF in his Volvo Friday and I saw how red ATF is supposed to be. Knowing the 928 uses ATF for steering, I went and checked mine: black/brown sludge, had probably never been changed.

Came up with this procedure after talking to Jay Kempf and David Lloyd; thanks to them for the help! This method has the nice property that you don't have to disturb the steering lines on the rack, don't have to crawl under the car, and is not that messy (relatively). It does use a bit more fluid to flush though; I used about 4 quarts which for Mobil 1 was $20.

0. front on jack stands, wheels hanging. this may not be needed but i didn't want to stress the system in step 8.

1. use a baster to remove as much fluid as possible from the p/s reservoir.

2. remove the large hose clamp that goes around the reservoir and holds it to the fender in the left front of the engine
compartment.

3. remove the two p/s lines to the bottom of the reservoir. catch the remaining fluid you couldn't get with the baster due to the baffle in the bottom of the reservoir.

4. take out the reservoir, rinse it with fresh ATF, set aside.

I've heard it suggested that you should replace the reservoir as there's a filter in there. it was Saturday and I didn't have one handy so I reused mine.

5. attach one end of a 5' length of clear plastic tubing to the return line to the reservoir (the smaller one toward the rear of the car), then drape the tubing over the front fender and into a gallon jug on the ground. the OD of the return line is 2mm; I used a short length of tubing that fit around this, then into a short length of the next smaller diameter, and then a longer
length of the next smaller diameter.

6. insert a large funnel into the larger line that goes to the p/s pump. i used one of those tall narrow ones, worked nicely.

7. dump 1 - 1.5 quarts of ATF into the funnel, and have an assistant start the car. the old fluid will be pumped out in a hurry - a few seconds. turn off the car before the funnel goes dry. since the system only holds 3/4 quart, the new, clear, red fluid should get all the way through and start coming out into the jug.

8. add another quart of ATF to the funnel, and route the end of the drain hose back into the funnel. start the car and turn the wheel back and forth a couple times to clean out the rack better.

9. put the drain hose back in the jug and flush again as in step 7.

10. put it all back together and fill the reservoir to the low mark.

11. start car, turn wheels back and forth to bleed air that may have gotten in (but not much should have).

12. drive car and top up as needed.

greg
88 S4