Its been really cold for the past few weeks and I lost some power steering fluid, enough so that this morning, it was very hard to turn the wheels and made an awful noise. When I got home, I grabbed a bottle of PS fluid I had lying around and poured it in. I felt this imediate flush come over me and realized I may be putting in the wrong type. I started the car and the PS box made a gurgling noise. I shut off the engine and checked the fluid. It looked like chocolate milk.
Did I just make a major mistake or is there still hope?

 

It would help to know exactly what you poured in.



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If whatever you put in is the wrong spec, or it actually was chocolate milk, the best thing that you could do would be to flush the system and make sure you put in the right PS fluid this time around.

I am certain that you will get some opinions from some actual experts, but I do know that the wrong fluid can damage seals and so forth in your system. I'd do the flush and replace ASAP.

Hopefully, that chocolate milk look is from the color of the fluid that you put in, and not from the deterioration of some seals.

 

I put in Gunk Power Steering fluid. Made for GM, Ford, and Chrysler. No other specs on the bottle.

 

I did the same thing once before I read my owner manuals and saw that both my Jags use Dextron III fluid. I simply siphoned out the p/s fluid and put in the correct stuff. I did this 2 or 2 3 times to make sure the my mistake was gone. I actually drove with the regular p/s fluid in for awhile, it won't destroy the system.

 

I agree with Green Machine on this one. Just drain or suck out the fluid, and put in the recommended fluid. Remember to turn the steering wheel back and forth about ten times, lock to lock, while checking the level as you go. Don't be surprised if it takes a little bit for the foaming of the new fluid to go away after refilling. It may make "some" noise until then. 15 minutes should do it.

 

Well, the fluid I poured in eventually all came out onto my driveway. The seals were bad so I had to replace the power sterring pump.