Hey -
It has been recommended by the dealer to change the power steering fluid
Waste of money or good idea?
68,000 miles 2010 M35X
Cost $175
Power Steering Fluid Change - Yes or No?
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Ilya
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Re: Power Steering Fluid Change - Yes or No?
You can do it yourself with a turkey baster over the course of a week. There should be videos or posts on Google on how to do that. And I believe you can use ATF to fill it.
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szh
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Unfortunately, no longer a Nissan or Infiniti, but continuing here at NICO! - Location: San Jose, CA
Re: Power Steering Fluid Change - Yes or No?
I replace my power steering fluid every 30k miles ... probably overkill, but seems to work for my cars. 
Z
Z
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Larz
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Re: Power Steering Fluid Change - Yes or No?
I do my power steering fluid changes at different time - there is a test gizmo that tells you if the fluid has degraded to the point of needing a change but alas I do not have such a gizmo so I change it when it gets dark brown and slimy tween my fingers. (It is deep blood red when new)
Ilya is correct - easy to do it yourself with a turkey baster - but I was severely scream-atted by Fetucini for ruining two basters so I devised a new plan:
I bought a simple siphon pump (like a bicycle tire pump with two hoses) one hose goes into the reservoir, and the other into a large plastic bottle that has a screw-on cap.
I siphon the fluid out of the reservoir, then start the car, turn the wheel all the way left, then all the way right and stop the engine. That refills the reservoir with more old fluid. I siphon that fluid out as well. That removes about twice as much old fluid as the turkey baster.
Next I fill the reservoir to the FULL line and re-star the engine, turning the wheel all the left and right again. Stop the engine. I refill the reservoir once again to the FULL line and this time I do a short drive with full turns to the left and right. I check the reservoir level when I return and add fluid to the FULL line if needed. I repeat this in a few days and by then, the fluid in the reservoir is deep blood red instead of dark dirty brown.
FLUID:
I have no clue if it really matters, but I buy Nissan / Idemitsu power steering fluid on Ebay and it generally takes two bottles to change mine completely.
fluid: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Idemitsu-Power- ... VU&vxp=mtr
pump: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Idemitsu-Power- ... VU&vxp=mtr
Ilya is correct - easy to do it yourself with a turkey baster - but I was severely scream-atted by Fetucini for ruining two basters so I devised a new plan:
I bought a simple siphon pump (like a bicycle tire pump with two hoses) one hose goes into the reservoir, and the other into a large plastic bottle that has a screw-on cap.
I siphon the fluid out of the reservoir, then start the car, turn the wheel all the way left, then all the way right and stop the engine. That refills the reservoir with more old fluid. I siphon that fluid out as well. That removes about twice as much old fluid as the turkey baster.
Next I fill the reservoir to the FULL line and re-star the engine, turning the wheel all the left and right again. Stop the engine. I refill the reservoir once again to the FULL line and this time I do a short drive with full turns to the left and right. I check the reservoir level when I return and add fluid to the FULL line if needed. I repeat this in a few days and by then, the fluid in the reservoir is deep blood red instead of dark dirty brown.
FLUID:
I have no clue if it really matters, but I buy Nissan / Idemitsu power steering fluid on Ebay and it generally takes two bottles to change mine completely.
fluid: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Idemitsu-Power- ... VU&vxp=mtr
pump: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Idemitsu-Power- ... VU&vxp=mtr
Re: Power Steering Fluid Change - Yes or No?
Thanks for all the help guys! Will end up doing it and trying to myself first.