Powersteering Problem 2000 SD PSD
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Powersteering Problem 2000 SD PSD
Last night I noticed a puddle of powersteering fluid under the front of my 2000 Super Duty PSD. The fluid is coming out of the vent hole in the power steering pump fill cap/dipstick. I pulled the dipstick and the fluid was up to the edge of the neck. I sucked the excess fluid out and got it to the correct level, cleaned the fluid off of the truck where it had leaked out, and started the truck. I immediately noticed the pump was whinning when I turned the steering wheel so I turned the truck off and checked the fluid.
The fluid was bubbly so I figured it needed to be bled for some reason. I restarted the truck and turned the wheel almost from lock to lock for one minute, then turned the truck back off. I went back out and noticed the fluid was over-flowing from the vent hole in the fill cap/dipstick on the powersteering pump. The truck has the hydro assist brake unit. As it is losing fluid, it is getting really hard to steer and the pump is getting louder. Has anyone heard of this??
The fluid was bubbly so I figured it needed to be bled for some reason. I restarted the truck and turned the wheel almost from lock to lock for one minute, then turned the truck back off. I went back out and noticed the fluid was over-flowing from the vent hole in the fill cap/dipstick on the powersteering pump. The truck has the hydro assist brake unit. As it is losing fluid, it is getting really hard to steer and the pump is getting louder. Has anyone heard of this??
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problem solved
I talked to a couple of local mechanics and no one had ever heard of my symptoms but one called a Ford mechanic friend of his and it turns out that the Ford service center at our local dealership sees this a lot. There is a valve in the steering box that sticks open. I pulled the low pressure return that goes back to the pump and cycled a mixture of Trans-X and ATF through the system, working the steering wheel and brakes. The Trans-X is designed to clean power steering systems and transmissions (like freeing sticking valve bodies) by cutting the 'varnish' that forms from the warm old fluid. Seemed to do the trick; I haven't had a problem with it since.
