'99 Ranger 3.0 96,000 mi.
Power steering fluid smells burned. Is this a bad sign like in a transmission? Fluid is dark while fluid in new container is clear. Level was down a bit. Pulley turns and I have power steering. I only checked this because my serpentine belt screeches so bad on the cold days. On warm days it's almost quiet. I changed it and the tensioner pulley at around 80,000 mi. Don't think these two things are related, but when does the steering pump usually go? Is it easy to replace?

 

Original equipment power steering fluid is brown. Check someone else's vehicle with similar mileage and compare the two. I have 100,000 more miles on my 98 Ranger than you have with the original power steering pump. I wouldn't worry too much about that.

 

Hi Bill

I would suggest you check your belt again. I had the same thing with my B3000, 3.0 liter. I changed the belt and tensioner and within 20,000 KM it was noisy again. The new belt had streched a bit so I replaced it with a Goodyear belt and it's back to normal. The power sterring fluid in my pump is a dark brown as well but I think if the pump was in trouble it would be VERY noisy or it would be dropping fluid.
Have a Good One!

 

My power steering pump went bad at about 75k miles. It may have been due to the truck sitting in storage for 4 or 5 months for each of several winters. It would squeel.
you may want to flush the system and refill with fresh fluid. Try that first and see what happens. You can also use a stick to check for pump noise - put one end on the pump (with the engine running) and the other end against you thumb and you ear on the thumb to get a clearer idea of pump noise, if any.

 

The specified power steering fluid in the 99 Ranger is Mercon & it's Red, not Brown!!!!

I do a power steering fluid pump out every time I change tranny fluid, which is at or before the Ford severe service call out period. So mine gets flushed every 25-30K miles.

If your 99's fluid is brown & smells burned, I'd seriously consider getting that old fluid out of there pronto, by doing a power steering fluid Flush.

P/S fluid wears out too, the detergent & dispersent additives get used up, then varnish & sludge build up & begin to screw things up inside. Nothing to be gained by leavng that old fluid in there imo.

Put the vehicle up on jack stands, so the wheels are free to turn left & right. Block the rear wheels, so it won't roll.

Put on safety glsses!!!! Remember you'll be working on a pressurized system, when the engine is running!!!!

Pinch the small dia P/S pump return line closed with vice grips or the like, so it wont drip, unfasten it at the P/S cooler, unfasten the vice grips & drain the P/S pump reservoir into a catch bucket, then plug the loose return line.

Attach a scrap piece of srap hose to the P/S cooler, the loose end in your catch bucket.

Disable the fuel pump at the inertia switch, or pull it's under hood power fuse or relay, so the engine won't start.

Then have your helper crank the engine & Slowly turn the steering wheel fully left & right, to flush the power steering rack, lines & cooler, while you keep the power steering pump reservior topped off, to prevent getting air bubbles in the system like I did!!!! lol

About 2 qts should flush it.

If your not careful & let the pump fluid level get too low & get air in the fluid, it can be bled out after reconnecting the P/S pump return line.
To do this, reclamp the return line so it won't drain the new fluid out of the pump reservoir, unplug & refasten the return line to the cooler, then remove the vise grips.

With the vehicle still on the stands, enable the fuel pump & start the engine & slowly turn the steering wheel fully left & right several times, to burp the system.

I'd do it with the cap on the pump reservoir, as any entrapped air bubbles are under pressure & can pop fluid all over the engine compartment, or give you a facial, don't ask how I know this!!!! lol

With the system burped, put the truck back on the ground, pick up the wheel chocks & SMILE, you've just done a first class P/S system fluid flush & your system sure will appreciate it!!!!

Go for a test drive, to make sure all the air is out of the system, then re-check it's fluid level.

I chose to use some "Seafoam Trans Tune" in mine before the flush, as I was having some off center "shudder".
My fluid condition & level looked ok, but apparently I had some deposits gumming things up somewhere, because the Seafoam Trans Tune cleared it up.

So if you are having any signs of the system acting out, or seeing as how your fluid seems to be so degraded, maybe consider the Trans Tune cleaner upper, before the fluid flush, so it can clean things up inside & put any varnish of sludge in suspension, so it'll drain out with the old fluid.

Just a bunch of thoughts to ponder.

Let us know what you do & how it goes.

 

Hello Paw Paw

Took a run out to the truck at lunch and checked the Power Steering pump. I was wrong, the fluid is red when I put some on my finger but it looks brown in the reservoir. I found this article in the "Partsource" ( a division of Canadian Tire )website here in Canada. What do you think about the use of a "siphon pump" to remove the fluid?
Thank you




<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=326 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 15px" vAlign=top>Drain the power steering fluid from the reservoir.
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD> Depending on your type of vehicle, you can use a siphon pump to suck it out of the reservoir, or disconnect the feed and return lines, and drain it into a drain pan. If a regular wrench won't loosen the lines, you may need special "line" wrenches. Also be sure to loosen the lines BEFORE removing the pump mounting bolts. Oh, and be real careful draining the fluid. If you get it on any exhaust parts or belts, it could cause a fire later on.




</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

Well just draining the pump reservoir, by draining it, or sucking the small amount out that you can get to, doesn't get any where near the total system quantity out, as most is still in the lines, rack & cooler & so is all the crud, so imo it's next to doing nothing.

Some folks just do the "turkey baster" removal proceeure several times, but this just mixes old contaminated fluid, with the new fluid, contaminating it. I suppose it's better than doing nothing, but certainly not the best practice imo!!!!

Doing the pump out I outlined is really easy, the most difficult part may be in getting the return line loose at the cooler & that only requires a screw, or nut driver & a little patience to get the line loose if it's stuck.

You should be able to flush the system, start to finish, in about an hour, taking your time.
Heck if i can get down there to do it, I know you youngsters can!!!! lol

 

Hello Again Paw Paw
Have you heard the saying " If you remember to 60's you were not really there"?

Well I don't remember the 60's .... and a good part of the 70's! ;>)))
The first vehicle I drove was my Dad's brand new 1969 Galaxie 500, 302 V8. I was only 11 at the time but I drove it! and most improtantly... I didn't put a mark on it.

That makes sense about the siphon pump. Will look at changing the power steering fluid next oil change.
Have a Good One!
Clayton

 

Changing the P/S fluid at the next oil change sounds like a plan!!!! Your P/S system will likely be pleasantly surprised.

Well my first tinkering with vehicles was back in the 40's, when some engines didn't even have a oil filter, just a dip & splash oiling system & you changed the 20W-20 oil evey 1000 miles!!!! How about those apples!!!! lol

My first Ford was a two tone blue & cream 53 2dr hard top flat head V8, with 3 on the tree, but with OD, it had 6 on the tree!!!! lol

53 was the last year for the flat head V8, thank goodness!!!!

 

Pawpaw ain't no spring chicken no more. I suspect that most of the posters have never seen an oil bath airfilter, either. I owned a vehical that had one and it was of dubious value at best. The difference between the motoroils of that era [1950] and now [2008], is similar to an old 12" circular b/w Zenith tv and todays 42" LCD HDTV's. It was the 1970's before engine's managed to break the 100,000 mile barrier, due in part to improvements in motoroils. I wouldn't dream of using a '70s oil in my "modern" machine, let alone something from 1950.