What kind of oil to fill in power steering: power steering fluids
Power steering (power steering, hydraulic booster) is an element of the steering mechanism that greatly facilitates driving by creating additional effort at the moment when the driver turns the steering wheel. To know more, check out: is power steering fluid the same as transmission fluid
This mechanism is quite simple and reliable, the working fluid in it is power steering oil. Through the specified hydraulic booster fluid, pressures and forces are transmitted to the working bodies of the system.
Next, we will consider what a power steering fluid is, what characteristics and properties it has, as well as what kind of oil should be poured into the power steering.
Power steering oil: what you need to know
As mentioned above, the power steering creates additional force, making the wheels much easier to turn, especially if the car is stationary or moving at low speed.
Power steering also allows you to soften shocks from road irregularities on the steering wheel, increase safety in the event of a tire rupture on the front wheel, etc. The power steering also provides the necessary feedback, a car with power steering is stable, it clearly follows a given trajectory.
First of all, through the power steering fluid, force is transferred to individual elements of the steering mechanism;
Also, the fluid in the power steering provides lubrication of units and mechanisms, protection against wear;
Parallel power steering fluid prevents corrosion on system parts;
You can also highlight the removal of excess heat through the power steering oil, that is, cooling;
The power steering fluid itself is based on a base oil (it can be mineral, semi-synthetic and synthetic), as well as a package of active additives.
There are a large number of similar products on the market today, which at first glance may be similar, however, it is important to take into account their features and differences.
Moreover, the use of an unsuitable fluid can cause malfunctions, reduced service life, or complete failure of the power steering. In other words, you need to know what kind of oil to fill in the power steering and how to make the correct selection of fluid. Let's figure it out.
By the way, the automakers themselves separately recommend certain hydraulic oils for power steering. For example, automatic transmission fluids are usually suitable for the power steering system on Japanese and many Korean cars . In other words, in this case, the oil in the power steering is ATF transmission fluid for automatic transmissions . However, European manufacturers recommend pouring special PSF fluids into the power steering for their cars.
Such fluids differ in color, have different specifications, tolerances and characteristics. Of course, many car owners have difficulties with what kind of oil to fill in the power steering. To get an answer to the question, you need to study the types of such liquids separately.
Types and types of oils in the hydraulic booster
So, the types of power steering fluids are often divided only by color. In fact, the oil in the power steering can be red, green, yellow (amber), etc. However, this is a common mistake. Even taking into account the fact that the liquid is the same color (for example, green), this or that product may have different tolerances.