Air in power steering line, How to flush/bleed it?

[DFv2]

As per my stupid mistake in this thread:http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=129879

I lost all the power steering fluid in my system. I replaced the hardline I cut, and bolted everything back up nice and snug. Now the problem.

I filled the reservoir with fresh fluid, and started the car. The car seems to suck up all the fluid in the reservoir when running, and then returns the fluid to the reservoir when stopped. Im assuming the air in the line compresses when on.

ANYWAYS if you read all that, thanks. If not, heres the question. How can I BLEED the PS line to get air out? Has anyone done this before?

The only thing I can think of is to loosen the hardline fitting on the rack while having someone keep the reservoir full until it runs through. Any suggestions?

[Sponsor]

[SkaAddict]

IIRC, to bleed the PS rack you need to jack the front end of the car up, start the engine and then turn the wheel to just before the stop and hold it for a minute, and then repeat in the opposite direction until the pump quiets down (meaning the air in the rack has been worked out of the system.) I think there's a how-to thread about it somewhere on here...

[DFv2]

Update, did what you said and it worked. Damn that was easy, I was getting ready to start unbolting shit. Thanks!

[Toolman00]

Originally Posted by DougoeFre5h

Update, did what you said and it worked. Damn that was easy, I was getting ready to start unbolting shit. Thanks!

I bet the guy in your avatar doesn't even need a wrench!

[fordcrazi]

i tryied this and it still wont make my power steering stop whining

[daidie]

just turn the wheel full lock one way to full lock the other a few times. just keep an eye on the pas fluid in the reservoir. no jacking required.

[sailor]

While jacking isn't REQUIRED, it makes life easier & reduces wear on the tires etc..

Since you have to turn the steering back & forth quite a few times to get most of the air out....

I just had to do this TWICE on a Chevy Monte Carlo with a damaged cooler line, once for the initial "emergency" repair & again when I replaced the damaged cooler assembly for a friend... It wasn't COMPLETELY bled till after a good test drive as well.... THAT got the last bubbles out of the system, though it was close to OK before I drove it..

Patience & a LOT more wheel twisting than you expected to need to do is the key, when it doesn't work right away it'll worry you a bit - just give it more time to circulate. The system doesn't work well at all on air, and it takes a while to get it all out...

Luck!

[amc49]

A tip. Sometimes the air is fixed finely with the fluid itself, especially if you let it run empty for a bit. Purge the lines left/right to lock as said then let car sit 10-15 minutes for fluid in reservoir to de-aerate. You may have to do it a couple of times. Later on the noise miraculously has disappeared.

[frednumber15]

You need to watch the level in the res as you run it and turn the wheel...mine only stopped foaming after I filled the res almost to the top and turned it back and forth...also let it sit idling turned all the way left and right. It was picking up and recirculating foam.

[amc49]

You can damage parts by leaving the steering at full lock left or right for a long period.

It's GOING TO recirculate foam, motion tends to trap air. The only way to stop it is stop engine and let foam come out in reservoir, you have to repeat since foam in the rack cannot get out until it's in the reservoir also.

Done correctly you can install fluid with almost no aeration at all. The system is almost instantly self bleeding, the trick is to get the new fluid in there quick enough so that the pump can never run out and pull air. Once pump starts whining say when you are uncapping the second bottle of fluid to put in you have already screwed up.