Those other fluids: Power Steering and Transmission Fluids

Cars utilize several different fluids in order to function properly such as transmission, power steering engine and brake. Making sure that these fluids are at the proper level is very important to the health of your car. Power steering and transmission fluid are properly some of the least talked about but they are two of the most important components of your car. They help to make sure, not only that your car runs but that is runs safely...

Cars utilize several different fluids in order to function properly such as transmission, power steering engine and brake. Making sure that these fluids are at the proper level is very important to the health of your car. Power steering and transmission fluid are properly some of the least talked about but they are two of the most important components of your car. They help to make sure, not only that your car runs but that is runs safely.

It is probably not hard to figure out what power steering fluid is. Power steering fluids is referred to as a hydraulic fluid and its main purpose is to control the power in your car’s steering wheel. It does this by transmitting hydraulic pressure thorough out the steering system. Power steering can be thought of as more than just the part that makes steering easy. It must maintain your steering system efficiently regardless of the situation. It must function when in below zero temperatures as well as one hundred degree temperatures without missing a beat. It must also perform adequately when your car is still, going fast or going slow. Regardless of any outside factors is should continue to provide proper fluidity to pump and control valve assemblies as well as protecting the rubber components present in the system. This helps to establish an efficient and noise-free operating system.

Just like any of the other fluids in your car such as oil the power steering fluid does get contaminated. O-rings are located in many of the internal power steering components, and after awhile they generally begin to wear out from all of the usage. The power steering fluid gets full of dirty debris and unwanted material and this causes the power-steering pump to increase its work load to compensate. This usually causes inconsistent performance and eventually a failure of the system. It is now passing the contaminated debris instead of the fluid and this will eventually lead to a breakdown of the system. The answer to this problem is to simply keep the power steering fluid changes and make sure the proper level is maintained.

It is important to follow the maintenance instructions of your manufacturer. However if there is no particular interval given in your maintenance guide, change it whenever you change your engine coolant. Some power steering fluid should be changed every 50,000 miles and some can go as long as 100,000. However if you hear any abnormal sounds while driving, detect a leak, or the fluid is dark brown and appears to be contaminated , the problem should be taken care of right away.

Transmission fluid is very important to your car and your car ultimately cannot function without it. Put simply transmission fluid it a liquid substance that behaves as a lubricant for all of the mobile parts inside of the transmission. For cars that posses an automatic transmission, this liquid also works as a coolant and it is used to take power from the engine to the transmission. If your car has an automatic transmission you are required to use automatic transmission fluid, but manual transmissions use a variety of fluids and you should view your owner’s manual to get the exact type.

Keeping tabs on the amount of transmission fluid present in your car is important for several reasons. Improper changing of the fluid will result in your vehicle’s transmission being lubricated with debris such as metal shaving. This leads directly to a shorter life span of your transmission or worse yet your transmission could overheat and burn up resulting in a very costly repair. Unlike steering fluid transmission fluid, unfortunately does not provide any warning signals so it is important to check it or have it checked regularly. Generally manual transmission fluid should be changed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles when exposed to normal usage. For automatic systems the fluid service interval can vary but it is usually 60,000 to 100,000 miles.