Power steering fluid looks like chocolate milk...

[irelynx]

When we got back from Pat's wedding Sunday (about a 6hr drive to/from), my car started having a whine, which I noticed on our way up the driveway. Parked it, haven't touched it till today. Checked my oil & coolant (b/c those still have issues) levels; was down a little over a quart in oil (I filled it to full before leaving the hotel). Coolant level was fine (still leaking though).

Left to take Will to work & stop at Mobil for oil on the way, and as I'm backing around in the driveway my steering has a nasty whine. It wasn't anywhere near this bad on Sunday pulling in. So I get to the Mobil 2mi away and check the power steering fluid. Not only is it low (not even high enough to touch the "low" marking on the stick), but it looks exactly like chocolate milk. The last thing that was touched with that system at all was the steering rack (which I had the dealer do), and it was replaced with a reman (b/c the lady at the parts store was an idiot giving me that instead of a new one which was actually $10 cheaper). After that was done (last september or so) I had checked the fluid & it looked fine & the level was fine. I also checked it not that long ago and it was still fine. It's been quiet & felt fine all the way until today (Sunday pulling in for noise), so I haven't thought to check it in the past couple weeks.

Googling tells me that it's water and/or crap in the lines. It also mentions if someone put in the wrong kind the mixing could cause that coloration (but no fluid has been put in since the dealer did it). Is it possible for it to get that bad over the course of a couple days with no prior noise or steering oddities? And what are the possible causes for power steering fluid to look like chocolate milk? ... or is water/crap or mixing two types of PS fluid the only answers.

[DTMAce]

Sounds like that or its getting air into the system. Bleed it (pull the lines) and put all new in, then work the system back and forth, to try to get it cleared up.

And no, it shouldn't get that bad that fast. I do know from experience that sometimes the rack can have other fluids in them to protect till use. Typically you have to run fluid through them, then drain and put in new. Power steering fluids should be clear in most cases, though you supposedly can see some with red colored fluid. (transmission fluid essentially)

Chocolate milk colored is NOT good, especially since that is usually a combination of water and oil or anti-freeze and oil, but those items shouldn't be present on that system unless it was already in the system when they installed it. They probably never flushed the replacement prior to installation. That and with it being low on fluid is probably not helping, so its making foam in the oil too. (mixing in air)

[DTMAce]

You didn't pour anti-freeze into the PS reservoir by mistake perchance? Since you said you were having issues with that, just made me stop and think. lol

[DTMAce]

There's a company called BG that makes an OUTSTANDING power steering flush that does amazing things. About $15 for a can but it's awesome.

This was from SGR on another thread. May look into that as well.

[irelynx]

Lol, no I definitely haven't made a fluid mistake. I always double check everything before pouring. But like I said, I haven't needed to touch the PS fluid since they did the rack. The level & look of the fluid had been fine ever since, up until today, and I haven't added anything today either. I just drove it to Mobil, put oil in, and drove it back home to park it.

[3X00-Modified]

I wonder if the PS level dropped enough to foam the fluid... foamed PS fluid will take a long time to de-air itself and will cause the pump to wine as Will said in his VM...

SO I would start with topping it off and letting it sit, and watching the level closely.

[irelynx]

Yea he told me what you said before he left. The fluid looked like chocolate milk with a few tiny visible bubbles around the edges. My first thought when I saw it was air, but I wasn't sure. It's been sitting for about 1.5hr now. I just went out & checked it. It's still the same level (wouldn't bubbling from air also have caused it to be higher until it aired out?). It didn't look like chocolate milk anymore, but to make sure I dipped the tip of a pair of scissors in & the fluid that stuck was a very light tan at the thickest point, and clear at the thinnest. So I assume my fluid was fine & it's just air that made it look that way, like you said.

Edit: Got my answer on fluid type.

Once I get it filled back up I guess I'll just have to keep any eye on it to see whats going on with it. Just to give a visual, it looked exactly like chocolate milk after the 2mi drive... my kind of chocolate milk, not will's super chocolatey mix lol. And after sitting for 1.5hr, it had settled down enough to look like this... (still has to settle more from what I'm told)

[3X00-Modified]

Color on the scissors actually looks pretty good.

If your still foaming when its filled back up then you may have another issue with the pump.

Its very hard to kill those pumps... I blew a line at Amy's old apartment once and had to drive home with no fluid in the resivoir... there is no way to stop the belt from spinning it either so a 45 min drive later, I re-connected the line filled it back up, bled it and that pump is still on the red car... LOL it kept working fine. Sounded like a mini supercharger on my way to work, but after it got all the bubbles out it was fine.

[speedy]

i killed well over a dozen quad 4 ps pumps, but they were all warrenty so its all good, now im a master at changing them! =D i guess advance auto pumps dont much care for 7,400rpm shifts... hahha.

[irelynx]

lol, nice. I just went out & checked it, and filled it up to to the full cold line. We shall see how it fares. I'll just make it a habit to check all of my fluids every day before I leave.

[woody90gtz]

I had a steering rack blow apart and ran the pump dry, and yes it does sound like a supercharger. haha That pump was on the 95 and it's on the 91 now with no issues.

[irelynx]

So far, so good, as of yesterday. After adding fluid initially up to full cold, the next day I had to add about the same amount to get it to full cold again. However, yesterday when I chcked it didn't need any. The level was fine. I still have various other issues with the car, but I'll get those figured out & fixed eventually.