It wasn’t that long ago that if a component in the power steering system failed, that was the only time the fluid in the system was ever changed. For many years there was no way to change the fluid other than crude removal of lines & hoses… Research has shown that fluid depletion is the number one cause of system failure. As the fluid breaks down and becomes depleted and oxidized it begins to eat away at lines hoses and seals from the inside out. As it slowly eats away these vital rubber organs it leaves behind tiny fragments that contaminate and eventually ruin a system such as pumps, gear boxes lines hoses and rack/pinion units.

Today’s power steering system is very sophisticated that operates at very high pressures and temperatures which over time both of these have adverse effects on fluid performance. Some vehicles have computer controlled variable progressive power assisted systems which depend on good clean fluid for proper operation.