Renewing the power steering fluid (you'll need two people)

• Raise the front of the car and support it on jack stands
• Pull the return hose (the smaller hose) off the power steering fluid reservoir
  • Have an appropriate cap or plug ready, to cap or plug the fitting on the reservoir
    • 3/8" inside diameter clear plastic tubing from Home Depot works fine - if you suspend the end above the reservoir, you won't need a plug.
  • be careful not to break the reservoir attachment plastic piece
    • the return hose can be extremely difficult to remove!
    • earlier models have a black plastic piece for hose connections - it gets brittle and breaks very easily (you might want to get a used spare one before trying to remove the hose on your existing one).  Later models have the hose connections molded into the reservoir and are much more resistant to breakage.
• Cap or plug the hose attachment tube on the reservoir, then put the extend the return hose into so you can put it into a catch container on the ground
  • a gallon milk jug or antifreeze jug will work
  • 7'16" outside diameter (I think) clear hose from Home Depot makes a fine extension hose so you can extend it down to a jug on the ground
  • Wedge a screwdriver or something into the jug opening to keep the hose from pressuring itself out of the jug (if it does, it will whip around, spray fluid everywhere and make a hell of a mess.  Trust me on this one!)
• Have three to four quarts of G.M. or Saab power steering fluid opened (with the seals removed) and within reach
• Have someone start the car and slowly cycle the steering wheel from lock to lock
  • pour new fluid into the reservoir as it is being pumped out
  • keep a steady flow of new fluid going until nearly all the new fluid has been added, then shut the engine off
• Remove the cap/plug from the reservoir fitting, then re-install the return hose onto the reservoir and tighten the clamp
• Start the engine again and slowly cycle the wheel from lock to lock several times to purge any air from the system
• Top the reservoir up to the Full Hot mark
• Lower the car and test drive it

• I have done this job by myself by modifying the procedure.  I fill the reservoir to the brim, get in the car, start the engine, cycle the steering wheel from one lock to the other about as fast as I can, then shut off the engine and go top up the reservoir.  Going from one lock to the other, and doing it pretty briskly at that, will just about empty the reservoir.  It's a lot less work if you have someone else to crank the wheel while you add fluid.

NOTE: While the wheel is being cycled lock-to-lock, listen for clacking sounds from the strut towers; such noise indicates worn strut bearings.  Depending on the amount of wear, replacement may or may not be necessary (if it doesn't affect the way the car drives or steers, it should be OK).  Generally, the strut bearings need only be replaced when shocks are replaced.

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