Half the guys at my shop swear by ATF in the power steering, other half says it'll kill the pump - I tried it on a 98 Civic and the whine got quieter but the pump started leaking a week later, what gives?

Dumped a little Dexron III in a buddy's Honda power steering reservoir because the fluid was low and it smoothed right out, but then a seal blew and now I'm wondering if that was just coincidence or if ATF actually eats those seals over time. Any of you guys run ATF long term without issues or am I just asking for a comeback job?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakotal1618d ago

Ran ATF in my old Accord for a solid 2 years before the pump finally gave out. Not saying it was the fluid that killed it, but the whine came back worse after a few months and I had to swap the whole thing. Your buddy's seal going out sounds like bad luck, but I've heard enough stories to just stick with the Honda stuff now.

hall.alex17d ago

My buddy Lou ran ATF in his 03 Civic for about 18 months and the steering got real heavy on a cold morning. He pulled into my driveway with fluid all over the ground and a pump that sounded like a dying cat. Ended up costing him more in labor than just buying the Honda stuff upfront would have.