Help! Accidently put a small(ish) amount of oil in power steering resevior in UK mondeo

Usually it is red, have it flushed

If it was mine I wouldn't worry about it. If you feel you need to do something just get a turkey baster and use it to suck as much fluid as you can out of the pump reservoir and then refill it with real PS fluid. I saw one poster say it should be red but I have not seen red PS fluid in anything in a long time, all of mine are something between a honey color and brown color. Some people use the red automatic transmission fluid when they can find anything else and years ago the red ATF was what the manufactures put in too. My opinion of new stuff is to not use ATF.

A quick Google reveals posts to Ford newsgroups that indicate dark and dirty power steering fluid is not uncommon.

Obviously, the right thing to do is drain and flush the system.

But, if this car happens to be a low value car (you didn't mention year and mileage) you might try a less thorough solution. If you haven't started the motor yet, you could try getting a clear container and pouring some of the correct power steering fluid into the clear container. Then pour some of the same 5w-30 you actually added. If the 5w-30 floats on top of the power steering fluid, you could try getting a turkey baster and and sucking the sucking the 5-30w out of the PS reservoir.

I wouldn't. I tried Google to see if I could find any posts indicating that it was no big deal. Sorry to say, I found the opposite. But it was in regard to GM vehicles, not Ford. For what it's worth, here is that thread:

thanks all who replied. The car is 2002 so its worth sorting i think. I will drive it the short distance to the garage tomorrow and get it flushed.

Thanks for the prompt reply. newsgroups rock!

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Most, if not all, of the newer Fords use Mercon ATF. 2002 Escape, 2002 Focus, and 2002 Taurus owner's manuals call for it in the PS reservoirs. May be different for UK cars, but I wouldn't think so.

SC Tom

Ahh...and for those of us yanks...A "Mondeo" is a "Contour", but nicer. They don't build a Taurus equivalent in UK/Europe, so the Mondeos get all the nice stuff like the good coachwork, etc. Looks just like a Contour, tho...even the panel in the rear side windows...

And my $0.02...or would that be tuppence? I'd have already nicked the wife's turkey baster, sucked the pump dry, filled it with the right fluid, run a few minutes and repeat a few times. That'll accomplish most of what a flush will.

Then again, a PS flush may be more reasonably priced over there. Some things are. Many American's idea of a Timing/Cam belt change is "Sell the Car Before it Fails". While such services are commonplace and reasonably priced in the UK....they ain't over here, in the land of disposable cars.

--Don

Don Byrer KJ5KB Radar Tech & Smilin' Commercial Pilot Guy Glider & CFI wannabe kj5kb-at-hotmail.com

"I have slipped the surly bonds of earth; now if I can just land without bending the gear..." "Watch out for those doves..."

I know nothing is 100%. None of the several fords I've had used the ATF in the PS system, they all used a PS that was more or less the same color as oil. If the spec is the same maybe they just leave out the coloring and bump up the price.

This is kinda OT from the original question, but I always thought PS fluid and AT fluid were exactly the same stuff, except they put the red coloring in the AT fluid to help you differentiate between the two for finding leaks. Otherwise, it's the same. That's what I always thought, but I could be wrong.

~e.