PSF-3 power steering fluid; 2004 Santa Fe

I found this: PSF-3 = Petrolium base Special Fluid 3. Not Power Steering 3. It may or may not be used in many hydraulic fluid requiring systems due to its CHEM formula and specs it meets or does not for them. And in this case is so close to DEX it makes no difference. So you can use DEX-II or now retro active DEX-III. DEX-IV is para synth (blend) and can not be used. And DEX-V is full synth and can not nor DEX-VI.

There is also now a PSF4 and should not be mixed with PSF-3

Thanks. I've been Googling like crazy since last night and I keep coming up with different answers. A lot of people just write, "I've been using, or I always use, blah, blah, blah and never had a problem" etc. That doesn't help much since I would rather know what Hyundai uses or says that I should use now that PSF-3 is apparently no longer available.

Some say to just use generic power steering fluid (that's what I bought yesterday, but I don't know if I should use that). And, I think that is petroleum based. I don't know what ATF is made of or if it is petroleum based.

One person wrote that the dealership told him NOT to use ATF (or Dexron whatever) and to use any clear or amber colored power steering fluid -- not anything red. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find where I saw that yesterday. The generic power steering fluid that I bought yesterday is clear/amber.

The bottom line is that I am still lost and don't know what to use.

In case it helps, I just posted this question on May 10, 2015 on:

with the subject heading: "Power Steering Fluid type? 2004 Santa fe". It is posted by "ljp" -- which is me.

On that forum, one person just replied:

"They now use PSF-4 which is synthetic and you can "upgrade" to it. There is a TSB on this. I believe it is SP IV transmission fluid without the dye but not 100% sure."

And, I wrote back:

"Thanks. I wonder if there is any way to locate that TSB online. My next trick will be to find PSF-4 power steering fluid. I just did a search online and I found these two links for one product and its Data Sheet:

I'll also try looking in local auto parts stores for PSF-4 power steering fluid.

And, finally, I can try a Hyundai dealership."

Okay, I'm having a great conversation with myself on this topic. Here's the latest chapter.

I went to my Hyundai dealership parts department and asked them about power steering fluid for my vehicle. They agreed that my manual says to use PSF-3 power steering fluid but that it is no longer available. They said they now use PSF-4, and they showed me a 12-ounce bottle of Hyundai Power Steering Fluid PSF-4, Part No: 00232-19020.

I asked if I could get PSF-4 anywhere else and they said yes, at any auto parts place, or at Wal-Mart, or wherever. I said that when I go there, I don't see anything that says PSF-4, and he said that it usually says PSF-4 on the back label. I said that I have been looking and haven't seen PSF-4 on the back labels of any of the power steering fluids at AutoZone, Pep Boys, Advance Auto Parts, etc. He said it doesn't matter if it doesn't say PSF-4 anywhere on the label. He said any ordinary brand of power steering fluid is fine -- I can use that -- all that it needs to say is "power steering fluid" on the front. He said the only exception is for Honda vehicles. There is a special fluid for Honda vehicles, but that any ordinary power steering fluid is fine for my 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe. And, again, he said that I could go anywhere and buy it -- Wal-Mart or anywhere else.

Then he gave me the 12 ounce bottle of Hyundai PSF- 4 Power Steering Fluid that he had in his hand and said I could keep it -- no charge. Nice touch.

And, looking on the back of the Advance Auto Parts power steering fluid that I bought recently it says, "Recommended for complete fluid replacement or top-off in most passenger cars and light duty trucks. For use in GM, Ford, and Chrysler vehicles. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN HONDA VEHICLES."

That's the same thing that the Advance Auto Parts salesman said -- as long as my vehicle is not a Honda, the ordinary generic power steering fluid that I bought is fine for my Hyundai Santa Fe. And, that's the same as what the Hyundai dealership parts person said.

So, I think that is my final answer. I am just going to use any ordinary power steering fluid, and not worry about it saying PSF-4.

Sorry for taking so long to respond. PSF-3 is Dexron ATF.

Thanks Hyundaitech.

Now I am a little more confused. I have read so many different answers on this that I don't know what the whole story is. And, it does seem strange that it is so hard to get one commonly accepted answer on this.

Some people posted elsewhere that they thought PSF-3 was probably the same as Dexron III ATF. But, others said their Hyundai dealership told them not to use ATF (Dexron) in the power steering.

Here's what I wrote previously that I was told when I went to my local Hyundai dealership parts person:

"I went to my Hyundai dealership parts department and asked them about power steering fluid for my vehicle. They agreed that my manual says to use PSF-3 power steering fluid but that it is no longer available. They said they now use PSF-4, and they showed me a 12-ounce bottle of Hyundai Power Steering Fluid PSF-4, Part No: 00232-19020.

I asked if I could get PSF-4 anywhere else and they said yes, at any auto parts place, or at Wal-Mart, or wherever. I said that when I go there, I don't see anything that says PSF-4, and he said that it usually says PSF-4 on the back label. I said that I have been looking and haven't seen PSF-4 on the back labels of any of the power steering fluids at AutoZone, Pep Boys, Advance Auto Parts, etc. He said it doesn't matter if it doesn't say PSF-4 anywhere on the label. He said any ordinary brand of power steering fluid is fine -- I can use that -- all that it needs to say is "power steering fluid" on the front. He said the only exception is for Honda vehicles. There is a special fluid for Honda vehicles, but that any ordinary power steering fluid is fine for my 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe. And, again, he said that I could go anywhere and buy it -- Wal-Mart or anywhere else.

Then he gave me the 12 ounce bottle of Hyundai PSF- 4 Power Steering Fluid that he had in his hand and said I could keep it -- no charge. Nice touch.

And, looking on the back of the Advance Auto Parts power steering fluid that I bought recently it says, "Recommended for complete fluid replacement or top-off in most passenger cars and light duty trucks. For use in GM, Ford, and Chrysler vehicles. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN HONDA VEHICLES."

That's the same thing that the Advance Auto Parts salesman said -- as long as my vehicle is not a Honda, the ordinary generic power steering fluid that I bought is fine for my Hyundai Santa Fe. And, that's the same as what the Hyundai dealership parts person said.

So, I think that is my final answer. I am just going to use any ordinary power steering fluid, and not worry about it saying PSF-4."

That Hyundai dealership didn't say to use Dexron III ATF, so now I am lost again. I must be missing something here.

In my experience, the parts personnel are confused. They have Hyundai bottl es that use the labels PSF-4 and some other less conventional stuff, but no thing that says PSF-3. When I ask them for Dexron to put in power steering, they keep trying to give me SP-III.

replying to TomR, montecristo wrote: Thank you so much you really took the time and you respond to all my questions I really appreciated

replying to hyundaitech, Lawrence Armstrong wrote: I know this discussion is two years past but thank you from the future your information is still helping