Focus fluid oddness

Is that a bright easily distinguishable red like the coolant or just an oil with a tinge of red ? ... I dipped a cotten wool bud in an it came out black weirdly.

SteveH pretended :

I've had a number of Fords over the years, along with lots of other makes and I've found them to be pretty good motors. I have not regretted buying any one of them, apart from the collapsing inner wings of the Cortinas - but is going back rather a lot of years.

I think for peace fo mind I'll do that.

Whats the simplest way of draining it. Shall I use something like a baster to suck the fluid out of the resevoir ? then refil it with the right stuff.

Or follow that hose at the bottom of the resevoir there are 2 a smaller one and a bigger one.... follow those see where they connect and disconnect and let it all drain it like that. If that is do-able from crawling underneath ?

Also when refilling to bleed the system, do you run the car with the bonet up, and power steering tank cap open moving the steering from left to right. Or do you do it with the tank closed etc.

I've ordered a haynes manual but it will take a week to get to me the estimated delivery time so I hope I'm not imposing by asking.

new stuff will be quite distinctly red , old stuff gets murkier

Probably about half of the total will be in the reservoir. Disconnecting hoses may put you into all sorts of pain. suck out as much as you can and refill, this way there will be no bleeding necessary.

I appreciate the information Mrc. I guess as its black it must be burnt. May even well be the right stuff just well worn. Seems the simplest method of removing it is basically sucing out as much from the power steering resevoir and adding new stuff. Then repeat again after a week. Do you reckon thats ok ?

Gotcha, ignore my other post. I see the best way for me is to suck out the fluid top up and repeat after a week till I have clean red liquid in there. I guess this way less chance of me stuffing it up and fresh fluid getting in although initially mixed with old stuff, but eventually it'll be cleaner, or cleaner than it was. I guess more fluid will be used but safer this way for my basic skills.