99 Nissan Maxima, automatic transmission fluid for power steering fluid?

I have found several sources that say the two are equivalent.

I've use ATF in the power steering for years. It has never caused any problems for me.

Dexron III IS transmission fluid so you are safe.

Sounds good.

If it's Dexron III or equivalent, which most ATF is these days.

It's probably a good idea to change it out. You don't _need_ to do it, but odds are your seals will last longer if you do. Make sure to bleed all the air out.

--scott

Can you clarify "bleed all the air out"?

I am going to use a turkey baster to suck out the current fluid, and put the new one in. Do you mean wait for the bubbles to come out before closing the cap?

Raymond

I can't because the last Nissan product I worked on was a B210. But the Haynes manual should have a complete procedure for doing the job.

A turkey baster? Won't that take a few years? There should be a way to drain it from the rack, I think. The Haynes will tell you for sure..

--scott

There is no prescribed interval to change it in the Nissan FSM. They don't even list the capacity in the maintenance schedules. But if you insist, it won't hurt anything to change it.

The turkey baster will take a lot of basting to actually change it.

The preferred method is to disconnect the return hose at the reservoir (and route it into some sort of receptacle), start the engine and let it pump out while adding to the reservoir and simultaneously turning the wheels from stop to stop (this is easier on the car if you raise the front end so the wheels are not on the ground) until you are pumping through new fluid. Try not to let the reservoir go empty. After you reconnect the return hose to the reservoir, fill it, start the engine and turn the wheels from stop to stop some more until all the air in the system bleeds up into the reservoir. Top off again. Keep checking and topping off for the next several days as more air works its way out.