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The manufacturers of cars and trucks,
domestic and foreign alike, tell their owners how to keep those vehicles in
peak operating condition. The manuals for the company's new vehicles routinely
explain the why's and how's of their maintenance...
Sort of. As a professional automotive technician,
you know that power steering fluid must be changed regularly, just as other crucial
fluids in the vehicle must,
and yet almost no original equipment manufacturer specifies routine changes of
the power steering fluid.
Why? Because OEMs have made no provisions in their designs to drain the
power steering system.
Power steering fluid is an oil,
and as with all oils, the fluid oxidizes and degrades over a period of time.
Heat takes its toll. Weather and
stress do their worst, but the principal cause of premature wear in the
power steering system,
and breakdown of power steering fluid, is contamination-
and contamination comes in large part from oxidation,
the interaction of foreign materials with oxygen in the fluid.
These oxidized particles of fluid combine with
flaked bits of hose material, and with metallic debris accumulated in the steering oil.
To make matters worse, most power steering systems are not equipped with
fluid filters to trap these
harmful substances. Finally, as more and more contaminants cluster in the
steering system fluid
under extremely high pressure, abrasion begins to scour its way through the
steering system's
pump, through its rack assembly. The pump begins to clatter.
Steering becomes erratic, especially when the system is cold.
Until finally, the entire mechanical system of the vehicle steering
collapses. It's a good rule,
especially if the replacement fluid is superior to the
current fluid in the system. BG Power Clean Kit
is specially formulated, containing highly effective ingredients not found
in ordinary steering fluid.
BG Power Clean will present system wear, prevent leaks,
and extend the system's useful life. But first,
the contaminated, worn-out fluid must be flushed from the power steering
system.
This is the BG 937 Power Steering Service Center, a simple but totally
effective tool for removing old steering fluid
and replacing it with clean, new, long-lasting
fluid and conditioner.
The service
itself is quick and easy to perform. As always, make sure all service hoses
cannot get entangled with moving parts of the engine,
and be sure to wear safety glasses while performing the service.
Please follow all instructions and requirements provided in the BG 937
Power Steering Service manual.
To begin, place a full container of the product labeled BG Power Clean Kit
into the side holder on the BG 937 Power Steering Service Center.
Make sure the air valve on the control block is closed,
and your air source is connected.
After placing an open container of BG Quick Clean,
part number 108, into the can holder, lift
the U-tube and rotate it into position, and lower it to the very bottom of the
can of BG Quick Clean.
Depending on the vehicle's power steering system,
choose the wand that best allows for the greatest diameter possible.
The wand of choice should be of sufficient length to reach the bottom of
the power steering reservoir.
Adapters that are non-flexible or are shorter in length are also available.
After attaching the longer wand to the outlet marked
"used" on the control block, attach the shorter wand to the inlet port marked
"new", and allow this wand to only reach inside the reservoir
without reaching the top of the reservoir's fluid level. Set the joystick
of the air valve control block at the middle of its range.
First, we'll exchange BG Quick Clean fluid with some of the old fluid by turning
the air valve on the control block
to the "on" position. You may adjust the reservoir level by pushing the stick
forward to lower the level,
or back to raise the level. When the can of BG Quick Clean is empty,
turn the air valve on the control block to the "off" position.
Replace the cap and run the engine for 15 minutes to allow the BG Quick Clean to
go to work.
During this cleaning cycle, turn the wheel from stop to stop several times
with the engine running,
to flush all of the system's components. To prepare for the fluid exchange,
plan on having someone turning it from stop to stop three to four times during
the exchange
to help remove all the old fluid. A word of caution:
do not allow the pump to growl continuously. Heat generated from this
condition may damage the vehicle
and the BG 937 Power Steering Service Center.
After the cleaning cycle is complete, lift the U-tube from the empty can of BG
Quick Clean
and rotate the tube into the BG Power Steering Service Kit container.
Place the wands back into the reservoir just as you did
to add cleaner. To begin exchanging new fluid for old,
turn the air valve on the control block to "on." To maintain the proper fluid level,
simply
adjust the joystick. If the exchange is faster than the normal flow of fluid
through the reservoir,
it can be slowed down by turning the air valve on the control block back towards
the "off" position. Just before the new fluid container runs dry,
turn the air valve on the control block to "off." You'll use the remaining fluid to
top off the system as required.
Remove the wand from the reservoir, but you can leave them attached to the
control block for insertion into the built-in storage funnel until the next
service.
Finally, double-check your fluid level
and replace the cap to complete the service.
For a quick removal of old fluid to another waste container,
remove the BG Quick Clean can and insert the end of the U-tube several inches
into the fitting in the bottom of the can holder.
You should remove the inlet wand from the control block to keep any used fluid
from cycling back into the waste jug.
Place the outlet wand of the control block
into a suitable waste container and push the joystick all the way to the "raise"
position.
Then, open the ball valve on the control block.
Used power steering fluid over time becomes oxidized,
dirty, and worn out. This, however, is a fluid sample we removed after several
days of driving following the installation of new fluid.
With BG Power Clean installed, its anti-wear agents are helping to prevent
wear in the spool valve housing, and in other components to the steering system.
Special
antioxidants are preventing fluid breakdown and extending the life and
lubricity of the fluid.
Meanwhile, sealed conditioners are keeping seals
pliable to prevent annoying and often harmful fluid leaks.
Changing power steering fluid is a necessary and valuable service for
vehicle owners,
and a profitable service for your facility.
The BG 937 Power Steering Service
is one of the complete line of preventive maintenance products and services in the
BG Maintenance Awareness Program. For more information on the BG MAP program,
including 150,000 mile warranties and roadside assistance,
contact your local BG distributor. BG Products, Incorporated:
Your partner in service success.