Questions and Answers

Ford Taurus Power Steering Fluid Flush Q. Dear Vincent, I like you already! If my daughter Rebecca had been a boy, her name would have been Vincent! I have a 1999 Ford Taurus Wagon, automatic transmission, ABS brakes, power steering, air conditioning, and cruise control with 66,000 mostly freeway miles.

I took the car into the Ford dealership in Santa Barbara, California and they recommended that I flush the power steering fluid. I said okay and paid for it, $99.95 plus tax.

The next visit the technician checked the fluid and said it was dirty and I need to flush it. Hmmmm. I said, "I did that 6,000 miles ago." Tech said, "They must not have gotten all of the oil out. We'll do it again today."

A half an hour later the tech comes into the waiting room and says the machine is broken and they'll do it next time.

My questions are:

1. Is this necessary? I don't remember doing this for any other car.
2. I could not find this maintenance item in the Scheduled Maintenance Guide.
3. Could they have flushed it and the fluid is "oily" only 6,000 miles later?
4. If this is a scam, how do you recommend I get my money back?

Thank you,
Cynthia

A. Well Cynthia, there was "A Boy Named Sue", why not a girl named Vincent?

1. Flushing the power steering system is only necessary if a power steering pump went bad and there is debris in the power steering system.

2. You won't. It is not a maintenance item.

3. This is quite possible. Many times I have changed the oil in a car and after running for five minutes, the oil will look like it has never been changed.

4. It is not a "scam" per se. it is a way for a service department to generate revenue and pay for that power steering flush machine Ford says they have to have.

Under normal conditions power steering fluid doesn't really have to be changed. Cars go for 200,000 miles and 25 years with the same power steering fluid with no adverse effects.

If the power steering fluid looks grungy to me, as far as I go is to suck out whatever fluid I can get in the tank and just refill with fresh fluid. That's all it will need.

Added 7/18/03

Hi Vince, Thought I would follow up on the power steering fluid flush story. I tried calling the Ford dealer several times about a refund. After being put on hold and never being connected to a person in service, I gave up on the phone.

I was in town last week and thought I'd give it one last try. I stopped by the dealer and after explaining the problem to several service people, the Service Manager agreed to credit my VISA!

They were pretty friendly and did not hassle me about this. A big surprise! I'll probably never know if the machine was broken in January, but I have my money back.

Thanks for your support,
Cynthia