[wiswind]

After posting about the Redline D4 ATF, I looked up the different years of Sienna on the application tool on the Redline website.
They call for the D4 in the transmissions in all years of Sienna, including 2011.

Many ATF fluids are multi-spec'ed, in that meeting the T-IV, they also meet Dexron III and II.
I prefer a synthetic fluid.
If you want to track down the OEM fluid that is clear, that would work.
HOWEVER, I would advise against buying a generic "power steering" fluid that does not at LEAST list the Dexron III specification on the bottle.......in your quest to purchase a clear fluid.

I try to make it easier.......only needing to purchase 1 fluid type, the power steering does not take much fluid, and doing a small upgrade in the quality of fluid in there.
Of course, one that is thinking of changing the power steering fluid is quite a bit ahead of the vast majority of people.

 

[Old Crows]

Thanks Wiswind! I got out my Pella 6000 'oil sucker' and vacuumed the P/S fluid out of the reservoir. I disconnected the big fat hose and stuck the 'snozzle' in as far as I could get it and sucked out a whole bunch more fluid. I put the hose back and re-filled it with my remaining Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle ATF (its DEXRON III OK). When I started the car the P/S pump moaned for about a minute and it produced quite a bit of aerated fluid in the reservoir. Looked like Strawberry Mousse!!! I added some more and it stopped complaining and the lower part of the fluid in the reservoir was nice and clear. I siphoned some excess out of the reservoir leaving the fluid at the "MIN - COLD" mark.

The old P/S fluid was originally a light pee yellow. After 58500 miles it was really dark and nasty looking. Glad I changed it out.

One of those vacuum oil changers is the only way to go .... absolutely no work in this project and no spills!!!

 

[steelcity]

I've read somewhere that in the power racks the o rings and seals degrade a bit and contaminate the p/s fluid a little which causes the dirty fluid and changing it out is a great idea in maintaining/preserving the rack and pump . However............... How often do you hear of a rack going bad............However it is so simple and easy to replace it ,as well as the brake fluid,even the simple turkey baster method .Kudos to Toyota for putting the p/s reserve and brake fluid in easy to reach areas .Why can't they put the oil filter......Oh wait GM tried that and it was a failure.

 

[slickracer]

Wanted to bump this to the top......I'd like to do a turkey baster refresh on the power steering fluid. I'm not totally convinced the existing fluid is ATF based upon the smell. The fluid smells exactly like normal power steering fluid. Has anyone purchased fluid from the dealer...if so did they give you power steering fluid or ATF?

 

[ybre]

My Toyota dealer gave me ATF

 

[wiswind]

The return hose on the resevoir will not be high pressure, but it will flow pretty fast.
Make sure to get the return line, and not the supply line that goes from the resevior to the pump.

Color of the fluid.......some have reported a clear color to the fluid (mine was amber when I got mine at 7 years old).
It is ATF, but they did not put the red dye into it.

 

[hipertec]

sorry for the bump but my 2004 Sienna Power Steering fluid is black in color. there is a rubber hose that goes from the bottom of the resevoir.
1. Can I pull this hose off and have the black fluid from the reservoir flow out? Is this the best way?
2. on the cap it states, Dextron AFT (no numbers)...can someone recommend a AFT that I can get from Pep Boys or Autozone to use?
3. any other suggestions to making this fluid change?

 

[tbalon]

Hey all just wanted to add my experience that I had flushing my power steering fluid.

My 07 Sienna now has about 140k mi on it and yes I know, I probably waited far too long to change the PS fluid. But as it happened, I noticed the other day while doing an oil change that the PS boot on the passenger side was oily. While I did not notice any holes in the boot, I felt it was a good idea to go ahead and check the PS fluid and its condition. It was just slightly below the cold level. I then sampled a little on a white towel and found the oil to be very dirty compared to the new fluid which was clear.

I used the Valvoline Max Life with stop leak. This fluid states it is formulated for use in Toyota and other foreign makes. I also liked the idea of the stop leak in case the seal was starting to weep a bit. I bought 2 qts and used both of them to do the flush.

I started by driving the car a bit to get the fluid warm.
I then jacked up the front of the van until the front wheels were both just barely touching the ground.

With the engine off… I put a drip pan under the van to catch any leaks. I also put several rags in and around the reservoir to try to keep any spills off of the serpentine belt.

I used a small old plastic container and placed it near the reservoir. I then carefully disconnected the return line to the reservoir (smaller dia. line) and let it drain into the container.

I then capped the reservoir hose port with a small plastic cap like the ones used on the end of small copper tubbing to keep out dirt during shipping.

I then connected a nylon 3/8 in hose coupling to the return line and then ran a short 5 ft section of clear plastic hose from the other end of the coupling to a drain bucket on the ground.

I then filled the reservoir with new fluid and without starting the van I turned the wheel slowly to the right. As I did I watched the clear plastic fill with the dirty fluid as it made its way over the passenger fender out to the drain bucket. I was careful to make sure that the reservoir level stayed high enough to not allow air to be sucked into the system. This would be a great time to have a buddy help you. Since I did it alone I kept turning the wheel a little and then getting out to add fluid and repeated this until I had turned the wheels stop to stop about 3 times. That was all I needed to get clear fluid flowing through the clear tubing.

I then simply disconnected the clear tubing and then removed the small tubing cap I installed on the reservoir and reconnected the return line and hose clamp. I topped off the reservoir and removed the rags, cleaned up any drips and then started the van and went lock to lock a couple more times to be sure there was no air in the system and then let it down off the jack and took it for a test drive.

With the new fluid the steering was very smooth and felt like a new van! (just a hair stiffer than previously). I really like the feel with the new fluid and am hoping that the leak sealer will help to stop the leak near the boot.

Hope this method helps a few of you… It can be a bit messy (wear gloves) but it is easy and gets nearly 100% of the old fluid out. Just take your time and get a buddy to help if you can. (Sorry no pics...camera crapped out on me.)

 

[RobbW]

Hey all. Sorry for dredging up an old thread. However, I need to know if I messed up my power steering fluid. We just recently purchased a used, but very well maintained, 2004 Sienna XLE LTD. A couple days ago while checking engine fluids, I noticed that the power steering fluid reservoir was pretty low. I had just returned from running errands when I checked it. So the engine was hot. Looking at the reservoir, the current level of the fluid was well below the Cold Minimum level. Well, this most likely explained the awful, loud winding noise I was hearing when I started my Sienna. Being a complete newb to DIY vehicle maintenance, I immediately ran to AutoZone and picked up a bottle of Pennzoil Power Steering Fluid. Why wouldn't I? I'm filling the power steering fluid reservoir, right?! Anyway, I came out of AutoZone following my purchase and filled the reservoir to the proper level. From that moment on, I have not heard the awful noise anymore!

Of course, now I come to these threads and read that the Sienna apparently uses transmission fluid for the PS, NOT regular PS fluid?!?! Why would they have to go and confuse a poor fool like me? So, my question is did I do something that is going to ruin my car? Do I need to immediately flush out the PS fluid and replace it with this Dextron ATF stuff? If so, what exactly do I need to get? Thanks!

 

[fibber2]

Will the cup or so that you added make a huge difference? Tough call here. My shop manual calls for Dextron II or III to be used in the PS system.

If you google the Pennzoil Power Steering data sheet, it says: Check owner’s manual for correct fluid type recommended. Not all automobile manufacturers recommend power steering fluid, some require transmission or engine oil.

On the next page, it lists approved vehicles for their PS fluid, and Toyota is not among them. The page after that is a listing of all those that require an ATF (Dextron/Mercon), and Toyota is present (although not up thru our years... Old list??).

If you are really concerned, consider following the excellent set of instructions that tbalon provide in the post prior to yours.

 

[RobbW]

So, I had to refill my PS fluid again. I learned from my mistake last time about using "regular" PS fluid rather than the ATF the owner's manual calls for. I headed to my local auto store and picked up some Dextron III ATF. Everything is fine and dandy now. No problems... other than now I'm wondering if I should really have to be filling up the PS fluid this often? This past weekend, I was running lots of errands. So, my engine was hot when I checked the PS fluid. Again, the level was significantly lower than the Cold Minimum line. I have never actually had to fill my PS fluid in any vehicle I owned in the past. So, having my PS fluid get so low in just a few months kind of worries me. This would make me think I possibly have a PS leak somewhere. However, I have NEVER noticed any fluid stains or puddles on the ground under my Sienna. Is the Sienna prone to eating PS fluid? This can't be normal, right?

 

[samilcar]

It does seem odd that you are having to add fluid after so short a time. I would continue to keep checking the fluid level and filling as necessary for the short term. You might have to look into getting a "stop leak" additive or fluid (or just continue to check and add fluid as necessary). Keep us posted.

 

[thanwu]

I used the regular Valvoline power steering fluid from Advance Auto parts. Do you think it will cause problem?

Thanks,

 

[jc]

You should be ok. Just keep an eye on the fluid level.

Regards, JC.

 

[thanwu]

You should be ok. Just keep an eye on the fluid level.

Regards, JC.

Many thanks, JC! I am preparing my 06 Sienna XLE for Yellow stone trip next month. This is the first time I replaced the power steering fluid in this vehicle. I replaced all the fluid in the power steering reservoir and hope that will be lasting a while.

 

[jkowtko]

Many thanks, JC! I am preparing my 06 Sienna XLE for Yellow stone trip next month. This is the first time I replaced the power steering fluid in this vehicle. I replaced all the fluid in the power steering reservoir and hope that will be lasting a while.

Check your power steering fluid reservoir cap. If it says "Use Dexron ATF", and the Valvoline PS fluid you bought doesn't say it's "Dexron II/III" compatible, then you may have the wrong fluid in there.

General PS fluids can be based on plain mineral oil, which (according to the Toyota Parts guys) will dry out the rubber seals in a PS system that requires Dexron ATF. The probably can take several weeks or months to develop, but as I see it's about three months since your last post ...

 

[Rojeda1217]

I have recently did the poor mans flush.i baught a gallon of fluid that the dealership sells for the sienna.I have an 04. I jacked the front up off the ground amd put stands on the sides of the van. I Stuffed 2 rags at the bottom of the resavoirI pulled the smaller hose off the resavoir and had a soup can collect all the fluid out. I capped the resavoirs small side with a pipe cap and electrical tape(was generous with tape)
I then took the hose coming off of it,slipped in a 1/2 inch shark bite brass cupling for pex, took a 3/4 I.d. hose I had laying around,connected to that power steering hose to a vented milk gallon(vented as in 2 holes poked at the top of the milk gallon).i filled the resavoir almost to the top(past hot max )went in the van,(without starting the van)turned the wheel all the way to the left and right,got out the van and refilled the resavoir with fresh fluid. I did this procedure at least several times before the fluid became hydrated piss yellow.put the hose back on the resavoir, refilled to cold max,went back in the van.turned left to right 5 times,went back out,filled it back up to cold max.went back and did 2. 10 set turns left to right before the air stopped.I started the van up after getting it off the stands and on the ground. After the belt squealed and moaned for a split second, it was quieter than what it was.hopefullly after driving it for a while it will get quieter.The picture is the old fluid.

 

[jkowtko]

You have a 2004 Sienna? What does it say on the PS reservoir cap? I found three manuals for the 2004 model year ... all say to use Dexron II/III (Dexron ATF). I don't think clear/yellow fluid is Dexron ATF ... however the "dirty" fluid you took out (the left bottle in your pic I assume?) does appear to look more like Dexron ...

What does the label on the bottle the dealership sold you say?

 

[Rojeda1217]

 

[Rojeda1217]

The dealership was selling me the much smaller bottles over the years. When the mechanic changed the rack the last time I went to the dealer because my previous rack had type 4 used to fill and shook during turning.eventually seals went and started to leak everywhere.the dealer sold this to me telling me thats the fluid the sienna uses.when the rack was replaced, I used the johnsen's and had no issue.the pump started making noise after mechanic changed the high pressure hose(it was made in a hydraulics shop. I think the hose might be defective maybe because i never had that noise before)that fluid is supposed to be clear and it came out like that