I first noticed my truck was hard to steer while going slow and turning into a parking spot.
Checked fluid and well barely a dot on the bottom of the stick. :'(
Then I grabbed the Power steering fluid from the shelf ... ugh now I know that is very wrong .. I needed to put ATF-4 in .. I have that now. When I drove home the steering felt tight the whole trip no matter what speed I was at. Not as hard as slow and parking .. just a little "arm-strong steering" is how I can explain it.
Since adding the new "bad power steering fluid" it is remaining topped up??
I am just confused what to do next. Drain/flush and replace with the proper ATF-4? .. or just get a new/used pump and replace the whole thing. I am not hearing any unusual noise under the hood.
Also how much am I messing things up by continuing to drive .. (in case I need to go buy the pump) Thanks in advance, Jan

 

You have a leak somewhere to have lost that much, so I'd concentrate on finding it. Remember to bleed the system. Air will cause inconsistencies.

When is the last time you did a drain n fill on the tranny? I used my old ATF to flush out the old standard ps fluid, before filling it with new ATF+4.

 

Could be a bad rack as well. Check to see if the rack is seeping fluid, my 04 1500 needed a rack at around 120k due to sealing issues.

 

Thanks for responding. It has been a good month now since I added the bad fluid. Only driven max. 200 miles though. Level is not dropping that is why I am confused. Just unsure if I should go ahead with a flush and proper fluid or just bite the bullet and buy a new pump.
I have never done a tranny flush. Replaced my alternator but nothing else.

 

Must read more about this (rack), hoping its not the problem. ThankYou

 

Bleed the air. With engine off, lift front end off ground and remove the reservoir cap. Turn steering wheel lock to lock 20 - 30 times. Replace cap. See if that helps. If not, replace the fluid as you may have a bad mixture going on.

To drain the system... some people use turkey baster method, I disconnected the lines down at the rack. After it drained, I turned the wheel a bunch of time (hoses disconnected) and it spat out a bunch of fluid from the rack. That's when I filled with with used ATF (to purge the old standard fluid), circulated it, drained it again and refilled with fresh ATF+4. Repeat the air bleed above.

 

Thanks so much. I have seen the procedure on youtube so I should be able to manage. Just not sure how much ATF-4 I will need. I think I best grab another quart or even 2. Shame to waste but clearly important. I'll get a hose clamp too just in case. If this corrects the problem I will be very happy. Best place to start for sure.

 

You'll need 3 quarts. Walmart ATF+4 will do just fine.