85 300D
i will be changing my power steering fluid soon, and i was wondering if i should go ahead and change the filter too. if so, how do i go about accomplishing this? i bought 1 quart of MB power steering fluid from the dealer...he said it would be enough to change it. is this correct?
thanks

Yes, change the filter. No need to run clean fluid through a dirty filter. The filter is at the bottom of the fluid reservoir. Usually held in by a spring. Easier to see once the fluid is removed.

You can get at the filter by unscrewing the off-white plastic center post in the resevoir. The filter is at the bottom and just lifts out.

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LRG
1987 300D Turbo 175K
2006 Toyota Prius, efficent but no soul
1985 300 TDT(130K miles of trouble free motoring)now sold

If you're fluid is really nasty, you may want to consider flushing the PS setup... to get all the gunk out of there.

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

I use a "suction gun"...

I suck out the reservoir and pour in fresh fluid. Run the car a little and repeat a couplr times. Then I just ass a new filter.

That will get most of the old fluid out.

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1987 300TDT
1981 VW MKI Caddy 1.6 diesel, waiting on engine swap
1983 D-50 Power Ram 4x4 "Mitsubishi" 2.3 turbo diesel
assorted gas powered crap and motorcycles

RIP: 1984 300TDT, 1982 300TDT, 1984 190D 2.2, 1992 300D 2.5, 1987 300TDT, 1982 Maxima LD28, 1983 Maxima LD28, Isuzu C223 P'ups X3, 1983 Holiday Rambler 6.2 Banks turbo diesel, 1984 Winnebago LeSharo 2.1 TD, 1985 Allegro 6.5

If the parts guy at the dealer did not tell you to change the filter when he sold you the fluid he is not doing his job. If you are concerned about the added expense you could use good quality Dexron 3 AT fluid in place of the MB fluid. You can exchange it when you pickup the filter.....

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Bill Reimels
Now down to one:
1972 300SE 3.5 W109 (Euro delivery)

Here is an alternate fluid exchange procedure I use for all my vehicles. You'll need a helper. The steps are rather simple.

1. Lift front tires off the ground.
2. Disconnect the ps return line, drain ps reservoir.
3. Plug open connection at the reservoir.
4. Secure the return line to a generously-sized container (at least one gallon). If needed, add a length of hose.
5. Fill reservoir.
6. Line up your bottles of new fluid for quick pouring.
Here comes the fun part...
7. Have helper turn car on, and immediately have him go through full range of steering motion (left and right) and shut off car, all the while you are trying to keep the reservoir filled.
8. Button everything back up.
9. Clean up mess.
10. Top off fluid.

The front tires must be off the ground so the system is unloaded, otherwise a lot of fluid is pumped out with a lot of force. The return line must be secured to prevent a big mess. You'll probably use two quarts for this procedure. Make sure you have enough on hand. The helper must know what they are doing.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

Go with what Kestas told you to do. Unhook the return line to the pump and have an assistant turn the wheel back and forth and keep adding new fluid of about 2 quarts worth. That should flush all the old fluid out into a drain pan. Then rehook the hose and top fluid off. Dont run pump dry!

I would not reccomend using transmission fluid. The additives are different than the good old Bilstein PS Fluid. I think they are bad on the rubber o rings in the pump. I know, because I am presently rebuilding my own PS pump. Most euro parts shops carry the Bilstein fluid. It is a synthetic. Stick with the original. And use a quality Mann filter.

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1982 300SD Light Blue
2002 Honda Accord SE
1974 Toro Wheel Horse Tractor
2000 Toyota Tundra Pickup

will i need to replace the reservoir gasket and p/s seal as well?

if so...which p/s seal do i buy?

one is listed as Elring 20 X 42 X 7mm, another as Elring 19.05 x 33.33 x 7.93mm, and yet another as European 19.05 x 33.33 x 7.93mm

Ass a new filter, that's new to me! I use a turkey baster... as most of the time good help is hard to find that doesn't want food or beer or both in exchange for halfassed labor.

I've noticed if you change it a few times and run it, drive it then keep changing it... in about a week it's much cleaner.

Tho' I don't believe I've ever seen clear PS fluid in a PS system before. Just very light amber colored.





A new gasket for the top isn't a bad idea, aren't they around $2-3? The front seal shouldn't need replacement on a PS flush.

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

Any chance you could provide a picture of this procedure?

BoostnBenz did a great job describing the p/s filter and fluid change here
http://mbdieseldiy.tripod.com/ps.htm
I followed these instructions and it was a breeze, even as a novice DIYer. I didn't even use an assistant, just hit the "engine stop". It is also a good idea to use the safety glasses, the fluid can splash around a bit.

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1982 Mercedes-Benz 300SD 210k miles

I'll try to ASSner some questions

Usually the PS filter comes with a new gasket for the cover.

No picture of the suction gun but WM and AZ carry them for about $10. Looks like a grease gun or big shot needle. Stick the hose it and pull back on the handle, it will suck about a quart.

"PS" fliud is usually clear. Most manuals call for ATF in the PS system. ATF and PS fluid are mostly nothing more than hydraulic fluid. Traditionally hyd fluid is colored red for identification. Help to prevent hyd leaks from being confused for oil leaks.

"PS" fluid is basically clear ATF, but repackaged and sold at a higher price.

There are probably some subtle differences between ATF and PS fluid. Either is probably going to be just fine for 99% of PS systems.

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1987 300TDT
1981 VW MKI Caddy 1.6 diesel, waiting on engine swap
1983 D-50 Power Ram 4x4 "Mitsubishi" 2.3 turbo diesel
assorted gas powered crap and motorcycles

RIP: 1984 300TDT, 1982 300TDT, 1984 190D 2.2, 1992 300D 2.5, 1987 300TDT, 1982 Maxima LD28, 1983 Maxima LD28, Isuzu C223 P'ups X3, 1983 Holiday Rambler 6.2 Banks turbo diesel, 1984 Winnebago LeSharo 2.1 TD, 1985 Allegro 6.5

I flushed my power steering a bit (origional filter...272kmiles).
It was BROWN, the filter fell apart when I took it out.
The new fluid I put in was red...now its brown...is that action of the power steering or is that mixing with my old nasty stuff?
Just curious.

Brandon

I'm guessing the additives in the new fluid had a cleaning effect on the deposits not flushed out from from your earlier procedure. I assume you did the flush with the engine running and turned the steering wheel through full range of motion.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K