Someone can chew on me if they want. Right now the car has Wal-Mart SuperTech power steering fluid in it. It sure beats the water-contaminated dirty red-brown fluid it was filled with when I purchased the car, and it no longer whines.

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- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread

The V-Belt/serpentine belt rule of thumb is flawed. If you have a p/s system of the seventies or eighties do NOT use ATF in spite of what the owners manual said. When they wrote the owners manual, they had no crystal ball that told them that ATF would go through changes that would cause it to attack seals in the p/s system.

Make life simple for yourself and use p/s fluid from the parts store.

ive been using dextron III in my p/s pump for over a year now, it seems to be doing fine, no whining no odd sounds..

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Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

As long as they would add one additional commandment for you to keep thy religion to thyself.
George Carlin (Wonder where he is now..)

1981 240d (engine donor 1983 240d) recently rebuilt engine hurray! - No more.. fought a tree and the tree won.

pearl black 1983 240d 4speed (Converted!@$$%) atleast the tranny was rebuilt.

Type F atf. Did a complete change out of the fluid (and a new filter) when I baselined the car at 76k when I bought it. Suction out the reservoir every 5000 and fill with fresh.

The pump had a slight leak when I bought it (was spraying the hood pad). Leak is now stopped - so now I can put the new hood pad on!

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2009 VW TDI Jetta Sportwagon 172k miles (rear-ended harder than Elton John on 8/4/13. Total loss)

1991 Volvo 240 142k miles (T-boned by a stop sign runner. Total loss)

Yes, the seal degradation does take a period of time. Before I was aware of the ATF problem, I used Dexron in my 240D. It took a few years, but then it gradually started leaking at multiple places.

Why is it so hard to understand that power steering fluid is for power steering systems?

That example is well outside the meaning of "backward compatible."

Count me in for Valvoline synpower today. Drained it and added a quart of it, ran it and it was still nasty! Drained it again, filled it up and well see what happens.

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

I sucked it all out with my pump. Changed the filter. Filled with Valvoline MaxLife DEX/MERC. Drove to the store.
Removed the filter, sucked it all out again. Replaced filter refilled. We'll see. Car has 105,000. Doubt the filter or the fluid has ever been changed.

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85 300TD FED-Daily
84 300SD-Wife's
86 XJS-Sunday
66 GMC-Work- Given to my stepson
83 BMW Airhead- Given to my stepson

I use the standard Valvoline P/S fluid....the non synthetic stuff, it works great.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Febi from Fastlane Phil.

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Kevin

1978 300D
1979 240D