91 300 TE hydraulic reservoir...empty
 

I just bought back a wagon I'd owned for ten years and sold two years ago... it's an old friend and served me well, however when I got it back and started the process to make her roadworthy I found a mess of things wrong and this is one of them.

If I just pour two litres of hydraulic fluid and there are no leaks in the system and whatever pump there is works, should I expect the system to work or is there a priming procedure?

The car needed accumulators when I sold it. It doesn't bounce anymore and it appears that new front struts were installed. Otherwise she rides O.K....and that is the biggest puzzle in all this.

Thank you.

nestorb98

arizona

Assuming there are no leaks in the lines, the most common issue is that the diaphrams in the accumulators go, allowing the fluid into there. I would not just use hydraulic fluid, get the real stuff, and flush the system and replace the filter if the accumulators were bad.

Thank you Peter, for taking the time to answer.

"get the real stuff, and flush the system" ...I'm kinda new at this so, is there a procedure thread that you know and what what is the real stuff you refer to?

thanks again!

You can get the fluid right here on fast lane, they sell the filter also. Having said that, where did the oil go? As the oil displaces the nitrogen in the sphere the ride usualy goes from bouncy to stiff since the oil cant be compressed. There is usually a lot of gunk in the reservoir when accumulators fail. When the accumulators are changed (cramped&messy) the lines are usually flushed, the system usually self purges, have someone look at it. If the accumulators were never changed, and the tank topped up maybe that is where the oil is.

Thanks again Peter,

I ordered three liters of fluid from Phil and I'll be checking the system out this weekend.