Steering shudder after power steering fluid change

Hi everyone, I need your help

 

My brake fluid, and my power steering fluid were low and I wasn't paying attention and poured brake fluid (dot 3) into the power steering reservoir .

Once I realized it was the wrong fluid I used the suction tank to remove all fluid from the reservoir and replaced it with atf Dex 3 /mex, stuff I had laying around I think it was Valvoline brand. Once I filed it up I put it up on jacks and while the car was off, I performed the lock to lock technique to move some fluid around.

I started the car and drove around and it started making a weird shudder when turning.

So tonight I put it back on jacks, pulled the the return house from the reservoir, closed the reservoir return nipple, filled the reservoir and used my suction tank to force all the old steering fluid out and use the atf dex 3 to fill the reservoir as i'm pumping.

I did the lock to lock again with the car off and put it down started it and still have the shuddering.

 

Does anyone have any ideas of what this would be?

 

Thanks in advance.

Did you drive around a lot after making the mistake? Or did you realize right after you put it in? I'm not sure what it would cause over time, but if you replaced it right after you realized it its probably just air bubbles in the system. It'll take a little bit of time to get them out. Is the steering pump whining or making any odd noises when driving?

Is the fluid getting foamy when you start the car cold?

Did you drive around a lot after making the mistake? Or did you realize right after you put it in? I'm not sure what it would cause over time, but if you replaced it right after you realized it its probably just air bubbles in the system. It'll take a little bit of time to get them out. Is the steering pump whining or making any odd noises when driving?

I had not started the car until we pumped the brake fluid out that was in the reservoir and replaced it with atf. I also pulled the intake hose into the pump and sucked the fluid out of the hose just in case the brake fluid got in it. We just took the belt off as well and manually ran the pump with our hand while moving the steering left to right and it go some bubbles out but it is still shuddering when steering. I'll listen for whining sounds from the pump today, but I don't remember any from last night.

 

Is the fluid getting foamy when you start the car cold?

 

No I don't think so. I had it running with a friend checking it and it showed no foam, there were a couple bubbles popping up but they slowed down.

 

EDIT*

I drove about 70 miles today and it seemed to be getting better. I refilled the reservoir to hot max when I got home tonight. It still makes shuddering but not as much. I assumed it was just air bubbles but it still seems pretty firm/tight/not as smooth when traveling at highway speed and merging lanes. Can this be because of the air causing loss of power in the pump?

Thanks!

Did you ever fix the juddering issue?

 

Today I changed the power steering fluid (turkey baster technique), and up until today steering was fine, but suddenly as soon as I changed the fluid (Subaru ATF), going lock to lock on the wheel has an enormous juddering/shuddering on both the steering wheel and the front wheels, and the power steering pump is whining when it didn't before. The shuddering happens close to the end of full left lock, and about in the middle when going to right lock, but otherwise it's smooth. If I turn the wheel very slowly I don't get the shudder, but if I turn it very fast the shudder happens all through the turn.

 

I've gone lock to lock about 100 times both with the engine off and engine on to try and get air out of the system, but it hasn't improved, and I'm stuck now and don't know what to do.

 

EDIT: for anyone turning up here in the future via Google or whatnot, I had previously had the car up on jacks when the terrible jerking was happening. I took it down and tried to drive it for a few minutes, and the problem was still severe. I put it back on jacks, and continued turning the wheels trying to bleed the air out of the system, and it still wasn't happening, and was jerking terribly. I decided to drive to the mechanic. Somehow on the way driving there the problem magically disappeared, at least while the wheels are on the ground.

Did you ever fix the juddering issue?

 

Today I changed the power steering fluid, and up until today steering was fine, but suddenly as soon as I changed the fluid (Subaru ATF), going lock to lock on the wheel has an enormous juddering/shuddering on both the steering wheel and the front wheels, and the power steering pump is whining when it didn't before. The shuddering happens close to the end of full left lock, and about in the middle when going to right lock, but otherwise it's smooth. If I turn the wheel very slowly I don't get the shudder, but if I turn it very fast the shudder happens all through the turn.

 

I've gone lock to lock about 100 times both with the engine off and engine on to try and get air out of the system, but it hasn't improved, and I'm stuck now and don't know what to do.

 

 

I've got the same damn problem and it's driving me nuts

I've got the same damn problem and it's driving me nuts

 

How long have you had the problem, and what did you already try to fix it?