[Vwdiesel] Power Steering Fluid

[James Hansen]

I would't wonder if they fiddled about with the amount of seal swelling
agents and the like in the factory oil, so that when using other oil, the
seal swelling stuff leaches out of the seals, and it leaks. I know of a few
VW's that use of ATF in the power steering coincided with rack leakage.  I
have used the lucas oil power steering universal stop leak oil additive good
for leaking racks, and it did stop the power steering leak at the rack, and
prevent further wallet leakage.
I use VW stuff in the vw's.
I run plain jane synthetic atf in my race car power steering. It's just
fine, doesn't foam, or break down. For my uses, the Amsoil stuff is kind of
spendy.
John Deere used to really push that universal tractor oil years ago, where
one oil was for diff, engine, hydraulic, steering, tight boots, runny noses,
etc, but it cost them too  many motor rebuilds. Anything that ran a
detergent oil just coughed and died once put on a diet of universal oil.
Not sure why, but never had opportunity to tear one down to see either.
-james

> -----Original Message-----
> From: vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com [mailto:vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com]
> On Behalf Of LBaird119 at aol.com
> Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 12:51 AM
> To: vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Power Steering Fluid
> 
>   For some reason I was thinking the A1/A2 PS systems could use
> ATF like so many cars in the past?  I know the Audi 5k's of the mid
> 80's would leak all over if anything but the recommended fluid
> was put into them.  The only substitute I'd heard of prior to this
> was baby oil.  Smells funny but one shop used it in "dying" systems
> for people because it was much cheaper and "couldn't hurt!"
>   So the Mobil, Chevron, etc are a substitute for that oil or is that a
> whole new, proprietary oil they're for?  (it wouldn't surprise me)
>   Then:  How do those compare to the oil my '96 Passat calls for?
> Why can't they just use hydrualic oil or universal tractor fluid or
> something!  :-P
>      Loren
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