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Power steering fluid - Dex 3?

Discussion in '2.5 Gen Tundras (2014-2021)' started by Charliebrn, Sep 22, 2022.

  1. Sep 22, 2022 at 8:05 AM
    #1
    Charliebrn

    Charliebrn [OP] New Member

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    So I want to refresh my power steering fluid. The manual calls for Dextron II or III. The only thing I can find is DextronVI, which it says is recommended for Dex II and III.

    the fluid is red, but what looks like is in the truck is the normal brown. Is this right? It could be that the PS fluid is original and discolored… and my manual specifically calls for D3. I found an old bottle of D3 in my barn, it’s also red, so the color hasn’t changed over the years…

    Help!

    thanks!!!
     
  2. Sep 22, 2022 at 9:35 AM
    #2
    pursuit2550

    pursuit2550 New Member

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    Trans fluid is hydraulic fluid with a red dye to help identify its impurities. As for your question, I would say that if you can’t find what it calls for then buy OEM fluid. Maybe someone has used something else. I am also interested in this.
     
  3. Sep 22, 2022 at 9:38 AM
    #3
    pursuit2550

    pursuit2550 New Member

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    Just checked and Amazon, among other have dex 3.
     
  4. Sep 22, 2022 at 9:43 AM
    #4
    Winning8

    Winning8 New Member

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    It’s just dexron 2 or 3 atf, any auto parts store should have it….like all atf it turn brown when used.
     
  5. Sep 22, 2022 at 10:23 AM
    #5
    Charliebrn

    Charliebrn [OP] New Member

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    All I could find locally was the Valvoline synthetic Dex VI; but the bottle also says that it is also for Dex II and III applications.

    anyone know a reason I shouldn’t use it?

    BTW: thanks for all the responses!
     
  6. Sep 22, 2022 at 11:00 AM
    #6
    Winning8

    Winning8 New Member

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    Should be good, dexron is backwards compatible.
     
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  7. Sep 22, 2022 at 12:11 PM
    #7
    Wahayes

    Wahayes Older I get the wiser I realize my dad was

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    Brown = old. Time to change
     
  8. Sep 22, 2022 at 6:22 PM
    #8
    Joe333x

    Joe333x Member

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  9. Sep 22, 2022 at 7:25 PM
    #9
    Okiebug

    Okiebug New Member

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    I just did mine a couple of months ago and was able to locate dex iii at O'Reillys. I believe it was valvoline in a blue 1 qt bottle.
     
  10. Sep 22, 2022 at 7:28 PM
    #10
    MadMaxCanon

    MadMaxCanon New Member

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    Too many, but not enough....
    Can I baster out what's in the reservoir and replace with new every few oil changes, like a drain and fill sorta?
     
  11. Sep 22, 2022 at 7:33 PM
    #11
    Joe333x

    Joe333x Member

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    Yes you can do that. Or if you want to flush it just empty the reservoir unhook the return hose and put it into a bottle, block off the outlet on the reservoir, fill it then turn the wheel left and right with the truck in accessory mode and keep refilling the reservoir until its all good fluid. Need to have the wheels off the ground to do it.
     
  12. Sep 23, 2022 at 4:01 AM
    #12
    MadMaxCanon

    MadMaxCanon New Member

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    Too many, but not enough....
    I like the baster drain and fill since I can do the brake fluid too.
     
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  13. Sep 23, 2022 at 6:20 AM
    #13
    Okiebug

    Okiebug New Member

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    I tried the baster way but couldn't get the fluid clear. There was too much grime in the reservoir so after doing it about a dozen times I tried this method

    https://www.tundras.com/threads/power-steering-flush-how-to.85254/

    Much better results and isn't hard to do at all.
     
  14. Sep 23, 2022 at 9:39 AM
    #14
    Joe333x

    Joe333x Member

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    Brake fluid doesn't really circulate so while doing just the reservoir is better than nothing at all you're still leaving the fluid in the lines that's going to be the dirtiest. The power steering fluid does circulate but doing the flush method is really super easy and will yields better results.
     
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  15. Sep 23, 2022 at 11:36 AM
    #15
    MadMaxCanon

    MadMaxCanon New Member

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    Too many, but not enough....
    Makes sense, maybe I'll just do it to buy time since these 2 fluids are my least favorite to flush lol
     
  16. Sep 23, 2022 at 6:31 PM
    #16
    737fixer

    737fixer New Member

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    I will never understand how this bit of information keeps being repeated over and over. Brake fluid will 1000% completely mix every last miniscule drop in your entire braking system. Every 3rd grade fluid mechanics law confirms this. It's too bad the old brake fluid dyes weren't still used to show people actually how quickly this occurs. This was a fun little experiment in shop class in the 70's to show this exact scenario. Literally if you drained and filled your reservoir and never ever ever ever drove you truck again the fluid would mix COMPLETELY although very slowly. The fact that your hydraulic brake system is under extreme pressure when being used a thousand times per month means the fluid is mixing incredibly fast. Just an extra piece of info: when you take your car/truck to 90% of dealers and they sell you the "your brake fluid has gone bad" package they only drain and fill the reservoir. Fluids mix, this is not up for debate. If you put a drop of food coloring in a gallon jug of water within 5 minutes the entire jug will be a solid color. If the same jug was .001" diameter and a mile long the color would again be uniform but simply in a longer amount of time. Add a repeating 0-90bar pump to one end and the time is reduced immensely. I am not trying to be rude but I feel very often when something gets repeated over and over again on multiple forums it somehow becomes true. The earth is not flat and fluids mix. Not something that is debatable since the 1st, 5th, 14th and/or 16th century depending on who you want to give credit to.
     
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  17. Sep 23, 2022 at 6:51 PM
    #17
    Joe333x

    Joe333x Member

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    The dirt and sediment is going to stay in your brake lines closest to your calipers. If you've ever bled the brakes the fluid is darkest when you first open the bleeder and then as the clean fluid from the reservoir gets down the lines it gets cleaner. Then when you go to the next caliper even though now the fluid in the reservoir is clean the fluid in the rest of the lines is still going to be darker. Unlike the power steering fluid which has a return line into the reservoir, the brake fluid does not, so it does not circulate, anyone who has bled brakes understands this.

    Yes fluids mix, but dirt and sediment stay at the lowest points. If you have a bottle with dirt on the bottom and fill it half way with water, the dirt stays on the bottom. Then if you go ahead and fill the bottle the rest if the way, the water will mix with the other water, but the dirt is still on the bottom.
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2022
  18. Sep 23, 2022 at 7:03 PM
    #18
    pursuit2550

    pursuit2550 New Member

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    I use the brake fluid I take out as blinker fluid. It works perfect and I am recycling with is good for the environment, as per EPA guide lines.
     
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  19. Sep 23, 2022 at 8:45 PM
    #19
    MadMaxCanon

    MadMaxCanon New Member

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    Too many, but not enough....
    Just FYI Toyota of Miami is running a free shipping promo and a quart of Toyota dex 2 atf is 10 bucks a quart. Just bought 8 quarts for 83 bucks to my door and the great state of Florida didn't charge me tax.
     
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  20. Sep 24, 2022 at 1:11 PM
    #20
    737fixer

    737fixer New Member

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    Sorry to have highjacked your thread earlier on a brake fluid tangent. Toyota sells their own Dexron 3 Power Steering Fluid/Transmission Fluid part # 00718-ATF00. Old bottle said just Auto Transmission Fluid but now new bottle says Automatic Transmission Fluid & Power Steering Fluid. Both bottles have same part #. When your Toyota came from the factory the power steering fluid was typical oil golden color but the 00718-ATF00 is the standard ATF red color. Don't worry about that. NAPA also sells a Dexron 3 fluid at about half the cost which most people use. That bottle keeps changing it seems every year but I will include a picture of both the Toyota and the NAPA bottles.
    .s-l1600 (2).jpg NOL-75200.jpg NWMDC.jpg
     
  21. Sep 24, 2022 at 1:17 PM
    #21
    Joe333x

    Joe333x Member

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    Yup this is also what I used, took some photos of it.https://www.tundras.com/threads/power-steering-fluid-dex-3.113431/#post-2923488
     
  22. Sep 24, 2022 at 3:30 PM
    #22
    Charliebrn

    Charliebrn [OP] New Member

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    I used the Valvoline synthetic. I’ll let you know if it causes problems. Towing my camper 500+ miles up north and back. Should sort out any problems with it…

    ;p
     
  23. Sep 24, 2022 at 3:34 PM
    #23
    Charliebrn

    Charliebrn [OP] New Member

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    737 fixer: good call on the Toyota brand, I’ll buy a couple bottles and do anther change next oil change. Won’t be long, I’ll prob do one after I get back from the UP.
     
  24. Sep 24, 2022 at 3:36 PM
    #24
    omgboost

    omgboost The Accountant

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    I've been using Valvoline Maxlife ATF as my power steering fluid and transmission fills. Have not had any issues over 40k miles.

    For power steering fluid, at every oil change, I use a suction gun to the reservoir and take everything out. Fill it to max, turn steering wheel all the way to the left and then right, suction fluid out another time and then fill to max.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Valvolin...smission-Fluid-ATF-1-QT/15125770?athbdg=L1600
     
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  25. Sep 26, 2022 at 11:46 AM
    #25
    e30cabrio

    e30cabrio I'm e30cabrio, I'm a modaholic

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    I just looked at my reservoir. The fluid looks black through the container but is clear in the "dipstick" Upon closer inspection, the container is covered in "cracks" and looks like it is where the blackness is coming from, I'm ordering a container.
     
  26. Sep 27, 2022 at 12:11 PM
    #26
    e30cabrio

    e30cabrio I'm e30cabrio, I'm a modaholic

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    Holy hell! retail is 17x.xx! WTF??

    I got a nice used one on eBay for 53 bux.
     
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  27. Sep 27, 2022 at 12:20 PM
    #27
    Joe333x

    Joe333x Member

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    You could probably clean yours up after and resell it and get to money back. Some brake cleaner and a rag will probably get it clean.
     
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  28. Sep 27, 2022 at 12:27 PM
    #28
    e30cabrio

    e30cabrio I'm e30cabrio, I'm a modaholic

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    It looks like hell. Lots of tiny cracks. I could not give it away in good conscious.
     
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  29. Sep 27, 2022 at 1:49 PM
    #29
    Sumo91

    Sumo91 Busy with projects

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    Dexron IV is backwards compatible with III. Use whatever flavor you like. The power steering system in these trucks aren't that picky. I use whatever ATF I have on the shelf (it's always dexron IV) and do a drain and fill on the reservoir when I think about it. Max life is a great choice and readily available.

    Just keep it changed every now and then with clean fluid and you shouldn't have any issues.
     
  30. Sep 27, 2022 at 1:55 PM
    #30
    pman9003

    pman9003 New Member

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    I haven't bought any to check, but this might be the mythical clear dex III the factory uses. In the southeast servicerite is the brand for a bunch of the Toyota fluids/products. I've had Toyota/Lexus vehicles serviced at dealers and they always refill with a clear steering fluid.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/284484795141
     
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