I have a 2005 XC90 V8 with a slow power steering leak. Steering was starting to act up, more so in the cold, so I checked the power steering fluid. Fluid was low, as it has been in the past. I used to have a 2000 XC70, and that car manual called for ATF to replenish the reservoir. So with that memory in mind, I added ATF to the 2005 XC90. I later noticed that I also had a bottle of Volvo synthetic power steering fluid, and remembered that I must have bought it for the XC90. Just verified that the XC90 manual calls for synthetic.

Question is, did I mess up my power steering by adding the ATF? If so, does this cause the need for urgent action, or will I be okay for a while? Is there any danger in driving? What should I do to fix this?

Thanks in advance for any advice

Pete

 

Synthetic is preferred as it has better cold viscosity and is more slippery but standard ATF should mix in fine to keep you going. At some point you should look into repairing the slow leak but if its a big job (like replacing the rack) you may opt just to watch the levels until it gets worse. You can also do a drain/fill flush from the top to freshen the fluid: use a turkey baster to suck out as much fluid from the reservoir and refill with new fluid. Start the car turn lock to lock 3-5 times, repeat about 3 more times (this should use up about a pint or two of fresh fluid) and your reservoir should not have any brownish colors fluid any more.