Please Help,
I just bought a SH ford Focus,and was trying to top off the screen washer but instead,It was very stupid of me tonight ,did top of the power steering fluid with water and to make matters worse i did run he engine.
Can you please let me know of the long/short term effect of this stupid mistake bearing in mind that I carry my child in the car.
Thanking yo all in advance
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Don't run the engine any more.
Get all the power steering fluid flushed through and changed - shouldn't cost more than 30 mins labour and £10 for the fluid. With luck you'll be OK. Even if you're unlucky it shouldn't be dangerous - you'd hear noises from the pump and possibly fluid leaks - but steering will still work, although with loss of power assistance - its unlikely to happen without warning though. Like I said, you'll probably be lucky so long as you didn't run it for too long.
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Hi Aprilia,
Thanks for the advice. In Fact did not run the car for more than 2-3 minutes. and did not put more that 100ml of water in. Now how do I flash the the liquid out,take a hose and suck it out?
What kind of stering fluids can I buy. Sorry for my questions ,but am a novice car owner.
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a 100ml is a litre, as said get this car to a garage that is recommended and get them to purge the system of all fluid and renew with fresh.
you arent the first to do this
you wont be the last
at least you had the sense not to ignore it
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Hi Oldman,
100ml is a tenth of a litter not 1000ml
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Water should have sunk to the bottom of system by now, where it will perhaps be in the rack.
Probably best to have a garage take a pipe off the rack, and rain the system down and squirt fluid through the rack, The last thing you want is for a slug of water to freeze in your steering rack!
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You should be OK.
100ml is 1/10th litre and about four tablespoons. The system probably holds 600-1000ml.
Best to remove pipes at the rack and drain out the whole system. Reconnect and refill with fluid, run engine for a minute or two. Drain and repeat. Finally, for the last time, refill and work steering lock-lock and then final drain and refill.
I believe the Focus takes as Dexron II/III fluid (check in the handbook to be sure). You can get five litre from a factors for £15 or less (I pay about £10+VAT for non-synth D-III at my local place).
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Thank you very much Aprilia .
I have sent the car to the garage because have started a new job and cannot do it myself and the guy will be charging me 30 quid to flush out the water and 10quid for the oil overall will be very happy if no long term damage it is done.
By the way I could see the water being in the middle of tank and some oil at the bottom ,hioping that the water has not gone through the pump.
Does anyone knows how much would cost to replace the steering fluid pump on a Ford Focus Zetec 1.6,16v?
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