Fast Car

How to Flush the Power Steering in a BMW

1. Turn off the engine and jack up the front of the vehicle using your car jack. Wrap plastic wrap around the power steering pump and the belt surfaces surrounding it. The power steering pump is located directly under the steering wheel and is cylindrical in shape. Open the reservoir, located on the left side of the pump, and use a syringe to remove the fluid inside. Puncture the reservoir with the syringe and slowly pull back the syringe to extract the fluid. Continue by opening the M16 banjo fitting on the pump itself and allow the remainder of the fluid to drip down into a pan below.
2. Turn the key in the ignition to release the steering wheel from a locked position. Slowly rotate the wheel to drain any remaining fluid that may be stuck up closer to the wheel itself. Remove the hollow bolt (the fastener composed of a threaded bolt and a spring) with your wrench and install the new crush waters onto the banjo fitting by tightening them into place. Crush waters are doughnut-shaped fastening devices that hold the banjo fitting in place. Torque the banjo fitting until it reaches approximately 40 nanometers (Nm).
3. Remove the plastic from the accessory belt and refill the reservoir with power steering fluid. Make sure to keep the fluid levels between the minimum and maximum guidelines. Rotate the wheel slowly from one side to the other. As the wheel turns, the fluid levels in the reservoir will drop as the fluid is being moved up closer to the wheel. Continue to fill the reservoir until the fluid level is once again between minimum and maximum. Place the reservoir cap back on and tighten until it is firmly in place.
4. Start the engine of the vehicle and slowly rotate the wheel from one side to the other. Repeat ten times and return the wheel to the center before turning the engine off. Reopen the reservoir and check the dipstick to ensure that the fluid levels are still above the minimum.
5. Lower the car from the jack by pressing the downward arrow button on the car jacks control system. If the dipstick shows that the fluid levels are still above the minimum, the car is safe to drive as soon as it has been removed from the jack.