[MindFork]

Has anyone installed one of the Magnefine power steering filters?

Magnefine Inline Transmission Power Steering Filters

I'm going to replace my gunky power steering reservoir soon and figured while I'm in there, it might be smart to add a filter to the system.

Experiences? Thoughts?

Thanks,
MF

 

[MikeCz]

Had one for years, obviously you shouldn't notice any difference in operation. Fluid still looks like new but it has always stayed pretty clean in my vehicle. Some people have sediment build up in the fluid reservoir screen, mine is always spotless.

 

[03EX]

I don't think it's necessary.

Power steering fluid isn't even on the official maintenance list for most Hondas, and most people go the entire life of the car without every changing PS fluid and don't have problems.

Besides, unlike an engine or transmission, there aren't really many opportunities for metal particles and other contaminants to build up inside a power steering system.

I recommend simply changing the PS fluid every 50-100K miles if you're really worried.

 

[MindFork]

Had one for years, obviously you shouldn't notice any difference in operation. Fluid still looks like new but it has always stayed pretty clean in my vehicle. Some people have sediment build up in the fluid reservoir screen, mine is always spotless.

My PS fluid was really dark, and after 4 drain / replacements, it only lightened up a little. I'm hoping the MF filter will allow me to just do a drain / fill or two as routine maintenance without the fluid getting so dirty.

I don't think it's necessary.

Power steering fluid isn't even on the official maintenance list for most Hondas, and most people go the entire life of the car without every changing PS fluid and don't have problems.

Besides, unlike an engine or transmission, there aren't really many opportunities for metal particles and other contaminants to build up inside a power steering system.

I recommend simply changing the PS fluid every 50-100K miles if you're really worried.

Yea, it's probably not necessary, but hopefully it will be beneficial. Considering how DARK my PS fluid is, even after 4 drain & fills, when I replace the PS reservoir and flush the whole system, I figure that $20 and 10 minutes of time is worth it to keep my PS pump clean and healthy.

I like to own a car for as long as possible, and I'm moving toward doing more and more of my own maintenance, so these little preventative measures are pretty attractive to me.

 

[t-rd]

I changed power steering fluid in my old 98 V6 once only, and I had 200000 miles when I got rid of it. It was fine.

 

[MikeCz]

My PS fluid was really dark, and after 4 drain / replacements, it only lightened up a little. I'm hoping the MF filter will allow me to just do a drain / fill or two as routine maintenance without the fluid getting so dirty.



Yea, it's probably not necessary, but hopefully it will be beneficial. Considering how DARK my PS fluid is, even after 4 drain & fills, when I replace the PS reservoir and flush the whole system, I figure that $20 and 10 minutes of time is worth it to keep my PS pump clean and healthy.

I like to own a car for as long as possible, and I'm moving toward doing more and more of my own maintenance, so these little preventative measures are pretty attractive to me.

Yep, simple low cost PM. BTW it's not just the PS, it also keeps the Steering rack hydraulics clear from extremely fine abrasive particles. If it was good enough for some of the major PS pump rebuilders to NOT warrant a pump unless a dedicated filter was installed, then I, like you, don't mind the tiny cost involved for a little extra insurance.

As is often said - It's your vehicle and your time, if others don't agree, yah! way to go, isn't freedom of choice and thought great. From the above posts/feedback, you now get to make up your own mind about which way you want to go.

 

[07j30]

Had one on my 1g cl...never made a diff the fluid still looked terrible but operation was fine

 

[MikeCz]

Yep, a number of problems can burn/age fluid, but keeping the shit from that out of the pump and rack can make a big difference in how low it lasts and what damage is eventually done to the entire system.

 

[Drew03Accord]

Personally, I wouldn't. PS fluid being dark is perfectly normal. Just replace it every 2-3 years, so you know viscosity is being kept up. The PS circuit not a high pressure system like engine and tranny fluid and pressure is pretty low on the return line. I'd be more worried about flow restriction than anything else and also lowering the pressure by introducing another component. I think this qualifies for the good old saying. If it AINT broke, don't try to fix.

 

[MindFork]

Yep, simple low cost PM. BTW it's not just the PS, it also keeps the Steering rack hydraulics clear from extremely fine abrasive particles. If it was good enough for some of the major PS pump rebuilders to NOT warrant a pump unless a dedicated filter was installed, then I, like you, don't mind the tiny cost involved for a little extra insurance.

As is often said - It's your vehicle and your time, if others don't agree, yah! way to go, isn't freedom of choice and thought great. From the above posts/feedback, you now get to make up your own mind about which way you want to go.

Thanks, that's good info. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the MF. You've been running one for a while?

Personally, I wouldn't. PS fluid being dark is perfectly normal. Just replace it every 2-3 years, so you know viscosity is being kept up. The PS circuit not a high pressure system like engine and tranny fluid and pressure is pretty low on the return line. I'd be more worried about flow restriction than anything else and also lowering the pressure by introducing another component. I think this qualifies for the good old saying. If it broke, don't try to fix.

I bolded my favorite part of your post.

Seriously though, the flow restriction potential is a good point, and I'm glad you brought it up.

Short of installing a pressure gauge, how could I tell if the flow was being restricted?

 

[jimijam]

Seriously though, the flow restriction potential is a good point, and I'm glad you brought it up.

Is it a good point or is it interweb folklore? :wink

 

[MikeCz]

There is no restriction. If for any reason you had a restriction, you would likely have foaming, vibration and noise in the system. This power steering filter question had been discussed for years on various Honda forums and a lot of owners on those threads had/have one, only complaint was from one seeping slightly at the seam.

Instead of being guided by "I think/feel" answers, you could always contact a few power steering specialists rebuilders and see what they say/know, that's what I did about 6 years ago, maybe industry opinions have changed since then.

 

[Drew03Accord]

I bolded my favorite part of your post.

Seriously though, the flow restriction potential is a good point, and I'm glad you brought it up.

Short of installing a pressure gauge, how could I tell if the flow was being restricted?

Jeez...Left out the "AINT"...LOL. Went back and fixed it, but my mistake lives on in your quote. I guess (see what I did there, Mike) if the flow becomes restricted, you'll feel it in the steering and it might moan. All this reminds me, it's time to change my PS fluid again.

Come back and let us know how it turns out.

 

[MikeCz]

You know Drew, it's amazing how once you know a phrase, the brain automatically fills in the missing word, even those of us reading it, I never noticed the mistake, but someone always manages to grab and quote it before you can correct :biggrin:

I'm surprised at how many posts I've seen over the years about what appears to be dark, and sometimes described as dirty fluid (reservoir strainer full of sediment), mine was spotlessly clean and the fluid always looked like new even before I added a filter.

My driving is mainly highway and little steering load or parking. So I have to wonder if, in this discussion for the need (or not) of an add on PS filter, is it driving conditions? IE, people holding the steering hard over while waiting to turn (bad idea in any case if rear ended) or lots of slow speed car park manoeuvring, or some underlying pump condition? or incorrect fluid (if owner bought a used vehicle and is servicing PS fluid himself for the first time)

Thoughts?

 

[chris918]

bahh I just drain the reservoir and refill from time to time. No sense in using the pump to run itself dry and hear the pump moaning.

 

[Drew03Accord]

You know Drew, it's amazing how once you know a phrase, the brain automatically fills in the missing word, even those of us reading it, I never noticed the mistake, but someone always manages to grab and quote it before you can correct :biggrin:?

So true, Mike. It's not the first time it's happened.... and probably won't be the last. I usually reread my posts, but I went straight to sleep after typing it. :smile

I'm surprised at how many posts I've seen over the years about what appears to be dark, and sometimes described as dirty fluid (reservoir strainer full of sediment), mine was spotlessly clean and the fluid always looked like new even before I added a filter.

My driving is mainly highway and little steering load or parking. So I have to wonder if, in this discussion for the need (or not) of an add on PS filter, is it driving conditions? IE, people holding the steering hard over while waiting to turn (bad idea in any case if rear ended) or lots of slow speed car park manoeuvring, or some underlying pump condition? or incorrect fluid (if owner bought a used vehicle and is servicing PS fluid himself for the first time)

Thoughts?

Well Mike, living in NYC and Atlanta for my entire driving life, I've never been afforded the exquisite pleasure of highway cruising for the majority of my driving. Even on the highway, I'm switching lanes like mad to get anywhere.... so I have no idea how my fluid would look with low turnage. LOL

FWIW, lets recall that Honda doesn't even have a suggested replacement interval for PS Fluid. Now, I know that might not be saying much - given their 100K transmission service interval and the failures on the V6, but at least they didn't build a shitty PS system, that I know of. So in refreshing the fluid periodically, I believe you're way ahead of the game. I do wish the system wasn't one that required Honda brand fluid though. I'd have converted to ATF a long time ago, if that was the case. Sometimes I'm still tempted, but think best of it.

My fluid has always been dark looking in the canister. Even after repeated refreshes with fresh fluid, it doesn't get much lighter and I'd probably go broke, trying to get it that way. Color aside, I never see any collection of sediment. One thing I've been careful of, is to never employ a replacement method where the pump is running and there is even a hint of starvation. It's counter-productive, damaging the pump even slightly, in trying to preserve it's life . I've never heard as much as a peep or slight moan from this pump. With the engine off, wheels off the ground, and ignition unlocked, it will expel fluid simply by turning the wheel lock to lock and having the return hose in another container. Usually though, I just turn the canister upside down, with the hoses still attached (only possible with i4). I'm always sure to check the mesh filter at the bottom of the canister and again, no sediment... it's always clear. As with most things, unimpeded flow and good viscosity is key! I'm not the least bit worried about failure on this PS system.

...Drew...

 

[t-rd]

I had the dealer flush PS fluid ONCE in 200000 miles on my 7th gen. I've never had a problem. I re-sealed the power steering pump at around 170000 miles because of seepage from the main housing.

 

[Drew03Accord]

I had the dealer flush PS fluid ONCE in 200000 miles on my 7th gen. I've never had a problem. I re-sealed the power steering pump at around 170000 miles because of seepage from the main housing.

Says the guy who performs 3x3 ATF drain and fills every 15K. You certainly are a man of extremes, but thanks for bolstering my point. :grin

 

[t-rd]

Haha. YES. I do a lot of highway driving, I'm not so concerned about power steering fluid. I AM concerned about the transmission because it is constantly working. If I lose power steering and my inner and outer tie rods are still good, I can still steer, just very rough. If I lose the transmission then all bets are off, the car won't even move. There are some components you need to pay special attention to and some you just need to check once in a while.

 

[MindFork]

My fluid has always been dark looking in the canister. Even after repeated refreshes with fresh fluid, it doesn't get much lighter and I'd probably go broke, trying to get it that way. Color aside, I never see any collection of sediment. One thing I've been careful of, is to never employ a replacement method where the pump is running and there is even a hint of starvation. It's counter-productive, damaging the pump even slightly, in trying to preserve it's life . I've never heard as much as a peep or slight moan from this pump. With the engine off, wheels off the ground, and ignition unlocked, it will expel fluid simply by turning the wheel lock to lock and having the return hose in another container. Usually though, I just turn the canister upside down, with the hoses still attached (only possible with i4). I'm always sure to check the mesh filter at the bottom of the canister and again, no sediment... it's always clear. As with most things, unimpeded flow and good viscosity is key! I'm not the least bit worried about failure on this PS system.

...Drew...

My new PS reservoir just came, so hopefully I'll be able to do a PS system flush and install the new res tonight. I'm going to use your power off, wheel lock to lock method to pump the old fluid out.

I just noticed the part about "wheels off the ground" so I'll be sure to put the car on jack stands. And yes, I am trying to get the fluid to run clear, even though it doesn't seem to matter much. Still, it's not much work to possibly extend the life of my PS components to truly last the life of the car.

The Magnefine PS filter just shipped, so I'll probably put that on over the weekend. If after all of this the fluid still gets dark, then that's just the way it is.