Subaru Legacy III (2000-2003 year). Manual - part 851

PS-92

POWER ASSISTED SYSTEM (POWER STEERING)

POWER STEERING FLUID

10.Power Steering Fluid

A: SPECIFICATION

B: INSPECTION

1) Check power steering fluid for deterioration or
contamination. If the fluid is highly deteriorated or
contaminated, drain it and refill with new fluid.
2) Check joints and units for oil leakage. If any oil
leaks are found, repair or replace the applicable
part. 
3) Inspect fluid level on flat and level surface with
engine “OFF” by indicator of reservoir tank.
If the level is at lower point or below, add fluid to
keep the level in the specified range of the indica-
tor. If at upper point or above, drain fluid by using a
syringe or the like.

(1) Check at temperature 20

°

C (68

°

F) on reser-

voir surface of oil pump; read the fluid level on
the “COLD” side.
(2) Check at temperature 80

°

C (176

°

F) on res-

ervoir surface of oil pump; read the fluid level on
the “HOT” side.

C: REPLACEMENT

1) Set the vehicle on the lift.
2) Disconnect battery ground cable.
3) Remove air intake duct.
4) Drain fluid from the reservoir tank.
5) Lift-up the vehicle.
6) Remove under cover.

7) Remove jack-up plate.

8) Disconnect one pipe joint A from center of gear-
box assembly, and connect a vinyl hose to it. While
turning steering wheel to the left and right, drain flu-
id through the hose. Similarly, drain fluid from the
other pipe joint B.
LHD model

RHD model

9) Connect pipe joint A and B.

Recommended power steering fluid

Manufacturer

DEXRON III or equivalent

B.P.

CALTEX

CASTROL

MOBIL

SHELL

TEXACO

HOT MAX.COLD MAX.

HOT MIN.

COLD MIN.

PS-00159

(1) Jack-up plate

(1) Pipe A

(2) Pipe B

(1) Pipe A

(2) Pipe B

PS-00044

( 1 )

PS-00026

( 1 )

( 2 )

PS-00333

( 1 )

( 2 )

PS-93

POWER ASSISTED SYSTEM (POWER STEERING)

POWER STEERING FLUID

D: INSTALLATION

1) Set ST on top of reservoir tank and fill it about
half way with the specified fluid.
ST

34199AE040

OIL CHARGE GUIDE

2) Jack-up vehicle and support it with safety
stands, then turn steering wheel with engine
stopped.
3) Continue to turn steering wheel slowly from lock
to lock until bubbles stop appearing in the tank
while keeping the fluid at that level.
4) In case air is absorbed to deliver bubbles into
piping because the fluid level is lower, leave it
about half an hour and then do the step 2) all over
again.
5) Start and idle the engine.
6) Continue to turn steering wheel slowly from lock
to lock again until bubbles stop appearing in the
tank while keeping the fluid at that level.
It is normal that bubbles stop appearing after three
times turning of steering wheel.
7) In case bubbles do not stop appearing in the
tank, leave it about half an hour and then do the
step 5) all over again.
8) Stop the engine, and take out safety stands after
jacking up vehicle again.
Then lower the vehicle, and idle the engine.
9) Continue to turn steering wheel from lock to lock
until bubbles stop appearing and change of the flu-
id level is within 3 mm (0.12 in).
10) In case the following happens, leave it about
half an hour and then do step 8) again.

(1) The fluid level changes over 3 mm (0.12 in).
(2) Bubbles remain on the upper surface of the
fluid.
(3) Grinding noise is generated from oil pump.

11) Check the fluid leakage at flare nuts after turn-
ing steering wheel from lock to lock with engine
running.

CAUTION:
• Before checking, wipe off any fluid on flare
nuts and piping.
• In case the fluid leaks from flare nut, it is
caused by dust (or the like) and/or damage be-
tween flare and tapered seat in piping.
• Remove the flare nut and tighten again it to
the specified torque after cleaning flare and ta-
pered seat. If flare or tapered seat is damaged,
replace with a new one.
12) Install jack-up plate.
13) Install under cover.

ST

PS-00160

PS-94

POWER ASSISTED SYSTEM (POWER STEERING)

GENERAL DIAGNOSTIC TABLE

11.General Diagnostic Table

A: INSPECTION

*1 If tires and/or rims are wider, the load to power steering system is the more. Accordingly, in a condition, for example before
fluid warms-up, relief valve may work before maximum turning angle. In this case, steering effort may be heavy. When measured
hydraulic pressure is normal, there is no abnormal thing.
*2 In cold weather, steering effort may be heavy due to increased flow resistance of cold fluid. After warming-up engine, turn
steering wheel from stop to stop several times to warm-up fluid. Then if steering effort reduces normally, there is no abnormal
thing.
*3 In cold weather or with insufficient warm-up of engine, steering effort may be heavy due to excessive drop of idling when turn-
ing steering wheel. In this case, it is recommended to start the vehicle with increasing engine speed than usual. Then if steering
effort reduces normally, there is no abnormal thing.

Trouble

Possible cause

Corrective action

• Heavy steering effort in all 
ranges
• Heavy steering effort at 
stand still
• Steering wheel surges when 
turning.

1. Pulley belt
• Unequal length of pulley belts
• Adhesion of oil and grease
• Loose or damage of pulley belt
• Poor uniformity of pulley belt cross section
• Pulley belt touches to pulley bottom
• Poor revolution of pulleys except oil pump pulley
• Poor revolution of oil pump pulley

Adjust or replace.

2. Tire and rim
• Improper tires out of specification
• Improper rims out of specification
• Tires not properly inflated*1

Replace or reinflate.

3. Fluid
• Low fluid level
• Aeration
• Dust mix
• Deterioration of fluid
• Poor warming-up of fluid *2

Refill, bleed air, replace or 
instruct customer.

4. Idling speed
• Lower idling speed
• Excessive drop of idling speed at start or at turning steering 
wheel *3

Adjust or instruct customer.

5. Measure hydraulic pressure.<Ref. to PS-86, INSPECTION, 
Oil Pump.>

Replace problem parts.

6. Measure steering effort.<Ref. to PS-94, INSPECTION, Gen-
eral Diagnostic Table.>

Adjust or replace.

• Vehicle leads to one side or 
the other.
• Poor return of steering wheel 
to center
• Steering wheel surges when 
turning.

1. Fluid line
• Folded hose
• Flattened pipe

Reform or replace.

2. Tire and rim
• Flat tire 
• Mix use of different tires
• Mix use of different rims
• Abnormal wear of tire
• Unbalance of remained grooves
• Unbalance of tire pressure

Fix or replace.

3. Front alignment
• Improper or unbalance caster
• Improper or unbalance toe-in
• Loose connection of suspension

Adjust or retighten.

4. Others
• Damaged joint assembly
• Unbalanced height
• One-sided weight

Replace, adjust or instruct cus-
tomer.

5. Measure steering effort.<Ref. to PS-94, INSPECTION, Gen-
eral Diagnostic Table.>

Adjust or replace.

PS-95

POWER ASSISTED SYSTEM (POWER STEERING)

GENERAL DIAGNOSTIC TABLE

1. NOISE AND VIBRATION

CAUTION:
Don't keep the relief valve operated over 5 sec-
onds at any time or inner parts of the oil pump 
may be damaged due to rapid increase of fluid 
temperature.

NOTE:
• Grinding noise may be heard immediately after
the engine start in extremely cold condition. In this
case, if the noise goes off during warm-up there is
no abnormal function in the system. This is due to
the fluid characteristic in extremely cold condition.
• Oil pump makes whine or growl noise slightly
due to its mechanism. Even if the noise can be
heard when steering wheel is turned at stand still
there is no abnormal function in the system provid-
ed that the noise eliminates when the vehicle is
running.
• When stopping with service brake and/or parking
brake applied, power steering can be operated
easily due to its light steering effort. If doing so, the
disk rotates slightly and makes creaking noise. The
noise is generated by creaking between the disk
and pads. If the noise goes off when the brake is re-
leased, there is no abnormal function in the system.
• There may be a little vibration around the steer-
ing devices when turning steering wheel at stand-
still, even though the component parts are properly
adjusted and have no defects.
Hydraulic systems are likely to generate this kind of
vibration as well as working noise and fluid noise
because of combined conditions, i.e., road surface
and tire surface, engine speed and turning speed of
steering wheel, fluid temperature and braking con-
dition.
This phenomena does not indicate there is some
abnormal function in the system.
The vibration can be known when steering wheel is
turned repeatedly at various speeds from slow to
rapid step by step with parking brake applied on
concrete road and in “D” range for automatic trans-
mission vehicle.