Here are my talking points outlined in order!

1. I don't know if a 60,000 mile service was done on my 03 Disco.
2. I am at 90,000 miles now, bought it about 4000 mile ago.
3. I am taking on each point of the 60,000 service one step at a time.
4. My power steering works fine and does not leak but the fluid is as dark as old motor oil.
5. I have purchased2 qt of synthetic PS fluid and 1 bottle of Lucas additive.
6. The RAVE CD only seems to tell how to bleed the system of any air bubbles.
7. Can anyone give out the steps for flushing the system? It seems to methat it could be similar to flushing a transmission in that you can not completely drain the system 100% so do you just drain as much as possible and replace the fluid and then do it again in a few thousand miles or is there a better method?

 

Chris - I just went through this myself - and was initially confused like you are. Disco Mike's description of the 60K service is like listening to the oracle - some things are left to the imagination!

This is in no way a snipe at our helpful leader!

A search on the forum lead me to a post suggesting the best way to do this is to use a turkey baster to empty the reservoir - refill with fresh - empty again - refill again - obsessive-compulsive clean-fluid types will now fill/refill many times but two or three should do it. Add the Lucas additive on the final fill.

Worked great for me. Be careful not to bugger up the filter screen at the bottom of the reservoir with yer turkey baster.

 

Drain with turkey baster. Refill with new fluid. Start truck and turn end to end a couple of times. Repeat draining/ filling 3 times, adding Lucas on the last fill. Only use part of the bottle if you are in a cold weather condition.

 

I don't have ACE, which makes it hard to get the rear half ofthe reservoir flushed. I took my bottle off (take fluid out first), washed it out and dried it real good. This also gets the screen nice and clean. Hook it back up, fill with fluid, turn engine on and turn the wheels until the front half of the reservoir fills with dark fluid, shut off engine, remove fluid and repeat until the fluid starts returning to the bottleclear or you run out. This process was pretty easy and gets it all done at once.

You could get creative and run the return line into another bottle and keep the reservoir full while you run the engine. This would give a great flush but could bevery messy if done wrong.

 

Don't worry about the rear half of the container.
Dos as suggested doing the suck out/fill/start/turn back and forth/stop the engine and repeat 3 times.
If you are in a really cold climate area, only use 1/2 bottle of Lucas when you top it off.

 

Never trust anything you hear on the internet - old addle-brain - that would be me - forgot to mention the "start up engine to run pump then turn steering lock-to-lock" part of the protocol.

You guys are nice not hammer on me for that omission!

 

Ha, I didn't notice that. You would have to be really OCD to drain and refill repeatedly without the engine/pump running.

 

The only time I've seen it done was by removing the return line and flushing into a bucket. It was a little messy though...

Mike why is the rear half of the resevoir not important? Isn't that like only replacing 2 tires when all 4 are worn? Or is power steering fluid not as critical as other fluids in the engine? Just curious!

 

Funny you should mention the turkey baster as a tool! Back in the 70's when I had my Toyota Land Cruiser I used my mom's turkey baster to fill the front and rear differentials with new gear oil.

Thanksgiving dinner never tasted the same afterwards!

 

Now you use a $4.00 auto battery turkey baster, they work great.

As for the second reservor, why Rover didn't use a different bottle on a non ACE vehicle is beyond me..
I just help with a 60K last weekend and believe me, there is no way to get that fluid out, so don't fret about it.