02 H6 power steering fluid capacity?

14622 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by idosubaru, Feb 25, 2013

boxterfan67

Discussion Starter · Feb 22, 2013

The book on my car doesn't address PS fluid capacity for my H6. Does anyone know offhand? It's past time for a flush and cleanup, and was wondering how much to expect to lose. Calls for Dexron III atf, current fluid is clear now, not red???

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FORANE

· #2 · Feb 22, 2013

Without a pump or dismantling your system, how do you plan on flushing your system?

I just used a hand vacuum pump to aspirate the fluid in the reservoir, and refilled it with dextron 3. We drove it for a week then I repeated the process. Still have not used a full quart.

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AWDFTW

· #3 · Feb 22, 2013

I did the above mentioned drain and fill. It took me about 2 quarts before the fluid was nice and red...although I may have been taking out the factory fluid at 100k miles....PS felt much better afterwards.

FWIW, I used Valvoline Maxlife Dex/Merc fluid as that is what I had on hand from my last AT service.

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boxterfan67

Discussion Starter · #4 · Feb 22, 2013

Thanks for the input, appreciated as always. I was planning to drain the reservoir from the bottom,and do some inspection from there. My steering resistance went up dramatically after changing tensioner and pulley, and the idler as well-both oem parts, and I don't know why. Cheaper to do the necessary flush, and see what happens rather than just writing off the pump. Lucky Tex mentions the possibility of air getting in thr system, but I see no bubbles in the reservoir.

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Outback2002

· #5 · Feb 24, 2013

I just flushed mine. Bought the Subaru ATF fluid and pumped out the reservoir with a hand pump to the screen. I then disconnected the reservoir return line and put it in a bottle. I then started the car and let the power steering pump push the rest of the old fluid out the return line into the bottle while a friend kept pouring in new fluid into the resevoir. It goes pretty quick as the pump has a lot of capacity. This method might get some air into the system but you just keep turning the wheel back and forth with the return line connected back to the reservoir until there are no more bubbles showing up in the fluid. This method worked pretty good as a way to ensure all the old fluid gets flushed out. make sure you put the front end on jack stands so you can freely move the wheel back and forth. The Subaru brand ATF fluid is red and is the recommended power steering fluid for the car. I used about two quarts to do the flush, and its just as cheap as other brands. 2002 Outback 2.5

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boxterfan67

Discussion Starter · #6 · Feb 25, 2013

Thanks for the input. I didn't want to buy a case of the stuff if I didn't have to, and your idea of jackstands definitely make the job easier. Did you do your PS with engine warm or cool? I'm thinking warm.

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Outback2002

· #7 · Feb 25, 2013

The engine was only on to run the pump and clear any air bubbles so it was not that warm. I checked it a week after and topped it off to max cold on the reservoir after it sat all night as it was between min cold and max. I bought the fluid by the quart, you should be able to do this even online or go to the dealer if you have one near you. I prefer to use the Subaru chemicals so I know there is no question of compatability.

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idosubaru

· #8 · Feb 25, 2013

run a long hose from the return line to a can/pan and turn the wheel back-and-forth or start the car. if you don't like it, don't do it, but it can be done.

if the possibility of "running dry" is uncomfortable to you then you can also submerge hose into a gallon of fluid, start the car, shut it off when clean fluid starts coming out the other side. that's a two person job.

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