VW Gol G3 Power Steering Fluid Change & Reservoir Cleaning

With the car cold and switched off, line the area under the reservoir with newspaper or a rag and use the 60 ml syringe with silicone tubing to extract as much dark fluid as possible from inside the cup.

Before loosening any clamp, identify both hoses: the suction hose (thicker and reinforced, dropping straight down to the pump) and the return hose (at the rear, thinner, bringing oil back from the steering rack). Work both off gently by twisting without forcing the dry, brittle plastic nipples.

To remove the reservoir from the metal bracket in the engine bay, press the two lower plastic clips simultaneously and pull the cup upward.

On the workbench, you will see that the upper black cap of the cup is threaded and extremely tight to loosen. Clamp the reservoir body in the bench vise (without crushing it) and unscrew the black cap. Once open, the surprise: inside, the filter/strainer and spring were coated in thick black sludge — proving why changing the fluid makes all the difference.

Water and detergent alone will not remove the oily sludge caked onto the filter screen or the spring (which looked clean, yet was black until brushed back to its original metallic gray). Wash the cup, strainer, spring, and internal plate first with diesel fuel and a brush.

Once all the sludge has dissolved, wash everything with water and neutral detergent, rinse thoroughly, and dry completely in the sun or with compressed air before reassembly.

With the reservoir still out of the car, fit a tall funnel or makeshift reservoir onto the end of the suction hose (filled with fresh fluid) and connect a clear hose extension to the return hose routed into an empty bottle visible through the windshield.

Real lesson from the video: Paulo initially pulled fuel pump fuse No. 14 to try cranking on the starter alone, but starter flow was weak. After reinstalling the fuse and doing quick starts (starting and shutting off the engine immediately within 1–2 seconds), the hydraulic pump pushed out the old fluid at full force until clean red fluid came out into the bottle — always keeping the suction funnel topped up so it never draws air!

On the workbench, seat the clean strainer at the bottom of the reservoir, place the plastic support piece over the strainer, insert the spring, and close with the black threaded cap. Before tightening the cap, apply a drop of fresh ATF fluid itself to the threads and the spring seating rim so it glides smoothly without plastic galling against plastic (never use WD-40).

Reinstall the reservoir into the engine-bay bracket until it locks, firmly reconnect the suction and return hoses with their clamps, and fill the cup up to the maximum level mark.

Start the engine while watching the level in the cup (if it drops fast, shut it off immediately and top up). Once the level stabilizes, turn the steering wheel slowly from lock to lock about 5 times to each side to purge any air bubbles trapped in the steering rack.

Finishing trick from the video: when turning full lock, residual old fluid trapped in the rack chambers mixed slightly and darkened the oil in the cup. With the 60 ml syringe still handy, Paulo drained the cup once more and refilled it with fresh fluid — leaving the red liquid crystal clear at the exact level.

Close the reservoir's upper cap, wipe away old drips beneath the steering rack, and check for any seepage at the suction and return connections. Over the next few days, if the fluid still darkens slightly from residual traces, simply repeat a quick syringe extraction in the cup and top up.