Cloudy steering fluid - The Hull Truth

aubrey · 07-30-2006, 11:28 AM

I recently had some autopilot work done and a pump was changed. The next time I had the boat out, the steering was acting like it had air in the lines. I went to my local boat shop to have the steering system bled with a power purge and when doing that we noticed that the fluid being purged was cloudy looking. The mech immediately said that some one had put the wrong kind of fluid in the system. I know that since I have had the boat, I have only added about 2 OZ of SeaStar. The autopilot tech that I have seen adding fluid have used the same. This local shop has used an MarPro brand that they claim is made by StarBrite and is compatible with SeaStar. I don't really see when or by whom the wrong fluid was added.

To me, the fluid that is being purged looks like it has moisture in it. I do not understand how it could have gotten moisture in the system other. I am going to completely change out the fluid and replace it with Seastar.

Has anyone had a similar situations? If it is moisture, I do not know how long it could have been in there, but I did have the system power purged about 9 months ago and no problems were noted. Could this cause any internal damage to the steering system? I am going to save some of the old fluid and am thinking about sending it to a lab. If it is water, I really need to know how it got in there.

Thanks for any enlightenment.

Aubrey

nauthead · 07-30-2006, 11:38 AM

Check the reservoir in the power purge?

aubrey · 07-30-2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

nauthead - 7/30/2006 11:38 AM

Check the reservoir in the power purge?

I thought about that but of course they would say that the contamination came from my system. I was watching when they were doing the purge it looked like the cloudy fluid started coming out of the bleeders almost immediately.

welder · 07-30-2006, 01:42 PM

Sounds like air in your system. Put some fluid in a jar and see if it seperates.

Fluka Brasi · 07-31-2006, 12:15 AM

Air in the fluid would make it cloudy. If you go to the SeaStar website, you can find the bleeding procedure (which basically says keep bleeding until the fluid goes from cloudy to clear) and the acceptable alternative fluids that can be used.

Bolton · 07-31-2006, 12:45 PM

Don't worry about cloudy fluid. A lot of fluid will get cloudy after time. Still works the same