To replace the power steering fluid for your 2004 Lexus ES330, locate the power steering fluid reservoir on the left-hand side of the engine, remove the old fluid with a pump, and refill with new fluid. Toyota OEM Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) DEXRON II or III is recommended.
Yes, your Lexus ES330 is old, but it purrs like a kitten. In fact, you plan to drive your ES330 straight into the 200,000-mile club! Recently, however, your wheel doesn’t turn as effortlessly as it used to. You check your power steering fluid, the color looks off. Now what?
This guide from the car insurance
super app Jerry
will walk you through how to replace your old power steering fluid in a 2004 Lexus ES330. We’ll cover the essentials, including what type of fluid you should use (hint: it’s not power steering fluid). We'll even tell you how you can reduce your Lexus ES330 insurance costs! How do I replace my 2004 Lexus ES330’s power steering fluid?
Doing a partial flush—which removes some of your old power steering fluid and replaces it with new fluid—is pretty simple. If you want a full system flush, consider going to a Lexus dealership or a mechanic who is familiar with older Lexus models.
If you have a black protective cover on the left-hand side of your engine compartment (facing the engine from the front of the car), remove it. Look for four tabs, which you can pop off.
Locate the black cap marked Power Steering Fluid on the left-hand side of the engine and take off the cap.
Remove the old power steering fluid from the reservoir with a turkey baster or pump. Have a plastic container ready to dispose of the old fluid.
Refill the power steering reservoir with new fluid. Try not to overfill. If you go past the fill line, siphon excess fluid off with your pump or baster.
Replace the cap and the protective plastic cover.
Flush your system over a few days. Because the power steering reservoir holds only about 20% of the fluid, when you take out the old fluid and replace it, you’re leaving a lot of old fluid still circulating in the system. One approach is to replace the fluid several times over the course of a few days. Of course, drive your Lexus between each drain/addition of new fluid.
You should use DEXRON Automatic Transmission Fluid. The plastic cap says Power Steering Fluid; however, your Lexus Owner’s manual recommends ATF DEXRON II or III. You can use later DEXRON ATF fluids such as DEXRON VI.
MORE: How to check and add power steering fluid
Should I change it myself or take it to a mechanic?
Great question! If you have a solid grasp of basic car maintenance
—and some experience—-you’ll probably find it easy enough to do a partial flush (for only about $16). And if you have a few days to drain/add new fluid, you can replace most of the old power steering yourself, which will essentially replicate a full flush. On the other hand, when you own an older luxury vehicle such as a 2004 Lexus ES330, you may want to treat it to a professional flush. Why not? A trip to a mechanic for a power steering fluid service
will set you back about $125. But your baby is worth it, isn’t it? Which power steering fluid is best for a 2004 Lexus ES330?
The best power steering fluid for your 2004 Lexus ES330 is one that is compatible with DEXRON ATF II and III.
Read the bottles of any brands you are considering carefully. In the fine print, you should see something along the lines of: Suitable for use where DEXRON II, DEXRON III, JASO M315 (1A), Toyota WS and Toyota T-IV fluids are recommended.
Here are some possibilities, but always check your Lexus’s manual for additional recommendations.
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Valvoline Import Multi-Vehicle ATF | | |
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Pro Tip Many Lexus enthusiasts recommend Toyota OEM ATF fluid as the best choice.
When do I need to replace my 2004 Lexus ES330’s power steering fluid?
Opinions vary. Every 40,000-80,000 miles is the rule of thumb for many vehicles, but at least every 3 years. This type of preventative maintenance will help keep your Lexus operating smoothly and may prevent future problems.
However, if you have any of these problems below, check your power steering fluid level and its color. If your fluid looks dark brown or black, it's old.
Unusual noises whenever you turn the wheel. The noises may include squeaking or whining.
Bubbles in your power steering fluid
Power steering fluid (in the case of your Lexus ES330, Automatic Transmission Fluid) is important because it helps to make steering easy. Additionally, it lubricates the power steering components and protects them from corrosion.
Keeping your fluid clean and your levels good is part of preventative maintenance.
How to save money on Lexus insurance
Figuring out the best power steering fluid for your 2004 Lexus ES330 and how to replace it can wind up being more time-consuming than you expect. So can comparing Lexus car insurance costs
. When you go online, each insurer makes you fill out a separate form before they’ll even give you a quote. After filling out one or two forms, most of us give up trying to shop around. We just want to be done.
Let Jerry
do all the hard work of comparison shopping for you! Enter all your information once, and within seconds, Jerry, the trustworthy licensed broker app
, gathers information from your insurance company and provides you with competitive quotes from top insurers. The whole process is as easy as it sounds. “I’m young and just got my first car, so choosing an insurance company for the first time was scary. My friend recommended this app to me and Jerry
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