To replace the power steering fluid in your 2004 Nissan 350Z, you’ll need to drain the old fluid from the reservoir and then refill it with fresh fluid. You can find the power steering fluid reservoir in the front of the car, underneath the hood—it has a distinctive red cap.
It’s important that you replace your Nissan’s power steering fluid periodically. If you don’t, your steering wheel will begin to stiffen up and impair your ability to control the vehicle. After a while, you might even start hearing a loud screeching noise when you turn the wheel.
Don’t worry too much, though, because replacing your power steering fluid is actually easier than it might sound! Armed with a fresh bottle of steering fluid, a small pump, and a little help from your friend Jerry
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. How do I replace my 2004 Nissan 350Z’s power steering fluid?
Replacing the power steering fluid in a Nissan 350Z is fairly straightforward. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
With the car in park, pop the hood.
Underneath, you’ll find the power steering fluid reservoir, which is located toward the front of the car on the passenger side. The easiest way to find it is by looking for its bright red cap.
In the 350Z, the cap simply pops off—instead of screwing off like in most cars.
Once the cap is removed, you’ll need to insert a pump into the reservoir and pump the old fluid out into a safe container for disposal. If you don't have access to a pump, and you don’t want to buy one, you can use a turkey baster or a water bottle as a makeshift substitute—though it will not be as effective at getting all the old fluid out.
When you’ve finished removing as much of the old steering fluid as you possibly can, you can refill the reservoir by pouring the fresh fluid directly into it, until it reaches the fill line.
Locate the power steering reservoir. Look for a red cap next to the windshield wiper fluid.
And that’s all there is to it! When you’re done, start the engine of your Nissan. Let it run for a few minutes while gently but firmly turning the steering wheel from side to side—this will help the new fluid circulate through the power steering system. You should notice an improvement in your wheel’s handling pretty quickly.
MORE: How to check and add power steering fluid
Should I change it myself or take it to a mechanic?
Draining and refilling your power steering fluid is one of the simplest and easiest projects involved in car maintenance
. You should be able to do it yourself in just a few minutes without any major complications—even if you don’t have much experience working on cars. That being said, you may still want to consider paying a professional to do the power steering fluid service
for you. If you’d prefer not to do the job yourself, or if you’re not feeling confident in your ability to complete it yourself, taking the Nissan to a mechanic is always an option! True, there’s a good possibility that the mechanic will end up charging you a higher price (usually around $120 or so), but they’ll also do a more thorough job. Professionals usually have a few techniques for partially disconnecting the reservoir to more completely drain the old fluid.
In the end, it’s really up to you. If you’d rather not break a sweat, taking the car to a garage wouldn’t be a bad idea, as long as you don’t mind paying for it. If, on the other hand, you’d like to save some money while earning a metaphorical mechanic’s merit badge, then try doing it yourself. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is!
Which power steering fluid is best for a 2004 Nissan 350Z?
You’ve got quite a few options regarding the type of power steering fluid you use. Nowadays, virtually all standard cars use synthetic fluid, which can be purchased at any nearby auto parts store.
While different steering fluids vary slightly in terms of quality, they’re mostly all the same product. This means you can use pretty much any synthetic power steering fluid in your car—just don’t use any mineral-based oil steering fluids for the job.
As for which specific brand of steering fluid you should use, take a look at the table below for our recommendations:
| | |
|---|
Lucas Oil Power Steering Fluid | | |
Prestone AS261 Power Steering Fluid | | |
Super Tech Power Steering Fluid, 32 oz | | |
Lucas 10008 Power Steering Stop Leak | | |
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When do I need to replace my 2004 Nissan 350Z’s power steering fluid?
Conventional wisdom holds that power steering fluid should be changed about once every three years, or after 30,000 miles of driving—whichever comes first. That should be sufficient to keep your power steering system working smoothly.
Of course, if you notice that your power steering is behaving strangely, you can always change to fluid more often. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your power steering fluid to make sure that it’s not forming bubbles or changing color from clear to amber/yellow. If you do notice either of those things, you’ll want to go ahead and change the fluid—even if it hasn’t been three years or 30,000 miles.
You should also watch out for other signs of bad steering fluid, such as leaking fluid, loud screeching or squeaking noises when you turn the wheel, or the steering wheel stiffening up and becoming difficult to turn.
If you notice any of these symptoms, your power steering fluid needs to be changed right away. Don’t delay or brush it off. Changing power steering fluid is fast, cheap, and easy. If you put off doing it for too long, though, it could lead to more serious and expensive mechanical issues.
How to save money on Nissan insurance
Regularly replacing your Nissan 350Z’s power steering fluid is just one of many routine maintenance tasks required in order to keep your car running smoothly. Whether it’s an oil change, a brake realignment, or anything in between, there’s always some sort of maintenance issue that needs to be paid for—and all those little expenses can add up to a fairly significant financial strain.
Fortunately, there are a few ways you can save on your car expenses
. For starters, you can stop accepting anything but the best Nissan car insurance costs
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