BMW E46 Power Steering Fluid
You should change your BMW E46’s power steering fluid every 30,000 miles or two years. Here’s how to do it.
Written by Rachel Rigolino
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
BMW recommends that you change out your E46’s power steering fluid every 30,000 miles or every two years. A professional flush for a BMW typically costs more than $100, but you can do the job yourself for under $50, depending upon which fluid you need.
Keeping your BMW E46’s power steering fluid clean and topped off is one way to keep your car in optimal condition. Power steering fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid that lubricates the components in a power steering system, which makes steering easier.
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversWhat type of power steering fluid does a BMW E46 use?
Because BMWs are high-performance, luxury European vehicles, you’ll want to be careful to choose a power steering fluid made for your precise trim and model year.
In general, for 1990 and newer models, use
Pentosin CHF-11S
. Pentosin 115 is a long-lfe synthetic hydraulic fluid and can be used in both extreme hot and cold conditions.Pre-1990 models take Pentosin CHF 7.1. While Pentosin CHF 7.1 is recommended for older BMWs, you may have difficulty finding it is no longer manufactured. You can substitute other aftermarket products.
While Pentosin is made in Germany for BMWs and other European cars, you can usually find substitutes such as the ones below. But when searching for a replacement, be very careful to input your precise year and model:
- Prestone Power Steering Fluid + Stop Leak. While not made for BMW, some experts say that it works especially well for pre-2012 model years. It’s a great additive for cars with ZF hydraulic power steering racks, which BMWs used to have.
- Ravenol J1B1001 Power Steering Fluid. Ravenol is another aftermarket substitute made with luxury cars like BMW specifically in mind.
- Prestone European Power Steering Fluid. Prestone designed this fluid and is specially designed for European cars, including BMW.
Car owners sometimes ask if they can use automatic transmission fluid (ATF) instead of power steering fluid.
ATF fluid can be used on BMW with the word "ATF Fluid" on the cap of the power steering fluid. And if the owner's manual recommends ATF to be used or if "ATF Fluid Only" words are printed on top of the power steering cap, be sure to follow that directive.
How to change a BMW E46’s power steering fluid
Whenever you’re doing routine maintenance on your BMW, begin by assembling the necessary tools, new power steering fluid, and clean-up products. You will need:
- The type and quantity of power steering fluid for your BMW
- Paper towels and rags to clean up any spilled fluid
- A turkey baster to remove the old fluid (don’t plan to reuse it, of course!); however, a handheld or electric pump would be even better
- A funnel to pour in the new power steering fluid
- A container to collect the used fluid
- A jack or jack stands and wheel chocks (optional). While it is not necessary to jack up your E46, it makes one of the later steps easier
Steps | Details |
|---|---|
Step 1: | Safety first! After parking your BMW in a level area, put on your emergency brake and place wheel chocks behind the back wheels if you have them. |
Step 2: | Open the hood and look for the power steering reservoir, which will likely be on the driver’s side of the engine. |
Step 3: | Using your turkey baster or pump, extract as much of the old fluid as you can, putting it into the container designated for the used fluid. |
Step 4: | To completely empty the rest of the used power steering fluid, you need to take an additional step. Locate the return hose, which is typically the thinner of the two hoses connected to the reservoir. Disconnect it by removing the clamps, placing the end of the hose in the container you set aside to collect the dirty fluid. |
Step 5: | Add new fluid to the reservoir with the funnel. |
Step 6: | Turn on the engine and then turn the wheel of the E46 several times to work the fluid through the power steering system and discharge the old fluid. This will also help get any air out of the hose system. (If you can place your E46 on jack stands, this makes it easy to fully turn the wheels as they are off the ground.) |
Repeat steps 5 and 6: | Once you no longer see black or dark fluid, and instead see pink or amber fluid in your baster, this means you’re done. |
Step 7: | Shut off your engine and put the return hose securely back in place. Now, fill up the power steering reservoir with new fluid to the fill line. |
Step 8: | Run the engine for several minutes, then check underneath the car for leaks. |
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversWhen you take the car off the jack stands, drive it around and see if you notice a difference in the way your BMW steering wheel turns. It should be smoother.
What is the power steering fluid change interval for a BMW E46?
Your BMW E46 is a high-performance machine, so plan to regularly change the power steering fluid every 30,000 miles or every two to three years—whichever comes first.
However, you may notice problems earlier. Here are some signs you have a problem with old fluid that needs to be changed or a leak in the reservoir, hoses, or a loose clamp:
- A discharge of fluid underneath your E46 in the area of the power steering hoses
- A groaning or other unusual noise when turning the steering wheel
- Fluid is brown or black instead of amber or pink
- The steering wheel is increasingly difficult to turn
Note: Clean steering fluid should be either pink or amber in color.
MORE: BMW car buying guide
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