'02 Impala 3.4L 128k: Power Steering Fluid

'02 Impala 3.4L 128k: Power Steering Fluid

Which power steering fluid is used in this car? Neither the Haynes nor GM shop manuals are specific. Haynes manual says "use the right one" and the GM manual says "use ours".

I've used DOT-3 Brake Fluid in my '97 Taurus for the Power Steering Fluid without any apparent problems (~ a year ago now). I still have some of this stuff left over in the original sealed container ... can I use it, or do I have to buy a bottle that says "POWER STEERING FLUID" on it ???

'02 Impala 3.4L 128k: Power Steering Fluid

Which power steering fluid is used in this car? Neither the Haynes nor GM shop manuals are specific. Haynes manual says "use the right one" and the GM manual says "use ours".

I've used DOT-3 Brake Fluid in my '97 Taurus for the Power Steering Fluid without any apparent problems (~ a year ago now). I still have some of this stuff left over in the original sealed container ... can I use it, or do I have to buy a bottle that says "POWER STEERING FLUID" on it ???


power steering fluid I use is the prestone type for gm vehicles.
with the gm spec # you can go to the parts store then you will be sure you got the correct fluid...do not use brake fluid in the GM power steering.

with the vehicle this old replacing all the fluid is a good way to avoid problems/leaks...seals get damaged with old fluid.

Went with the Prestone 32oz bottle for $3.17 at Wal-Mart. Says on the back label "formulated for GM, Ford, Chrysler, and most foreign cars and light trucks", which was good enough for me.

Probably should mention that there were actually TWO (red) 32 oz. Prestone bottles on the shelf: one said "Helps Stop Squeals" and the other said something about stopping leaks. Never a believer in the "stop leaks" products, I went with the 'Squeal' fluid. Hopefully this quiets things down until I have time to address the problem further...

Went with the Prestone 32oz bottle for $3.17 at Wal-Mart. Says on the back label "formulated for GM, Ford, Chrysler, and most foreign cars and light trucks", which was good enough for me.

Probably should mention that there were actually TWO (red) 32 oz. Prestone bottles on the shelf: one said "Helps Stop Squeals" and the other said something about stopping leaks. Never a believer in the "stop leaks" products, I went with the 'Squeal' fluid. Hopefully this quiets things down until I have time to address the problem further...


the prestone fluid is good ..I've used it for many years..also suck out as much old fluid as you can , then fill it up..in a couple of weeks repeat this..
I bet the squeal goes away ...this could also be fluid leaking on the belt so check for leaks ..

It's more of a growl than a squeal. My '97 Taurus made a whining noise, but this thing almost sounds like a bearing on the PS pump (or maybe one of the pulleys on the Serp belt). The reservoir looks empty from the top - just as the Taurus did a year ago. And just like with the Taurus - no sign of leaks anywhere. I'm just going to do what I did with the Taurus: fill to the "C", run it, and see what happens. There's probably a VERY slow leak somewhere that takes a LONG time to bleed out.

It's more of a growl than a squeal. My '97 Taurus made a whining noise, but this thing almost sounds like a bearing on the PS pump (or maybe one of the pulleys on the Serp belt). The reservoir looks empty from the top - just as the Taurus did a year ago. And just like with the Taurus - no sign of leaks anywhere. I'm just going to do what I did with the Taurus: fill to the "C", run it, and see what happens. There's probably a VERY slow leak somewhere that takes a LONG time to bleed out.

my experience with these gm power steering pumps with running low/out of fluid is you will need to replace...with insufficent fluid they get damaged fast..

makes a growling , snaping sound may even feel steering wheel with uneven turning ease..

I'd describe the noise as sounding like "a pack of bees". It's not even really a whine.

Poured in 8 oz (according to the scale on the side of the bottle) - but that was probably an ounce or two more than I should have, so it was around 6 oz low. Anyway, it quieted down pretty good after idling for around 10 minutes, but the unit will probably need to be replaced at some point. We'll see - maybe it'll live on like the Taurus pump (a year now since refill and no problems).

As far as replacing the pump, seems to me that's going to be more work than it outwardly appears. I replaced the intake gaskets on this car 18 months ago and had to removed the PS pump in the process. The upper intake will probably need to come off again, right ??? I'll have to check the manuals on that one.