Date: Thu, 7 Mar 1996 14:40:30 -0600
From: smitht@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca (Tim Smith)

Flushing vanagon PS system  (IMHO)

Buy a quart of STP Dexron-III from Kmart, $2.50 here.
Feeling rich? Buy a quart of VWoA Hydraulic fluid,  $35.00 here
Feeling rich? Buy the VWoA cork filter ring, $35.00 also

1)  Loosen the band clamp on the return hose where it attaches to the steel
piping that leads forward and pull off hose, fixing it up somehow above the
PS reservoir top. Loosely held in Vice-Grips is fine, resting on engine lid
deck.

2)  Connect old vinyl tubing to the steel pipe and lead down into a waste
container, 2qt size.

3)  Pull the main coil lead off the distributer.

4)  With the car in neutral crank the starter for 3-4 spins then run back
and check fluid level in reservoir.  Repeat until it's at the bottom BUT
DON'T SUCK AIR!! A helper would make life easier here.

5)  Unscrew the big cap, remove plastic plate and spring and old filter.
Wipe clean and set aside filter to drain on a paper towel if being reused.

6)  Top up with ATF.

7)  Repeat  #4 until fresh fluid comes out the return hose into the waste
container.  STP is purple, showed up well against rust brown that was in there.

8)  Repeat #4 while turning wheels lock to lock to flush the rack.  This
should just about finish off the qt. of STP.

9)  Replace filter, lid/spring, big cap and top up to correct level, then
keep cranking to keep up the flush until all the STP is used up.

10)  Reconnect the return hose quickly so as not to loose fluid, any air in
the system will be returned directly to the reservoir.  Tighten the clamp.

11)  Connect the coil wire and start it up, looking for purple coloured
leaks. Then road test and recheck.

12) If you opted for the $$ VWoA fluid, treat the STP as the flush, and
repeat all of the above after a week? two weeks? That's when I'd change the
filter also.  If not, then you are done.
----------------------------------------

I've had the STP in for a month, waiting for some good weather to put in the
VW fluid which is supposed to re-swell/lube seals etc etc (snake-oil?).  STP
works fine, _maybe_ a tad easier action in initiating a turn now, slightly
lighter feeling at the wheel (_maybe_)  The job was dead easy, 20 minutes
total.  The old fluid was the most disgusting muck I've ever seen
masquerading as hydraulic fluid, dark brown, very thin/watery. Since the
Dexron-II is rec'd in my manual, and Dexron-III is backwards compatible (and
fully synthetic I believe) and costs one fourteenth the price of the VW
fluid it's likely fine as a replacement, at $2.50 it's also cheap enough for
a rinse too :)  I haven't seen any sign of leaks, we get fresh snow every
second day and no little purple spots have made it to the ground (yet?)