MV_Majestic
Junior Member
If anyone can diagnose what might have happened, it could be a big help lol. I'm still learning about cars, just learned about the fluids for the Cobalt recently actually. (I bought used, first car, and it didn't come with a manual.)
Anyways, one night I was getting ready to take a co-worker home. I put the car into reverse, and then I could barely turn the steering wheel, it was like it was stuck in quicksand or something. It wasn't locked, it could turn, but I had to exert a lot of effort into it, definitely not driveable by any means. She told me about power steering fluid, and said that's probably what I need. So we walked to Circle K, bought the power steering fluid, and came back to the car. (This was back in December.) She told me that she used to work on cars, and that she could figure out where to put it. She pointed to a cap that said "DOT 3" and told me that was probably it. And, well, it made sense! It was in front of the steering wheel, so I figured she was right, I had no clue what it was. So we put some in, only a little bit, and got back in the car. The wheel turned gracefully, no problems or issues whatsoever. I've been driving like this until last week, when I took it in for an oil change.
I happened to be talking about this story after they finished, and my mechanic looked at me and said "Your car doesn't take power steering fluid, it doesn't use it because it doesn't need it." Turns out, she put power steering fluid where the brake fluid goes. I got lucky though, nothing was damaged, and they simply drained it all out and replaced it with brake fluid, problem solved.
But my mechanic could not figure out what that steering problem was, and told me that it was probably coincidence that the wheel turned after we put the fluid in. So any ideas on what that might've been? Haven't had any steering issues before or since, just that one night.
***
On an unrelated side note. About a month after I bought the car, I noticed that my brakes would squeak every time I let my foot off the brake pedal. It was just a quick squeak, and it seemed to come from the back of the car. I asked my dealership about it twice, and they told me both times it's nothing to worry about and that it's "perfectly normal". (I don't know how squeaking brakes are normal, but whatever.) Anyway, since the oil and brake fluid change, I haven't noticed that squeaking sound. Could it be that my car was just low on brake fluid?
Anyways, one night I was getting ready to take a co-worker home. I put the car into reverse, and then I could barely turn the steering wheel, it was like it was stuck in quicksand or something. It wasn't locked, it could turn, but I had to exert a lot of effort into it, definitely not driveable by any means. She told me about power steering fluid, and said that's probably what I need. So we walked to Circle K, bought the power steering fluid, and came back to the car. (This was back in December.) She told me that she used to work on cars, and that she could figure out where to put it. She pointed to a cap that said "DOT 3" and told me that was probably it. And, well, it made sense! It was in front of the steering wheel, so I figured she was right, I had no clue what it was. So we put some in, only a little bit, and got back in the car. The wheel turned gracefully, no problems or issues whatsoever. I've been driving like this until last week, when I took it in for an oil change.
I happened to be talking about this story after they finished, and my mechanic looked at me and said "Your car doesn't take power steering fluid, it doesn't use it because it doesn't need it." Turns out, she put power steering fluid where the brake fluid goes. I got lucky though, nothing was damaged, and they simply drained it all out and replaced it with brake fluid, problem solved.
But my mechanic could not figure out what that steering problem was, and told me that it was probably coincidence that the wheel turned after we put the fluid in. So any ideas on what that might've been? Haven't had any steering issues before or since, just that one night.
***
On an unrelated side note. About a month after I bought the car, I noticed that my brakes would squeak every time I let my foot off the brake pedal. It was just a quick squeak, and it seemed to come from the back of the car. I asked my dealership about it twice, and they told me both times it's nothing to worry about and that it's "perfectly normal". (I don't know how squeaking brakes are normal, but whatever.) Anyway, since the oil and brake fluid change, I haven't noticed that squeaking sound. Could it be that my car was just low on brake fluid?
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DOT# is brake fluid!!! and yeah, we have electric p/s assist.
