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Ford Focus power steering hose replacement


BarryM
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After I realised the power steering hose was leaking on our Ford Focus I did some searching but didn’t manage to find a decent DIY so here are a couple of useful pointers if you decide to tackle this job.

For the 2007 2nd generation model you need hose PN. 1743278 and connector PN. 4747355 (this is the 18mm nut the pipe slots into on the pump), the nut is slightly thicker than the original and the pipe nozzle that fits into it is also a tad longer. Cost for both was £138.25 from local Ford dealer.

You need to remove a cover underneath the engine, driver side headlight and move the coolant and power steering reservoirs to give better access.

You don’t need to remove the serpentine belts, apparently the 2007 model has “stretch” belts which are a real pain so leave well alone! I’d never heard of these before and they sound ridiculous but I’m sure they're a great idea I don't know if all cars use them these days.....

The old hoses are secured to the chassis at 3 points and are accessed from under the car. The one furthest back was quite corroded and the other 2 were ok to remove.

The pipes are easy to remove underneath to the rear of the engine bay but the 2 in the engine bay were a challenge. There’s probably a simple technique to removing the spring clip holding the reservoir hose in place but I eventually dremelled it in half (new hose hose one fitted). The really tricky one was trying to cut the metal pipe (as suggested in other threads and recommended by my friendly Ford mechanic) when I enquired how he said to use an air hacksaw.....hmm, not sure how many people have one of these at home! Luckily I have a dremel and 3ft flexible extension which I’ve never used in anger before but it was the only way I could get to cut the pipe and you also have to cut the metal bracket before you can get an 18mm socket on the old connector nut to remove it.

Screw your new connector nut in and then struggle to install the hose/pipe contraption from underneath the car, curse the Ford engineer who came up with such a crap design as you persuade it into position. I found the rear pipe fittings relatively easy but don’t bolt up the chassis mountings until the pipes are home as the whole lot is under a bit of tension when all fitted (probably explains why they seem to fail quite regularly). Reservoir hose is a simple push fit and then we get to the pipe into the steering pump....first off I presumed you placed the pipe into the connector nut and “pulled” it in by tightening up the 10mm bolt attached to the bracket - this cunningly drags the pipe in at an angle and it won’t seat correctly. You actually need to push the pipe fully home into the connector nut first and it’s a very tight fit even after coating with silicone grease. Once you’ve clicked the pipe in you simply tighten up the 10mm bolt, tighten up the 3 chassis connections and put the reservoirs and headlight back in place.

Run the engine for a minute, check to make sure there are no leaks and top up the power steering fluid.

Hope this helps someone, my local Ford dealer said they do at least one of these hoses a week....

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yes and you should fill with green fluid.....

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yes and you should fill with green fluid.....

Great advice......I’d say you should fill with what the system had before the leak and our 2007 Focus had red so that’s what topped up our system, although tbh I’ve never been a big fan of choosing car fluids based solely on their colour


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Circa 2006 most manufacturers moved to green.

new environmental laws came in. one of which stated all fluids need to be captured when the car is disposed of.... it set the accountants off on a mission to control costs and stop laws ***** them.  With oils and material evolving they did some maths and realised components could be left out and or made smaller and cheaper.

The early oil filters where twice the size for instance, now at end of life every focus has 1/2 litre less engine oil to dispose of.  On PAS, green fluid could tolerate working harder and running at higher temps with less degradation.  This allows you to leave out a PAS oil cooler and run lower quantities of fluid to dispose of at end of life.

The issue is most people never knew the world made a step change.  So often mechanics filled with wrong stuff, and dealers continued to give mechanics / customers the wrong stuff.  It was even phased in at Ford manufacturing sites in different years.  So one from one factory got red, the other factory got green. 

As you should know, you must NEVER hold the rack on full lock even for a second with PAS, as this will trash the pump and overheat the seals very rapidly and wear out your petrol.  Even so without a cooler and running a tiny reservoir red can't cope with lazy drivers maneuvering in tight spaces at all.

When my hose went 3 years back, with 7 years of use and a bit of metal from the grinding pump, it just looked a dull grey slop, it was topped with red to get me home and the dealer supplied red with the parts, the garage doing the work filled the new pipes up with red.  It was only 18 months later I spotted it was black, I flushed with red and it was black again inside 6 months.  I decided to flush the now worn out red yet again.... when a non franchised garage gave me green. I said u idiot its the wrong stuff, he said its the right stuff, you don't know what you are talking about.... He went off to reassure himself he was right, double checked told me it takes green - but if you want red, I'll sell you red.  I flushed all the black gunk out filled with red.... Then I began to question why he thought he was right.  I asked here and got the wrong red answer ! someone found a post about Alfa doing it wrong from manufacture and dealers having to change newly sold cars red fluid for green at servicing.  I found out about the environmental law change, I rang oil suppliers confirming the green copes with extended service life and higher temps.  Discovered it was normal from 2005 that red was being phased out and green coming in.  Even that merc's green, is straw coloured coz they have to be different…. went outside and looked at my 2006 merc and saw that it indeed has straw coloured fluid.

Green lasts 7 years rather than 18 months before going black.  At 138k miles mine has been green for 7 years red for 2 red, green and red for 1 and now back on Ford green with a new pump after the replacement hose leaked again... the rack fortunately has never complained...   But you do get a different steering feel between types.  With genuine Ford green that is the right spec for this car (at 15 quid a bottle) its a bit heavier than running red.

The world of brake fluid changed too !!!  Up to 2007 Dot 4 was normal...  by 2008 cars should have Dot 4 thin stuff for ABS, and from 2012 Dot 4 ESP which is even thinner so ESP functions when its cold... but it lasts about 3 seconds

 

The owners manual was never wrong as many claim - it says use green because its meant to use green - its just the manu was lazy in some plants and filled lots of early cars with wrong stuff to use up stocks of oil - read the owners manual page 225?  - mine a mk 2.5 1.6 petrol zetec sold June 2007   it takes Ford WSS-M2C204-A2 - which is GREEN

 

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Wow, that’s a serious post - probably worth it’s own thread so everyone realises how much things have changed!

I’m happy using red in the Focus so won’t be changing it.


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the most readily available green outside a franchised network (note it doesn't match ford spec but its what comma say to put in 2007 or later focus)

https://www.commaoil.com/passenger-vehicles/products/view/221

A special synthetic oil based hydraulic fluid for power steering, central hydraulic and suspension level control systems. Also suitable for certain stability and traction control systems, hydrostatically driven fans, generators and air conditioning units, control of convertible car top covers and central locking systems.

Suitable for certain:
Audi, Seat, VW, Skoda, BMW, Opel/Vauxhall, Peugeot, Porsche, Mercedes, Mini, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Saab, Volvo, Deutz, Fendt, MAN vehicles requiring a fluid of this type.

 

their version of the WONG red stuff

https://www.commaoil.com/passenger-vehicles/products/view/223

Power Steering Fluid - suitable for most systems (refer to vehicle manual).
Compatible with all ATF type fluids.

 

Dot 4 ESP

https://www.commaoil.com/passenger-vehicles/products/view/198

 

 

 

 

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(note it doesn't match ford spec

their version of the WONG red stuff


Not as useful as your earlier post?



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did you read the owners manual page 225?

mine is a mk 2.5 1.6 petrol zetec sold June 2007   it takes   WSS-M2C204-A2

 

 

 

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ford still use the red fluid in one or two vehicles. but it should be green on all focus 2004-2010. 

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did you read the owners manual page 225?


Now I know you’re trying to wind me up, I can’t believe the owner’s manual even has 225 pages!


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Mine has 274 but the info on the power steering fluid is on p188.

 

Focus_fluids.jpg

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Ok, I did the DIY to try and help out but clearly everyone else is more versed in Ford Focus fluids than me so I’ll check-out at this stage [emoji4]

I guess it’s a good job my own car isn’t a Ford [emoji106]


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  • 5 years later...

Rather than starting a new topic, I'd like to revive this one, just for one little question...

... How the feck do I get the power steering pipe back into the pump?!! 

The pump is still in place with the new 18mm connector in place. I have the union and both pipes fixed at the rear, nothing is bolted to the chassis to leave a bit of flexibility, but even with the headlight out, bottom cover off, wheel arch plastics off, I still cannot get the proper angle and force to push pipe home! 

has anyone any suggestions or tricks to aid with this or is it a case of keep struggling?

 

Cheers in advance.

 

Steeki.

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On 7/22/2023 at 5:30 PM, Steeki89 said:

Rather than starting a new topic, I'd like to revive this one, just for one little question...

... How the feck do I get the power steering pipe back into the pump?!! 

The pump is still in place with the new 18mm connector in place. I have the union and both pipes fixed at the rear, nothing is bolted to the chassis to leave a bit of flexibility, but even with the headlight out, bottom cover off, wheel arch plastics off, I still cannot get the proper angle and force to push pipe home! 

has anyone any suggestions or tricks to aid with this or is it a case of keep struggling?

 

Cheers in advance.

 

Steeki.

UPDATE (and to share in case anyone runs into the same frustrating mini-problem)...

The bracket on the top of the line which takes the 10mm bolt was slightly bent, restricting the distance my line could be pushed into the connector. Pair of pliers, quick manipulation and pushed her home. Tightened the 10mm bolt then a successful test.

Steeki.

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