{"id":118251,"date":"2024-09-13T01:48:31","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T08:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogv2prod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=118251"},"modified":"2025-05-08T01:14:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T08:14:38","slug":"accidentally-put-power-steering-fluid-in-brake-fluid-reservoir-how-to-fix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/accidentally-put-power-steering-fluid-in-brake-fluid-reservoir-how-to-fix\/","title":{"rendered":"Accidentally Put Power Steering Fluid In Brake Fluid Reservoir? How to Fix"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 5<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><style>.kadence-column118251_5235e9-31 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column118251_5235e9-31 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column118251_5235e9-31 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column118251_5235e9-31 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column118251_5235e9-31 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column118251_5235e9-31 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column118251_5235e9-31{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column118251_5235e9-31 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column118251_5235e9-31 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column118251_5235e9-31 inner-column-1 qk-look-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-row ultp-block-65ddeb  qk-main-wrap\"><div class=\"ultp-row-wrapper\"><div class=\"ultp-row-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-column ultp-block-dd516b\"><div class=\"ultp-column-wrapper\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading118251_36872a-a3, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading118251_36872a-a3[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading118251_36872a-a3\"]{text-align:center;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading118251_36872a-a3 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading118251_36872a-a3[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading118251_36872a-a3\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-family:Inter;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading118251_36872a-a3 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading118251_36872a-a3[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading118251_36872a-a3\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"kt-adv-heading118251_36872a-a3 summary-title wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading118251_36872a-a3\"><span>Summary<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you put power steering fluid in the brake reservoir, you should be quite concerned. Power steering fluid and brake fluid are completely different and must never be interchanged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you discovered your mistake early, make sure you don&rsquo;t start your vehicle or press the brakes. Immediately try to remove the power steering fluid using a tool like a syringe or a turkey baster.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Always check the label and contents of the container to avoid confusing brake fluid for power steering fluid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you discover your mistake too late, then you should reach out to a reputable mechanic. Your braking system would need to be flushed and many components need to be replaced.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Since there are several fluid reservoirs under the hood of your vehicle, you might find yourself accidentally putting steering fluid in the wrong place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The brake fluid reservoir is located above the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/brake-master-cylinder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"brake master cylinder\">brake master cylinder<\/a>, which is typically mounted close to the back of the engine bay. Meanwhile, the power steering fluid reservoir is usually located on the power steering pump or just above it. . It&rsquo;s typically labeled with &ldquo;power steering&rdquo; or &ldquo;steering fluid&rdquo; on the lid or it may have a generic symbol for a steering wheel on the reservoir cap. These two reservoirs might seem distinct when described this way, but it can be quite confusing for someone new to DIY vehicle maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you put <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/power-steering-fluid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"power steering fluid\">power steering fluid<\/a> in the brake reservoir, you should be quite concerned. Power steering fluid and brake fluid are completely different and must never be interchanged. Power steering fluid is oil-based while brake fluid is alcohol-based. The oil-based power steering fluid can cause rubber seals and gaskets found in the braking system to swell and rapidly deteriorate, which can cause the entire system to leak and fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What that means is that the brakes will lock up and won&rsquo;t release, and all the components with rubber seals will need to be replaced or rebuilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some steps you should quickly follow if you accidentally put power steering fluid in your brake fluid reservoir, provided you catch the error as soon as you&rsquo;ve poured it in. If you don&rsquo;t, and the vehicle is driven, it&rsquo;s usually too late by the time you realize something is wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don&rsquo;t Press the Brakes or Drive the Vehicle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure not to press on the brakes as soon as you realize you&rsquo;ve put power steering fluid in the brake fluid reservoir. When the brakes are pressed, the brake master cylinder will start sending fluid into the brake lines and brake calipers, and that&rsquo;s when the rubber begins to swell and the calipers lock up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Removing the Power Steering Fluid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Power steering fluid will just float on top of the reservoir since brake fluid is heavier. If you haven&rsquo;t pressed the brakes yet, then no power steering fluid has been sucked by the master cylinder and sent to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/brake-line\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"brake lines\">brake lines<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/brake-caliper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"calipers\">calipers<\/a> yet. You can still try to skim the power steering fluid using a syringe or turkey baster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After skimming the power steering fluid, you must purge the brake system. This involves sucking out the brake fluid from the brake lines from the purge valve located on the brake caliper. As the old brake fluid is being drained, you must continuously refill the brake fluid reservoir to make sure the master cylinder doesn&rsquo;t dry out. You&rsquo;ll know when you&rsquo;ve cleared the old fluid when you see the fluid color become lighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You must ensure that all the old fluid is removed to prevent brake components like seals and gaskets from swelling. If you don&rsquo;t remove all the power steering fluid, it might go into the brake system and cause most of the rubber seals to swell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"687\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/one-way-to-keep-the-master-cylinder-full-while-bleeding-is-to-use-a-cleaned-out-water-bottle-1024x687.jpg\" alt=\"one way to keep the master cylinder full while bleeding is to use a cleaned out water bottle\" class=\"wp-image-122489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/one-way-to-keep-the-master-cylinder-full-while-bleeding-is-to-use-a-cleaned-out-water-bottle-1024x687.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/one-way-to-keep-the-master-cylinder-full-while-bleeding-is-to-use-a-cleaned-out-water-bottle-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/one-way-to-keep-the-master-cylinder-full-while-bleeding-is-to-use-a-cleaned-out-water-bottle-768x516.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/one-way-to-keep-the-master-cylinder-full-while-bleeding-is-to-use-a-cleaned-out-water-bottle-1536x1031.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/one-way-to-keep-the-master-cylinder-full-while-bleeding-is-to-use-a-cleaned-out-water-bottle-150x101.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/one-way-to-keep-the-master-cylinder-full-while-bleeding-is-to-use-a-cleaned-out-water-bottle.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One good way to keep the master cylinder full while bleeding is to use a cleaned out water bottle (rinse it with clean brake fluid first). Fill it with brake fluid and invert it over the master cylinder filler with the cap removed as shown in the illustration. Using this method, you can easily see how much fluid is still available and it also expands the capacity of the master cylinder during the bleeding process. The fluid won&rsquo;t exit the bottle into the master cylinder unless the fluid level drops below the mouth of the bottle. | Image Source: Richard McCuistian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cleaning the Reservoir With Brake Parts Cleaner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to get rid of all the power steering fluid from the brake fluid reservoir without leaving any residue. Otherwise, the power steering fluid residue might enter the brake system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&rsquo;ll need to remove the brake fluid reservoir and flush it with brake fluid cleaner to ensure that it doesn&rsquo;t have any more power steering fluid residue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reach Out to a Reputable Mechanic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you realized your mistake late and have already turned on your vehicle and pressed the brakes, then there&rsquo;s a good chance that power steering fluid has been sent into your brake lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The brake master cylinder is capable of thoroughly mixing the power steering fluid and brake fluid and pushing it deep into your braking system. Once the power steering fluid is mixed into the brake fluid, the power steering fluid won&rsquo;t float to the top anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When this happens, removing the brake fluid in your reservoir won&rsquo;t suffice. You&rsquo;ll need to drain all the brake fluid, clean the brake lanes, and replace the affected components. These include parts like the brake master cylinder and brake caliper. This is going to require a lot of work, so it&rsquo;s best to reach out to a trusted mechanic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips to Avoid Mistaking Brake Fluid For Power Steering Fluid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow these helpful tips to avoid putting the wrong fluid in your car:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Always Check the Label<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Check the container&rsquo;s label to see if it has brake fluid or power steering fluid. If the label starts peeling off or becomes difficult to read, replace it with a new label or mark the container with a Sharpie to remind you what&rsquo;s inside it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Always Check the Container&rsquo;s Contents<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Remove the container&rsquo;s cover cap and check the fluid. Brake fluid and power steering fluid look and smell different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brake fluid is usually light yellow or honey. Old fluid might darken into brown or become foamy. It smells fishy or sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Power steering fluid is amber, pink, or light red in color and oily to the touch. Its scent resembles burning marshmallows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where to Get High-Quality Brake Cleaner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before anything else, avoid driving your vehicle until you clear the brake fluid reservoir of power steering fluid. Driving around with contaminated brake fluid can damage your brake system and lead to poor braking performance. This puts you at greater risk of getting into an accident, so it&rsquo;s best to avoid driving until you can clean the reservoir with a brake cleaner. The good news is that ordering a brake cleaner is fast and easy with CarParts.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At <a href=\"http:\/\/carparts.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" aria-label=\"CarParts.com\">CarParts.com<\/a>, you can order a high-quality brake cleaner with just a few clicks. Our easy-to-navigate website makes it easy to place your order, and you can rest assured your details are safe, thanks to our secure checkout. We also offer fast shipping. If you order by 12 PM ET, you can expect your new brake cleaner to arrive in as fast as two business days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&rsquo;t wait until your contaminated brake fluid starts wreaking havoc in your brake system before cleaning the reservoir. Check out our catalog of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/brake-cleaner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"brake cleaners\">brake cleaners<\/a> at CarParts.com and order today!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 5<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Since there are several fluid reservoirs under the hood of your vehicle, you might find yourself accidentally putting steering fluid&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/accidentally-put-power-steering-fluid-in-brake-fluid-reservoir-how-to-fix\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1651,"featured_media":118496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[52,3747],"tags":[3609,3073],"ppma_author":[2607,2985],"class_list":{"0":"post-118251","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-diy","8":"category-engine","9":"tag-brake-fluid-2","10":"tag-power-steering-fluid","11":"entry"},"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Accidentally Put Power Steering Fluid In Brake Fluid Reservoir? How to Fix - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Did you accidentally pour power steering fluid into the brake fluid reservoir? You can still prevent a disaster by following these tips.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/accidentally-put-power-steering-fluid-in-brake-fluid-reservoir-how-to-fix\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Accidentally Put Power Steering Fluid In Brake Fluid Reservoir? How to Fix - In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Did you accidentally pour power steering fluid into the brake fluid reservoir? You can still prevent a disaster by following these tips.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/accidentally-put-power-steering-fluid-in-brake-fluid-reservoir-how-to-fix\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-13T08:48:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-08T08:14:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/brake-fluid-reservoir.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CarParts.com Research Team, Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CarParts.com Research Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/accidentally-put-power-steering-fluid-in-brake-fluid-reservoir-how-to-fix\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/accidentally-put-power-steering-fluid-in-brake-fluid-reservoir-how-to-fix\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"1651\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"jobTitle\":\"Expert Automotive Writer\",\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com&#039;s thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.\",\"knowsAbout\":\"Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, Auto Parts, Car Reviews\",\"publishingPrinciples\":\"\\\/blog\\\/our-team\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/thecpteam\\\/\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/carpartscom, https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/CarPartscom, https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@CarPartscomOfficial\\\/, https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/carpartscom\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"1651\",\"name\":\"Richard McCuistian\",\"jobTitle\":\"ASE Master Automobile Technician\",\"description\":\"Richard McCuistian has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, and a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others. 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