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I have a Nissan Almera 2006, the recommended power steering fluid is Dextron III or equivalent as per service manual.

The power steering fluid I had in the system was red in colour, I'm pretty sure it was ATF Dextron II or similar.

However this time around I purchased STP power steering fluid as the store specified it was suitable for most vehicles requiring Dextron II or III specification as well. However whilst performing the flush and opening the bottle up it was yellow in colour.

Should I be worried? I went ahead and flushed the system out with the STP fully. Took the car for a drive and I haven't noticed any issues or noises. Is there anything I should monitor?

Thanks.

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Go by the specification and not by the color. Generally ATF is red but power steering fluid is commonly amber or yellow.

But if the bottle from STP says "suitable for Dexron II or III" then you should be OK to use it.

So I think no damage was done.

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  • The store specified it was suitable for Dexron II or III specification, it is also advertised so on their website. However now looking at the actual STP power steering fluid bottle I can't see any mention of this, nor on the STP website, I have sent them an email to check and hope it is.
    – Dave1UK
    Dec 6, 2022 at 10:12
  • If the bottle says nothing about it then I would be very skeptical. Nothing the store employees tells you is anything but their opinion. Use the products specified by the manufacturer or a suitable substitute. If STP thought is was Dexron II/III compatible they would have said so in my opinion.
    – jwh20
    Dec 6, 2022 at 11:51
  • Yeah I didn't take the employees word. However upon checking the big car parts suppliers website they do state under that products description that it is suitable for Dexron II/III. Could be an error on their part though. Anyhow I haven't driven much on it so may do a flush to put in a well known brand now. Would much damage have been done?
    – Dave1UK
    Dec 6, 2022 at 13:58
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    Even if it's not an exact replacement, I'm sure it's fine for such a short use. Usually different fluids are formulated to prevent damage to things like seals and hoses. But that only happens over time. I'm sure the fluid you used lubricates well enough that there is no damage. Your plan to flush and refill makes sense.
    – jwh20
    Dec 6, 2022 at 14:02

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