Power Steering fluid

Okell

I've got a 2012 Ford Mondeo 1.6 EcoBoost.

I'm being told that it is recommended by Ford that the power steering fluid AND the reservoir and attached filter should be replaced at 75,000 miles

Does this sound right?  (I had read the service/maintenence schedule for this car online last year, but I now don't seem to be able to find it.  I do seem to recall something about power steering fluid).

NB1 - Before anybody asks, I'm not interested in a DiY job and I'll be using an independent garage.  I'm just seeking confirmation as to whether it's advisable that it should be done or not.

NB2 - Although the car is a 12 plate it's only done 75,000 and since covid mileage has dropped off a cliff.  Timing belt etc replaced last year

tacpot12

Unfortunately, it does sound right. The information on this page suggests that the reservoir and filter might become contaminated if the steering rack has a problem: Ford Mondeo MK4 Steering Rack Western Power Steering 

The garage that does the work might be able to review the state of the reservoir and filter they remove and give you an idea as to whether the steering rack might be starting to exhibit the problem described on the page.

I would recommend buying a genuine Ford replacement for the reservoir from here: https://shop.ford.co.uk/ as an aftermarket one might not even have a filter. They aren't expensive. 

Okell

Thanks @tacpot12

Bigwheels1111

I'm a bit old fashioned, I was told to dip a finger in and smell it. If it smells burnt it's time to change.

On most of my old cars they leaked so much that the top ups kept the fluid fresh.

Barkin

Most of my old cars weren't fancy enough to have power steering...

Goudy

Power steering fluid is usually cherry red. Like cherryade.

As it ages and picks up contaminates it starts turning muddier shades of brown the older the fluid gets.

Power steering fluid and normal automatic transmission fluid are the same thing.
As Bigwheels suggests, it can smell burned, but usually only when it's used in automatic transmissions as it gets hot and burns through the normal friction used inside automatic gearboxes.

Used as power steering fluid it doesn't get the same sort of heat, so just goes browner and dirtier as it gets older.

If you open the power steering reservoir cap, you should notice a orange tab, that's part of the filter to pull it out, but usually instead of replacing the filter it's self, a new reservoir is fitted as it's not much more expensive and less fiddly/dirty.

It's one of those jobs that after 75,000 miles or so it worth doing if you're keeping the car, but I wouldn't rush out and get it done if the steering feels fine.

Of course check the condition/colour and level of the PAS fluid, but I'd wait until it's due it's next service. It's not an expensive job and they can just tack it on the service.
The reservoir is something like £15 and a litre of fluid around £10 or less.
Labour will be less than an hour.

If you run it a short time with the cap off the reservoir and the fluid foams up out the top or you start noticing leaks around the cap, that's a sign of a leak in the hydraulic system somewhere. Air is getting into the system and aerating the fluid.

More modern cars don't use hydraulic power steering anymore, but use electric motors to add power assistance, though one or two still use hydraulic but the pump isn't driven by a belt from the engine, it's driven by an electric motor/pump somewhere buried deep, usually inside the inner wing.