Power steering fluid

[andyman32]

The manual calls for the same thing as the cap: CHF-11S... $28/litre at the dealership, and no cheaper anywhere online once you pay for shipping.

But I'm wondering for future reference... since this was 10 years ago, will anything else "over the counter" at the local Auto Zone suffice as power steering fluid in this car? Or does this CHF-11S really have supernatural powers that justify its sky-high prices?

[winfred]

if you don't have hydrallic rear suspension you can flush and go with atf, but if you have self leveling hydrallic rear suspension stick with chf

[Bill R.]

buy 75.00 worth of stuff from these guys shipping is free

The manual calls for the same thing as the cap: CHF-11S... $28/litre at the dealership, and no cheaper anywhere online once you pay for shipping.

But I'm wondering for future reference... since this was 10 years ago, will anything else "over the counter" at the local Auto Zone suffice as power steering fluid in this car? Or does this CHF-11S really have supernatural powers that justify its sky-high prices?

[andyman32]

I'm itching to know... does my car have hydraulic rear suspension? I have no idea. How do I find out?

[G Feller]

"Is my car a touring or an M5?" if so, you have it (although are those two systems different?).

If not, you don't.

Unless you are in Europe, in which case I am babbling.

I'm itching to know... does my car have hydraulic rear suspension? I have no idea. How do I find out?

[RX7guy]

Bringing this thread back from the dead just to clarify..

Am I to understand that my 95 540i/6 does not have self-leveling suspension and is ok to use ATF in the power steering instead of CHF 11?

[yaofeng]

Bringing this thread back from the dead just to clarify..

Am I to understand that my 95 540i/6 does not have self-leveling suspension and is ok to use ATF in the power steering instead of CHF 11?

I don't think you can use ATF on your 540, self leveling or not. The label says Pentosin. Use Pentosin. It's $18 a liter last time I bought from AutoHauz about a year ago. Probably more expensive now.

[Tiger]

Interesting... I was thinking what Amsoil would have said... so I went to their online application wizard...

They said you can use their Universal Synthetic ATF or their Torque Drive Synthetic ATF... mmm... I would call them up to ask them again.

[Andrew]

I just went through this myself in this thread: http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthr...hlight=chf+11s.

ATF appeared to work well for about 6 months, possibly longer since the previous owner replaced the fluid. All of a sudden I started feeling strange vibrations in the steering wheel at idle. I have been slowly flushing the ATF out of the system for about a week and the situation has improved quite a bit. (Maybe it just needed to be flushed? I still do not know.)

I found that one can of the Pentosin CHF 11S is enough to fill the system up and have a little extra to keep in the trunk. Flushing the system, however, is taking around 4-5 cans. My suggestion is that if you currently have CHF 11S in the system, don't dirty it up with ATF!

Andrew

Bringing this thread back from the dead just to clarify..

Am I to understand that my 95 540i/6 does not have self-leveling suspension and is ok to use ATF in the power steering instead of CHF 11?