So I went to the dealer today

[gsotis]

and got some power steering fluid. I thought i had to go to the dealer becuase it is the chf 11s, and i could not find it at any store, but to my surprise they told me it is just ATF. Is this right?

Thanks,

Greg.

[shogun]

Pentosin is something special and it depends on your car design what you need, Pentosin or just ATF. For example I need Pentosin 7.1 and there is a sticker on the reservoir like this green one. You can also get Pentosin at VW and Mercedes Benz dealers.
Look at the sticker. Look in the reservoir, the pentosin is green the
ATF is red.

http://shrubbery.student.utwente.nl/sean750/V12_rough_idle/RemoveAirMassMeter.jpg
info on Pentosin (http://www.crpindustries.com/pentosin.htm)

[gsotis]

my car has a green sticker that says chf 11s, obvisuly the guy I was deling with didnt no what he was doing when he sold me the ATF. The problem now is i have put some in my car, what should i do, leave it or flush the whole system.

[shogun]

till the reservoir is empty. Then pump the pedal that there might come more fluid to the reservoir to skim off.
I am not sure if you should flush it too.
The owners manual says to use LMH for topping up if Pentosin is not available.
I have read about some cases where apparently (no proof I know of) wrong use of ATF has damaged over the time sealings in the system originally designed for Pentosin.
Maybe others know more/better how to proceed now.

I think the best is you drive back to the dealer, show him the sticker and what they have sold you and ask them how they want to solve the problem
page from owners manual (http://luuk.xs4all.nl/bmwboeken/bmwe34manual/pg64.jpg)

[Interceptor]

http://shrubbery.student.utwente.nl/sean750/V12_rough_idle/RemoveAirMassMeter.jpg

Hi, Shogun!

Can you please tell me are there any relays in the relay box just under the oil filter on the picture above, in your car? I suspect it has something to do with the cruise control, but since mine is not working and there are no relays in that box that was my first guess.

Thanks in advance!

[shogun]

I just took it from the net. My engine looks much cleaner. I actually 'hate' leaks, and I do spend whatever I need to solve leaks. This is a pic of my engine room taken 10/04
http://tridem.han-solo.net/auto/erich/halopics/index_016.jpg
As for the relays and fuses under the oil filter, that depends very much on the year/month and the options someone has in his car.
Usually it is written on the underside of the panel (at least here in Japan). There is also a good info on my website on the ZKE (unfortunately for some in German (German training course manual)

[Dick Schneiders]

just because the lid of the reservoir says to use one of the CHF's, doesn't mean that it really needs to use it. You should never mix different fluids, though. I have a 1991 525i that says to use CHF 7.1, which is the semi-synthetic version of the Pentosin fluid. When I bought it 6 years ago the reservoir had a red fluid in it which was obviously ATF. I have continued to use ATF in it for almost 6 years and have had no problems with the system at all. Others have also reported similar situations.

I have read, and believe, that unless your car has the self-levelling suspension system, which shares the fluid with the power steering, you can use ATF just fine. Many/most BMW's have ATF as the recommended fluid for the power steering. I think that BMW simply used the same cap for the reservoir on all of their cars for a period of time and that you can use the very inexpensive and readily available ATF with no problems developing.




till the reservoir is empty. Then pump the pedal that there might come more fluid to the reservoir to skim off.
I am not sure if you should flush it too.
The owners manual says to use LMH for topping up if Pentosin is not available.
I have read about some cases where apparently (no proof I know of) wrong use of ATF has damaged over the time sealings in the system originally designed for Pentosin.
Maybe others know more/better how to proceed now.

I think the best is you drive back to the dealer, show him the sticker and what they have sold you and ask them how they want to solve the problem
page from owners manual (http://luuk.xs4all.nl/bmwboeken/bmwe34manual/pg64.jpg)

[632 Regal]

ch-11 should be available at any import car supply, get some and flush it out twice and dont listen to the dealer when you think they may be mistaken. This is why some import auto places charge more than the dealer for some services...cause they do it right and dont usually make such stupid mistakes.