I was checking my fluid levels and the power steering level seems a bit low. Much to my surprise the owner's manual is silent on what to put in and how high the level should be. What say you? TIA.

 

CHF11S is the fluid. It should note that on the resevoir cap. Haynes says the fluid level should be somewhere between the min and max lines with the cap placed untightened on the reservoir opening.

 

The cap has a dipstick incorporated into it and as buzzsaw said, use CHF11S fluid. I got a quart of it from NAPA for about $11.

 

Did the NAPA version specifically say that it was 'CHF11S'? My local parts store, not NAPA, told me to go to the dealer.

 

This is what you are looking for:

 

Doesn't get much clearer than that! Thanks!

 

No problem! Good luck on your PS fluid endeavors!

 

If you local napa/import auto store does not sell it, if you have a VW dealer close by, they sell it...some of their cars use the same stuff (just incase you are one of the folks 50 miles from a mini dealer).

 

It is sold online as well, if I am not mistaken. So just search around and the little green can will show up eventually.

 

My situation is thus:
Discovered fliuid on the garage floor under the wife's '03S. Checked the engine and discovered a significant blowoff of PS fluid out the PS cap. Check the fluid and it's below the bottom of the dip stick. Check the manual, no guidance. Check the cap, it says ATF ONLY. Not CHF11S. Yikes! Plus there's many types of ATF. Searching the web, calling the dealership, all ensure me that CHF11S is the fluid so I pick so some up at pep boys for $25. Get home, pull a little sample out of the reservoir and side-by-side w/the CHF11S. Viscosity seems the same but CHF11S is lite green, my sample is lite brown! What to do? Yell at wife for buying an English car of course! She storms off in the mini to a shop I don't trust. She comes home all happy cause they topped her off. I just checked and now there's red fluid in the reservoir. Certainly ATF, nearly certainly not the same as the original fluid. What to do (besides yell at wife again since that worked so well)? I guess I need to determine exactly the make of the PS motor, drain and replace accordingly? Maybe some shady mechanic (previously mentioned) swapped caps on me?